Douglas Brinkley Discusses Environmentalism at Pepperdine’s W. David Baird Distinguished Lecture Series
Pepperdine University recently hosted Douglas Brinkley, an author and the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities at Rice University, for a lecture on his recent book, Silent Spring Revolution: John F. Kennedy, Rachel Carson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and the Great Environmental Awakening.
“Today’s subject and the book Doug will be discussing are directly relevant to environmental policy—a subject of much importance at our School of Public Policy,” said dean Pete Peterson (MPP ’07), while introducing Brinkley at the event. “This talk will help us understand that current policy debates were shaped decades ago by writers, thinkers, philosophers, and activists.”
During his remarks, Brinkley introduced attendees to the three waves of environmentalism that occurred throughout American history.
The movement was first ignited by Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, who initiated the National Parks System. Through his love of the outdoors, America’s varied landscapes, and the preservation of its many ecosystems, Roosevelt helped establish the term "conservation” within the nation’s popular culture.
This legacy of conservation was then carried on by another Roosevelt—Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president. Though most widely known for his leadership throughout World War II, FDR was instrumental to the second wave of this eco-friendly campaign, using the powers of his executive office to create 800 state parks throughout America.
The term “environmentalism,” ultimately came about during the third and, thus far, final wave, which was incited by marine biologist, Rachel Carson. Carson, Brinkley explained, was the first popular researcher/writer to connect public health with conservation by claiming that pesticides were harmful to not just insects, but to animals and ultimately humans. Her claims, related in her groundbreaking book, Silent Spring, were ultimately confirmed and popularized by the administrations of John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.
Both Kennedy and Nixon amplified the message of environmentalism during their respective years in the Oval Office. In the early ’60s, Kennedy helped develop and eventually pass America’s first Clear Air Act, which was signed after his death in 1963. Similarly, Nixon also pushed forward conservation policies by signing into law the National Environmental Policy Act in 1973.
Brinkley pointed out that environmentalism, for much of the 20th century, was a bipartisan issue. Of the four presidents mentioned in his lecture, two of them (Theodore Roosevelt and Nixon) were Republicans and two of them (Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Kennedy) were Democrats.
When discussing the potential of a fourth wave of environmentalism, the author challenged the next generation of problem solvers—the students in attendance.
“It’s for young people in the 21st century to think this through,” said Brinkley. “For young people who feel existential pain or depression because of the state of climate change, don’t. You have to stay upbeat, and you have to do something local. You can help, and along the line, you’ll meet real people and develop a network. That way, when the time is right, they’ll be there [to help].”
Brinkley is the author numerous nonfiction books ranging in topics from Bob Dylan to the National Parks System to the Vietnam War. Six of his titles have been named New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
Brinkley’s visit to campus was sponsored by Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy, PepperdineLibraries, and Seaver College’s W. David Baird Distinguished Lecture Series.