Dirty Water

“Dirty Water recounts the birth of the Los Angeles region's coastal water quality movement through the initial actions of an ocean swimming teacher: Howard Bennett. The story of Heal the Bay's humble beginnings followed by remarkable success at a time when most of the world's coastal waters and marine ecosystems degraded dramatically, offers hope and guidance to those willing to fight for our oceans.”—Mark Gold, President, Heal the Bay

“This is environmental history told with the readability of an adventure story. From the publicity-generating antics of schoolteacher Howard Bennett while founding a campaign to stop sewage sludge from entering the ocean, through the ongoing successes of the group Heal the Bay, this book shows how the concern and dedication of citizen activists remains the key to successful environmental battles everywhere.”—David Carle, author of Introduction to Water in California and Water and the California Dream

“Here's a refreshingly redemptive story about nature and California. Bill Sharpsteen reminds us that individual actors and collective decisions make a difference in the face of obscene environmental degradation; he reminds us that the history of California is inextricably tied to the well-being of the Pacific coast; and he insists that the watchdog work of minding the human impact upon natural systems must be shouldered by all of us.”—William Deverell, Director, Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West