Brower, David (1912–2000)

David brower (1912–2000) was an environmentalist who lived the phrase “In the beginning was the act!” He battled fiercely for the protection of the earth and he had a profound influence on America's wilderness areas. Brower's credits in environmental protection and advocacy are legendary in their volume and significance. He worked on the creation of national parks in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and New England. Along with other staunch environmentalists, he was instrumental in blocking the building of dams in Dinosaur National Park, the Grand Canyon, and Canada's Yukon Territory. Brower's own words portray the man and his passion: “Polite conservationists leave no mark save the scars upon the Earth that could have been prevented had they stood their ground.”

David Brower served as executive director of the Sierra Club from 1952 to 1969, where he continued to serve in various capacities until 1998, two years before his death at the age of 88. In 1982, David Brower founded the Earth Island Institute (EII), an organization dedicated to the conversation, preservation, and restoration of the environment. The EII provides support for enterprising environmentalists to develop projects and to support them in the implementation of their work. EII environmentalists have been active in projects worldwide to protect the fast-disappearing rainforests, promote organic and sustainable agriculture, the reduction of pollution in the world's oceans, and the development [Page 169]of environmental programs to protect urban areas. The latter effort resulted in the formation of the Urban Habitat project, addressing environmental issue in metropolitan areas.