SPEAKING FOR THE EARTH

A republication of an early environmentalist tract, written for the first Earth Day in 1970.

In his introduction, financier and consultant Meier lays out his bona fides as “assistant to one of the world’s greatest and most conscientious industrialists, Howard Hughes.” Through his work, Meier encountered numerous instances of environmental degradation and—inspired by earlier whistleblowers and polemicists, such as Rachel Carson and Seymour Hersh—decided to document his findings. Many of the material will be familiar to readers acquainted with environmental writings from the period; the book includes cries against the use of DDT and dismay over the rise of smog in major cities; pollution is described as a toxic menace, with Lake Erie receiving particular attention as a site “littered with dead fish and rotting refuse, and the dark waters contain lethal doses of industrial poisons and noxious bacteria.” Meier similarly describes the “great rivers” of the United States as “open sewers” for industrial waste. Although some sections are only interesting from a historical perspective, many remain upsettingly relevant, including those that address the need to eliminate coal mining and coal usage, the byproducts of nuclear reactors, and the growing power of lobbyists who obstruct real legislative change. Particularly prescient is the tract’s then-early call for efficient electric vehicles and electric-powered mass transit systems. Although the language sometimes aims for shock value (“The automobile is America’s leading menace. It disfigures the landscape. It contaminates the air. It kills people, plants and animals”), each chapter concludes with thoughtful, researched solutions, and some readers may despair at how few of them have been undertaken. Reflecting on how society addressed environmental challenges more than a half century ago is also engaging and instructive. The book’s enduring relevance points to the continued importance of its message, and the author’s urgently articulated desire to act will still register with new readers.

A historical document that remains a powerful call to action.