David Brower 1990

David Brower (July 1, 1912 - November 5, 2000) is considered to be the founder of the modern environmental movement. From 1952 to 1969, he served as the first Executive Director of the Sierra Club. He founded the John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies (1997), Friends of the Earth (1969), Earth Island Institute (1982), North Cascades Conservation Council, and Fate of the Earth Conferences. As a young man, he was a prominent mountaineer. What’s remarkable about this 33-year-old interview is how Brower pinpointed the societal issues that still hold back environmental efforts. We spoke of corporate greenwashing, population control, confrontational tactics like spiking trees, state initiatives to circumvent political inaction, and how tax deductibility hampered the environment. David Brower praises Richard Nixon for his remarks on population control