Confluence: A River, The Environment, Politics, and the Fate of All Humanity

We are the river, and the river is us. We carry the same chemicals; pesticides and heavy metals, antibiotics and estrogen in our bloodstreams. From the Mekong River in Vietnam, where he served as platoon leader during the Vietnam War, to the Connecticut River near his farm in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, rivers have coursed through the life of Nathaniel Tripp. And as part of the Connecticut River Joint Commission, a bi-state advisory body made up of members from two states the river divides, Vermont and New Hampshire, he has gotten an education about rivers beyond any he could have imagined. He has worked with scientists, bureaucrats, politicians, lobbyists, property holders, and advocacy groups to balance federal, state, corporate, and individual interests.This book is a true confluence of art and science, politics and pragmatism, ideas and plans for action. It highlights the ways in which rivers connect us all to one another. While our society has made great progress in terms of local environmental improvement, such as cleaner water, we’re still dodging the big issues, such as global warming. And it’s getting worse. We have lost the vision of our planet gained in 1969 when astronauts sent back photographs taken from the moon. Projects such as the restoration of the Atlantic salmon are politicized to become red herrings that divide us, and today’s runaway “free market” economy eschews long-term planning and marginalizes true environmentalism. The time is right for someone to remind us, in a clear and meaningful way, about the things that matter most. And Nathaniel Tripp does just that.