Trains for Nature (Paperback)

Alfred Runte

ISBN 10: 1493090968 / ISBN 13: 9781493090969

Published by Rowman & Littlefield, Guilford, 2025

About this Item

Paperback. What did America lose with the decline of the passenger train? Much more than most Americans think, observes Alfred Runte, a leading historian of our national parks. Including parks and wilderness, the greatest loss has been to the American land. No technology was ever more respectfulprotectiveof what it means to have a national landscape. In song and story we call it America the Beautiful. And yet we let our best beautifiers disappear. Now the landscape suffers in our mindless rush to get rid of old technology and blindly embrace the new. Wind farms and solar power plants cajole us to redefine beauty itself, allowing access even to protected wilderness. No railroad ever asked for thator wanted it. Beauty was after all the essence of travel. Americans soughtand railroads deliveredan intimate connection to open space. Recalling train travel experiences of his own, Runte invites us to interact as we travel, to slow down and renew our passion for the land as part of our journey and destination. As a true visionary with a deep respect for the land and its people, Runte asks us to open our eyes and our minds to the idea that we need not sacrifice beauty for progress. Originally published in 2006 as Allies of the Earth: Railroads and the Soul of Preservation, the book today is even more timely, now we see what policy-makers have in mind as replacements for railroads. Offering a new preface and epilogue, Runte stands his ground. Absent restraint, no technology is practicing conservation. Railroads renew the hope that the trains, i.e., the restraint, we so carelessly threw away may still be restored to preserve the remaining glories of our continent. Originally published under title: Allies of the earth. Kirksville, Mo.: Truman State University Press, A2006. With new preface and epilogue. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781493090969

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Trains for Nature (Paperback)
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Guilford
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1493090968
• ISBN 13: 9781493090969
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Discover how America's abandoned passenger trains hold the key to preserving our nation's scenic treasures and wilderness landscapes.

In this timely and provocative work, renowned environmental historian Alfred Runte challenges our blind embrace of highways and airports, revealing how the decline of passenger rail has scarred America's legendary landscapes. From national parks to urban corridors, Runte demonstrates how modern transportation choices are destroying the very vistas we claim to cherish.

Drawing on decades of research and his experience as advisor to Ken Burns's acclaimed National Parks documentary series, Runte offers a compelling vision for reuniting transportation with conservation:

• Reveals how European nations successfully preserved their scenic landscapes through rail transportation
• Explores the hidden environmental costs of abandoning America's passenger rail system
• Demonstrates how restoring rail service could protect wilderness areas from destructive development
• Challenges conventional wisdom about "progress" in transportation policy

This expanded edition, featuring a new preface and epilogue, arrives at a critical moment as wind farms and solar installations threaten even protected wilderness areas. For anyone concerned about preserving America's natural heritage while addressing climate change, this passionate appeal for the return of passenger rail offers hope for a more sustainable and beautiful future.

 

About the Author

An internationally recognized expert on national parks and railroads, Alfred Runte is based in Seattle, Washington. He was among the principal advisers to Ken Burns’s PBS documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009), and appeared in all six episodes of the Emmy Award-winning series. His other books include Trains of Discovery: Railroads and the Legacy of our National Parks; Yosemite: The Embattled Wilderness; and the fifth edition of his critically-acclaimed National Parks: The American Experience. He was the recipient, in 2021, of the Stewart L. Udall Award from the Western National Parks Association in honor of his lifetime commitment to parks and wilderness.