California Greenin': How the Golden State Became an Environmental Leader Paperback – Big Book, 27 August 2019

The timing of this book could not be more essential. President Trump and the Republicans are decreasing federal regulations with the belief that in so doing, more jobs will be created which will in turn enhance the economy financially. Professor Vogel through 150 years of the history of California and its current state of a thriving, yet heavily regulated system clearly refutes this notion. Since its creation as a state during the California Gold Rush, the issue of immediate prosperity versus long term prosperity has been in question. They got financial rewards from the gold but polluted the water they drank. While the lumber in the Redwoods p[roduced immediate profit, they understood that future generations would not be able to enjoy them. When Southern California benefited economically from the oil wells, they lost the enjoyment of the beaches. While driving cars is a treasured norm in Southern California life, the air pollution released by the cars caused the air quality to become so bad, they lost the desirability of people wanting to settle there. It was when they regulated the environment that the desirability of beautiful California increased the value of its homes and tourism flourished and continues to flourish. Professor Vogel understands that environmental regulations are not an abstract idea, but very real to the people who want the beauty and quality of life and want to have it in their own backyard. They don't want to give up driving cars or enjoying the trees in Northern California or the beaches in Southern California. They want good water to drink and good air quality to breathe and time to enjoy the immense beauty that California provides in its natural resources. They want this all to remain there for them and for future generations and they understand that this requires extensive monitoring and regulation.

For decades my wife and I have enjoyed visiting dozens of the spectacular national and state parks in California. We also have admired and taken advantage of a variety of activities along California's beautiful coast. We often wondered why we were so fortunate to live in a state so blessed with these fabulous outdoor opportunities Likewise we have marvelled at the state's clean air and pure drinking water, despite its size. When we read Professor Vogel's book we were profoundly enlightened. This remarkably well researched and well written book answered these questions. In this book, Vogel provides a detailed history of how environmentalists and corporations (sometimes at odds. but often in concert) helped produce the Green' of California. Vogel painstakingly takes us through each of the important environmental concerns (land use, water resources, air quality, and energy efficiency) and explains in detail how California's extraordinary level of environmental protections was generated, preserved, and subsequently enhanced over he years. This is one of those rare books which has managed to bridge a seemingly impossible chasm. On the one hand, because it is so well researched and documented, it suely could serve as a jumping off point for other academics and scholars to explore some of these areas in even greater detail. At the same time, the book is relatively easy and enjoyable reading for us non academics. For anyone with an interest in how California became a leader in the environmental movement, this book is a real page-turner.

This is the right book at the right time. Just as the administration in Washington is gutting decades of successful environmental regulation, Vogel offers us a reasoned argument for why such protection is needed, and a well-documented account of how everyone benefits from clean air and water--even the corporations who oppose the regulations! Objectively and without ideological bias, he demonstrates how California's stringent environmental policies improve the quality of life and standard of living of its residents, and help to enrich the owners of the State's farms and businesses.