The Man from Clear Lake: Earth Day Founder Senator Gaylord NelsonOn Earth Day 1970 twenty million Americans displayed their commitment to a clean environment. It was called the largest demonstration in human history, and it permanently changed the nation’s political agenda. More than 1 billion people now participate in annual Earth Day activities. The seemingly simple idea—a day set aside to focus on protecting our natural environment—was the brainchild of U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. It accomplished, far beyond his expectations, his lifelong goal of putting the environment onto the nation’s and the world’s political agendas. The life of Nelson, a small-town boy who learned his values and progressive political principles at an early age, is woven through the political history of the twentieth century. Nelson’s story intersects at times with Fighting Bob La Follette, Joe McCarthy, and Bill Proxmire in Wisconsin, and with George McGovern, Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Russell Long, Walter Mondale, John F. Kennedy, and others on the national scene. Winner, Elizabeth A. Steinberg Prize, University of Wisconsin Press |
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Contents
| 1 | |
| 11 | |
| 36 | |
| 53 | |
| 63 | |
| 77 | |
| 90 | |
7 Taking on McCarthy | 105 |
19 Joining the Club | 317 |
20 Defending the Constitution | 335 |
21 Saving the Appalachian Trail | 355 |
22 The Hard Detergent Battle | 364 |
23 The Great Society | 374 |
24 Islands and Rivers | 404 |
25 Protecting Consumers | 425 |
26 The Great Lakes | 450 |
8 Getting Ready to Run | 118 |
9 Nelson for Governor | 134 |
10 A TwoParty State | 153 |
11 An Ambitious Agenda | 165 |
12 Family Fights | 203 |
13 Still the Underdogs | 214 |
14 The Conservation Governor | 230 |
15 The Great Tax Debate | 248 |
16 On to the Senate | 265 |
17 The First Shall Be Last | 283 |
18 Enlisting the President | 295 |
27 The Fight to Ban DDT | 464 |
28 Vietnam | 480 |
29 Earth Day | 516 |
30 Immune to Presidential Fever | 535 |
31 The Environmental Decade | 560 |
32 A Lasting Legacy | 578 |
Notes | 601 |
Bibliography | 665 |
Index | 671 |
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Common terms and phrases
Aldric Revell American Apostle Islands Appalachian Trail April August bill called campaign candidate Carrie Lee Clear Lake committee Congress Congressional conservation consin Dane County debate detergents Doyle drug Eagleton Earth Day election environment environmental federal Follette friends Gaylord Nelson governor hearings History of Wisconsin House Ibid interview by author issue January Jim Cavanaugh Johnson Jordahl July June Kennedy Kennedy’s land later legislation legislature Lucey Madison March McCarthy McCarthy’s McGovern ment million Milwaukee Muskie Nelson asked Nelson Senate Papers Nixon North Vietnam November O’Brien October ORAP park passed Patrick Lucey percent political Polk County pollution President presidential proposed Proxmire race recreation reelection reporter Republican Reuss River Saint Croix sales tax September speech state’s Thomson tion took trail troops U.S. Senate Udall Vietnam vote wanted Washington Wiley Wiscon
Popular passages
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Page 70 - I have in my hand 57 cases of individuals who would appear to be either card carrying members or certainly loyal to the Communist Party, but who nevertheless are still helping to shape our foreign policy.
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Page 169 - I could not accept the idea that the United States would rain bombs on Cuba, killing thousands and thousands of civilians in a surprise attack.
Page 363 - Leon D. Epstein, Politics in Wisconsin (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1958), pp.
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Bibliographic information
| Title | The Man from Clear Lake: Earth Day Founder Senator Gaylord Nelson |
| Author | Bill Christofferson |
| Edition | illustrated, large print |
| Publisher | University of Wisconsin Pres, 2009 |
| ISBN | 0299196461, 9780299196462 |
| Length | 704 pages |
| Subjects | › › Biography & Autobiography / General Biography & Autobiography / Political History / United States / 20th Century Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |