Welfare Ranching: The Subsidized Destruction Of The American West - Softcover

Wuerthner, George; Matteson, Mollie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1559639431 ISBN 13: 9781559639439

Publisher: Foundations for Deep Ecology 2, 2002

Synopsis

Reveals the environmentally degrading practice of cattle grazing in the Midwest, which decimates local plant and wildlife, and offers alternatives to restoring the land.

About this title

About the Author

George Wuerthner is the ecological projects director for the Foundation for Deep Ecology, where he does research and writes about environmental issues. For many years he was a full-time freelance photographer and writer and has published thirty-eight books on natural history, conservation history, ecology, and environmental issues.

Reviews

Whereas the effects of urban sprawl and clear-cut logging are readily apparent, the far-reaching and devastating consequences of large-scale livestock production are less obvious to the untrained eye. In this excellent overview of the ecological and economic consequences of ranching in the arid Western United States, natural historian and photographer Wuerthner and environmental activist Matteson present a collection of impassioned essays by scientists, conservationists, and economists. As writers like Edward Abbey, T.H. Watkins, and Carl Bock point out, livestock grazing has caused irreversible damage: it has degraded water quality, eroded the soil, introduced invasive plants, and endangered countless native plants and wildlife. Although the West accounts for less than three percent of U.S. meat production, livestock grazing occurs there on an enormous scale (a single cow uses one acre in Mississippi but 250 acres in Nevada). To provide enough space, three million acres of public land are being used by private ranchers with the help of government subsidies a consequence of the ranching industry's political power. This oversized book has 175 full-color photographs plus a resource directory and a bibliography. Although rather costly, it is highly recommended for both academic and public libraries and is particularly suitable for environmental and Western collections. Ilse Heidmann, Olympia, WA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Foundations for Deep Ecology 2
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1559639431
• ISBN 13: 9781559639439
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368