Managing the Environment, Managing Ourselves: A History of American Environmental Policy

Andrews offers a long look, across over a century of US government policies for the environment. Many links are made to other related topics in US history. From urban sanitation and public health to pollution control. He traces land policies all the way back to English colonial times, and the acts of entities like the Virginia Company and Hudson's Bay Company. In the 20th century, the book describes the establishment and running of many national parks. As well as much rural development, epitomised by the TVA. We also see the rise of the BLM, and how it has to mediate between conflicting demands for rural land usage, from farmers to miners to tourists.

First, I must confess that I'm an oceanographer, not a policy expert. So my review is from the point of view of an informed and interested reader, not an expert in the field of environmental management. I took an Envirnmental Management and Policy graduate class from Andrews, and notes for the book formed the basis of the class reading. The point of view of the book, following from the historical context of European colonialization to the modern enforcement of laws based upon primarily English and Spanish precedents, allows for an in depth understanding of how and why environmental policies are debated and put into practice. Due to it's focus on historical precedence, the reader is lead to understand why and how policy decisions are made today. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is frustrated (either pro or con) by our current environmental policies. You will gain a wealth of insight into how and why environmental management polices are enacted. You may not like the current environmental policies, but this book will help you understand why our system works the ways it does.