Crabgrass Crucible

Suburban Nature and the Rise of Environmentalism in Twentieth-Century America

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Nature, Environment, Ecology, Environmental Conservation & Protection, History, Americas, United States, 20th Century
Cover of the book Crabgrass Crucible by Christopher C. Sellers, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Christopher C. Sellers ISBN: 9780807869901
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: June 18, 2012
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Christopher C. Sellers
ISBN: 9780807869901
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: June 18, 2012
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

Although suburb-building created major environmental problems, Christopher Sellers demonstrates that the environmental movement originated within suburbs--not just in response to unchecked urban sprawl. Drawn to the countryside as early as the late nineteenth century, new suburbanites turned to taming the wildness of their surroundings. They cultivated a fondness for the natural world around them, and in the decades that followed, they became sensitized to potential threats. Sellers shows how the philosophy, science, and emotions that catalyzed the environmental movement sprang directly from suburbanites' lives and their ideas about nature, as well as the unique ecology of the neighborhoods in which they dwelt.

Sellers focuses on the spreading edges of New York and Los Angeles over the middle of the twentieth century to create an intimate portrait of what it was like to live amid suburban nature. As suburbanites learned about their land, became aware of pollution, and saw the forests shrinking around them, the vulnerability of both their bodies and their homes became apparent. Worries crossed lines of class and race and necessitated new ways of thinking and acting, Sellers argues, concluding that suburb-dwellers, through the knowledge and politics they forged, deserve much of the credit for inventing modern environmentalism.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Although suburb-building created major environmental problems, Christopher Sellers demonstrates that the environmental movement originated within suburbs--not just in response to unchecked urban sprawl. Drawn to the countryside as early as the late nineteenth century, new suburbanites turned to taming the wildness of their surroundings. They cultivated a fondness for the natural world around them, and in the decades that followed, they became sensitized to potential threats. Sellers shows how the philosophy, science, and emotions that catalyzed the environmental movement sprang directly from suburbanites' lives and their ideas about nature, as well as the unique ecology of the neighborhoods in which they dwelt.

Sellers focuses on the spreading edges of New York and Los Angeles over the middle of the twentieth century to create an intimate portrait of what it was like to live amid suburban nature. As suburbanites learned about their land, became aware of pollution, and saw the forests shrinking around them, the vulnerability of both their bodies and their homes became apparent. Worries crossed lines of class and race and necessitated new ways of thinking and acting, Sellers argues, concluding that suburb-dwellers, through the knowledge and politics they forged, deserve much of the credit for inventing modern environmentalism.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book Beyond the Prison Gates by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book Counter-revolution of the Word by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book Chasing Phantoms by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book After the Trail of Tears by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book The Beauty of Holiness by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book Making Marriage Work by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book Unruly Women by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book Dislocating Race and Nation by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book The War of 1898 by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book Democracy Betrayed by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book Steel Closets by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book The CIO, 1935-1955 by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book The Poetry of Thomas Hardy by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book Murder at the Sleepy Lagoon by Christopher C. Sellers
Cover of the book Chinese Mexicans by Christopher C. Sellers
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy