David R. Brower Dies at 88
Renowned environmental leader was with family in Berkeley
Submitted by Earth Island Institute
November 6, 2000
Click here for photos of David Brower.
San Francisco -- David R. Brower, recognized internationally for his pioneering leadership in protecting the environment and wild places of the Earth, died on November
5th at his home in Berkeley, CA, surrounded by his family. Brower was 88
years old, and died from complications related to cancer.
"We have sadly lost the most inspirational leader of efforts to protect and restore the Earth," stated Dave Phillips, Executive Director of Earth Island
Institute. He continued: "Dave Brower is a latter-day John Muir."
Brower's career ranged from successfully fighting to stop dams in Dinosaur
National Monument and in Grand Canyon National Park, to leading
environmentalists to re-think support of nuclear power, to being the first
Executive Director of the Sierra Club. In 1982, Brower founded Earth Island
Institute, an umbrella "incubator" organization that fosters and supports
innovative environmental projects around the world. Based in San Francisco,
Earth Island Institute is the home of the Brower Fund and the Brower Youth
Awards.
Among his other accomplishments, he led campaigns to establish nine new national parks and seashores including Point Reyes, the North Cascades, and the Redwoods, and helped gain passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964, which protects millions of acres of public lands in pristine condition. He created the genre of "exhibit format" books of exquisite outdoor photography, always tied to a conservation theme, and pioneered the practice of running full-page environmental campaign advertisements in newspapers. Many consider him the founder of the modern environmental movement, alongside John Muir and Rachel Carson.
Brower's insistence on taking bold stands for environmental protection and his leadership where others dared not go inspired several generations of activists. He was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize, and received numerous awards throughout his life, including 1998's Blue Planet Award.
Brower's message on the current state of the Earth was at once dire and
optimistic and is reflected in his favorite quotes. Of his own career, he
paraphrased California Senator Tom Hayden: "All I have been able to do in my
career is to slow the rate at which things get worse." But he urged
environmentalists to heed the words of Goethe: "Anything you can do or dream
you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
Brower is survived by his wife Anne Brower; his four children Kenneth Brower, Robert Brower, Barbara Brower, and John Brower; his brother Joe Brower; and his three grandchildren Anne Katherine Olsen, Rosemary Olsen, and David C. Brower.
Earth Island Institute is working with the Brower Family on the details for a memorial service. Donations to Dave's memory can be made to the Brower Fund of Earth Island Institute, 300 Broadway, Suite 28, San Francisco, CA 94133; (415) 788-3666. On-line donations.
Click here for photos of David Brower.
Earth Island Institute is a nonprofit conservation and education organization, founded by David R. Brower in 1982. Among the many projects around the world sponsored by Earth Island is the Brower Project, housing Brower's papers and mementos of his many environmental campaigns, and Brower Youth Awards, given to young people who conserve, protect, and restore the Earth.
Background Materials Available:
Still photos, video footage, and VNR of David Brower are available upon request from Earth Island Institute (415) 788-3666. Further information is available on the Earth Island Institute website (http://www.earthisland.org).
Special Website: Please visit The Wildness Within, an official Brower website dubbed "An Inner-Space Journey to the Wilderness -- Origin of Life."
Other stories:
For more information contact:
David Phillips, John Knox, or Mikhail Davis
Earth Island Institute
Phone: (415) 788-3666
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