Since the late nineteenth century, the
American West has been an environmental battleground. At one extreme, rabid capitalists
see the region as nothing more than a rich land to be exploited for personal
gain, never mind the effects their profiteering has on the land and the people
who live on it. At the other extreme are radicals who believe mankind has no
place in the West; that it is best left to the elements and we humans should
only be allowed to sneak in and take a peek every now and then, then leave.
Most folks, as is usually the case,
are sandwiched somewhere nearer the center of those extremes and look to
achieve some kind of balance betwixt and between. Even then, viewpoints are
fervent and disagreements intense.
Although somewhat dated since its
publication in 1971, Encounters with the
Archdruid by John McPhee paints arguments between conservation and
development in vivid colors. And, the fact is, the arguments have changed
little since then—or ever.
The book sets the views of David
Brower, outdoorsman and long-time leader of the Sierra Club and the titular
“Archdruid,” against three powerful men with contrasting views. One of the encounters
lies outside the West, featuring a real estate developer on Hilton Head Island
off the South Carolina coast. Another concerns mineral mining in remote areas,
specifically in a wilderness location in the Cascade Range. The third, and most
engaging for me, pits government dam builder Floyd Dominy against Brower during
a float trip through the Grand Canyon.
McPhee, a meticulous reporter and imaginative
writer, allows each man to state his case during each encounter, and allows
readers to take from the debates what they will. And, like all good art and
literature, Encounters with the Archdruid
asks a lot more questions than it answers.
