The Riverkeepers

Publication

The Riverkeepers is a 1997 book written by John Cronin, head of the Riverkeeper organization at the time, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Riverkeeper's then chief litigator.

The book was published in 1997, in New York by Charles Scribner's Sons.

Synopsis

The book, with a foreword by Al Gore, documents the work by its authors in their legal battles with the corporate polluters of the Hudson River. The authors write about their 1983 founding of Riverkeeper non-profit organization and the almost-100 lawsuits they have started. Targets of the author's litigation include General Electric and Exxon. The authors are critical of the United States Congress.

The book notes "right-wing stereotypes about environmental elitism" and recommends strategies to persuade political opponents. Recommended strategies are local action, linking environmentalism with preserving historical industry such as fishing, rather than as being against economic growth, and framing environmentalism as a struggle "against special interests who would monopolize, exclude, and liquidate [resources] for cash."

Critical reception

Kirkus Reviews notes the book's lack of objectivity and describes the authors as "self-righteous" but praised the book as informative. Publishers Weekly described the book as "staunch and quietly passionate".

References

References

1. (15 Aug 1997). "THE RIVERKEEPERS".
2. "The Riverkeepers by John Cronin".