Publisher's Synopsis
This memoir by environmental legal pioneer Marc McGinnes chronicles his ongoing work in the environmental movement at its birthplace in Santa Barbara after the devastating 1969 oil blowout. Recounting his involvement in the conference that presented the Santa Barbara Declaration of Environmental Rights, the first Earth Day celebrations, and the creation of enduring institutions such as the Environmental Defense Center, the Community Environmental Council, and the Environmental Studies program at University of California Santa Barbara, this book is a valuable resource for anyone seeking an eyewitness account of the formative days of the environmental movement. It also tells the personal story of the author's deeply spiritual transformation from a hotshot corporate lawyer who routinely represented the rapacious power elite to environmental lawyer, mediator and teacher. Changed forever by a photograph of Earth from space and a call from his powerful mentor in Congress, the trajectory of his life is redirected towards the pursuit of environmental justice. Conversational in tone, this highly readable and inspiring volume is packed with the tales of personal connections, surprising collaborations, leaps of faith, and acts of service that constitute the author's long and successful campaign fighting for the planet he loves.
