This Fine Piece of Water : An Environmental History of Long Island Sound - Hardcover

Andersen, Tom; Kennedy Jr., Robert F.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300082509 ISBN 13: 9780300082500

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2002

Synopsis

Long Island Sound is not only the most heavily used estuary in North America, it is also one of the most beautiful waterways, with picturesque seascapes and landfalls. But centuries of pollution and other abuse have gradually been killing off its marine life and have pushed the Sound to the brink of disaster. This fascinating book traces the history of the Sound and its use as a resource from the time of contact between the Native Americans and Dutch traders through the suburban sprawl of recent decades-and tells how a group of scientists and citizens has been working to save the Sound from ruin. Tom Andersen begins by describing the dramatic events of the summer of 1987, when a condition called hypoxia (lack of dissolved oxygen in the water brought about by a combination of pollution and other factors) killed large numbers of fish and lobsters in the Sound. He discusses how scientists first documented and explained the development of hypoxia and how research and cleanup are now being carried out to restore the Sound. Interweaving current events, natural history, and human history, Andersen presents a cautionary tale of exploitation without concern for preservation.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"[Rachel] Carson sounded the clarion call against pesticides and toxins in our environment. Now Tom Andersen has called us back to the barricades to save our dying estuaries."— Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.,

About the Author:

Tom Andersen is projects director, Westchester Land Trust. A former journalist, he has received several awards for his coverage of the Sound, including an environmental quality award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is professor of law and director of the Environmental Litigation Clinic at Pace University, White Plains, New York, and chief prosecuting attorney, Riverkeeper, Garrison, New York.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0300082509
• ISBN 13: 9780300082500
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272