Chesapeake Bay Blues - (American Political Challenges) by Howard R Ernst (Paperback)

About the Book

This book addresses the Chesapeake Bay as a political problem and reveals how the political process has worked against the interests of science, the public, and environmental advocates all at once.

Book Synopsis

This book addresses the Chesapeake Bay as a political problem and reveals how the political process has worked against the interests of science, the public, and environmental advocates all at once.

Review Quotes

Chesapeake Bay Blues cuts through the rhetorical muck, which, like the algae that blooms in the bay, tends to shut out the light.

Chesapeake Bay Blues is an exceptionally rich and insightful analysis of how the nation's largest estuary fell victim to human greed, economic expansion, and pollution. Ernst skillfully surveys the multiple causes of the Bay's deterioration, with appropriate attention both to environmental science and public policy issues. The book offers a highly readable and well-informed account of threats to the Bay's health and what might be done to restore both the ecosystem and the enormous economic values it brings to the region.

Chesapeake Bay Blues should motivate a wake-up call for all Bay lovers. A reading must for all concerned.

A very important book. The book is an eye-opening exploration into the 'inability of the political process to adequately address environmental problems.'

Anyone who claims to care about the Chesapeake Bay should read Chesapeake Bay Blues by Howard R. Ernst, a Naval Academy political science professor. [Chesapeake Bay Blues] is the first serious look at the Chesapeake that targets with precision what Ernst considers the real problem: politics, and the unwillingness of the public, business, industry, science, environmentalists or the government at any level to acknowledge the complexity and severity of the issues and deal with them realistically.

Ernst has made some bold conclusions and in doing so, he's bucking the conventional wisdom esposed by the conglomeration of interests involved in the Bay restoration effort.

Ernst has provided an excellent history of natural resource preservation. He does a marvelous job of accurately defining the Chesapeake Bay and its physical, chemical, and biological inputs and outputs. Ernst has done a good service for all of us interested in the Chesapeake Bay by telling its fascinating story.

Ernst has written a book that is packed with information on the politics and science behind the past, present, and future management of the Chesapeake Bay. He digs deep into the exterior and interior layers of policy and procedure that surround Chesapeake Bay protection measures. Ernst presents complex ideas and concepts in detail while still making them accessible to beginning students or interested lay readers-no small task. Backed by a plethora of cited references, Ernst goes further than most authors and provides a detailed "Notes" section on interesting and necessary background and "See also" information for each chapter. A wise choice for all academic libraries as well as for all public libraries.

Howard Ernst paints a stunning portrait of the Chesapeake Bay with a broad brush, yet fills the canvas with documented details of challenges to water quality, living resources and management programs. The text is written with energy and conviction without being melodramatic. A most valuable contribution to a growing library on the Bay.

Howard Ernst, author of Chesapeake Bay Blues, has made quite a splash in the environmental community.

Howard Ernst's book is an original and needed view of the long struggle to restore the Chesapeake Bay to health. It's readable and thoughtful. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the Bay, or in environmental restoration in general.

I hope Chesapeake Bay Blues is widely read and debated, because business as usual-even tweaked a bit-isn't going to cut it for restoring the Chesapeake.

This splendidly written, carefully documented account of the ecological and economic devastation of one of the nation's great resources is a sad commentary on the human race.

Very well written and provides an easily understandable description of the political challenges faced by those proposing new or more stringent environmental regulations or programs.

Very well writtern and provides an easily understandable description of the political challenges faced by those proposing new or more stringent enviornmental regulations or programs.

About the Author

Howard R. Ernst is assistant professor of political science at the United States Naval Academy.