David Brower, the late great executive director of the Sierra Club, founder of Friends of the Earth, conservationist extraordinaire, is given plenty of credit for his accomplishments, but not, in my estimation, nearly enough credit for his wit, courage, and charm.
All by himself, he demolishes any number of cliches about conservationists; that is, that they are humorless, verbose, and uninterested in people. To wit:
It is far too late to advocate, even if we would, a return to the teepee — to the Indian's custom of living on the income of natureal resources, the replenishable deer, acorns, pine nuts, and grasshoppers…No, we won't return volutarily to the teepee. Our descendants can live there later, when the inevitable eviction notice is served.
From For Earth's Sake: The Life and Times of David Brower, l990
Kit Stolz 