Blue Frontier: Dispatches from America's Ocean Wilderness

by David Helvarg

In this compelling book, which Bill McKibben calls “the most comprehensive account available of the state of our nation’s oceans, and the best reporting on how they got that way,” veteran journalist David Helvarg fuses his passion for the sea and his reportorial savvy into a panoramic chronicle of America’s maritime history and the challenges that our coastal and marine environments face today. He dives deep into the cultures of those who know the sea in myriad ways―fisherfolk, oil-rig roughnecks, hurricane forecasters, coastal developers, navy personnel, scientists, and surfers―and profiles the growing efforts by coastal citizens and local governments to restore and protect the health of our oceans in the face of wide-open development along our coasts and offshore. Demonstrating how national policymaking on the oceans is enmeshed in a welter of competing jurisdictions, he argues for strong omnibus legislation and the creation of truly protected marine wilderness reserves.


Superbly researched, urgently written, and thoroughly updated, Blue Frontier is engrossing and essential reading for anyone concerned about saving America’s ocean wilderness.

Genres: Environment

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

About the author

David Helvarg is Executive Director of Blue Frontier and the author of six books: Blue Frontier, The War against the Greens, 50 Ways to Save the Ocean, Rescue Warriors, Saved by the Sea and The Golden Shore. He is editor of the Ocean and Coastal Conservation Guide, organizer of ‘Blue Vision’ Summits for ocean activists and the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards (co-hosted with Wendy Benchley), and winner of Coastal Living Magazine’s 2005 Leadership Award and the 2007 Herman Melville Literary Prize.

Helvarg worked as a war correspondent in Northern Ireland and Central America, covered a range of issues from military science to the AIDS epidemic, and reported from every continent including Antarctica. An award-winning journalist, he produced more than 40 broadcast documentaries for PBS, The Discovery Channel, and others. His print work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, LA Times, Smithsonian, National Geographic, Popular Science, Sierra, and Parade. He’s done radio work for Marketplace, AP radio, and Pacifica. He has led workshops for journalists in Poland, Turkey, Tunisia, Slovakia and Washington DC. He is a licensed Private Investigator, body-surfer and scuba diver.

Reviews

[Artie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just met Mr. Helvarg this past thursday and boy is he a nice guy. Super dedicated to bringing the wonder of the oceans to all the people of the world. He also isn't a 'doom and gloom' conserationist like Carl Pope would want you to believe. The conservationist's curse is indeed NOT: to be right, but not listened to.

[Nissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you as much as enjoy occasional visits to the beach this is a must. Any coastsider should definitely pick up a copy.

[Tim Gannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it very disjointed - bits of interesting information are there - but a lot of wasted time reading everything in between -

[O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating stuff if you like the ocean and naval history.