John Cumbler. Through the Lens of Environmental History

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This episode of The Green Interview features John Cumbler, an author and environmental historian whose studies explore the human impact on the natural world over long periods of time. Formerly a professor at the University of Louisville, Cumbler now lives on Cape Cod, where he serves as a trained rescuer of whales, dolphins and sea turtles. The most recent of his seven books is a 400-year environmental history of Cape Cod. He’s also an historian of social movements starting with the Abolitionists, who created the very first large altruistic social movement and tracing the way that the Abolitionist’s victory over slavery ultimately produced movements dedicated to women’s rights, worker’s rights, the right to a decent living, decent housing, and a healthy environment. These are stories about how we have done things wrong and also about how we’ve done things right. This is a history that we really need to know.