Ansel Adams: "It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government..."

[Willie]

The quote is: "It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment." The wikiquote page says it is attributed in a book called Environment Management (2005) by Ipsetta(sic) Satpathy. The dubious attribution appeared on the wikiquote article about a year ago and the fact that they misspelled the author's name makes me suspicious. The book in question appears to be a textbook from India and I cannot find an online copy so I could read page 29 where the supposed quote appears. The Sierra Club posted the quote on their Facebook page yesterday. Any input is welcome here. Thanks!

Update: The quote is from a Playboy interview. May 1983

Playboy: What is the most critical fight now?

Adams: To save the entire environment: wilderness protection, proper use of parks, breakdown of Federal operation of the parks in favor of private interests, acquiring new park and wilderness land, unrestrained oil drilling and mining on land and offshore, etc. First on the list now is that all the wilderness areas must be protected. It is very important. With the current Administration, they are gravely threatened. It means that the small inroads this country has made in protecting some areas, both for scenic beauty and for invaluable resources, are threatened.

Here is an important point: Only two and a half percent of the land in this country is protected. Not only are we being fought in trying to extend that two and a half percent to include other important or fragile areas but we are having to fight to protect that small two and a half percent. It is horrifying that we have to fight our own Government to save our environment. Our worst enemy is the person the President designated with the responsibility of managing the country's environment: James Watt. No wonder it is a monumental battle.

http://davidsheff.com/article/ansel-adams/ (http://archive.is/ah7i5)

 

[Mick West]

It dates back at least to 1992
Protecting a Vanishing Ecosystem: The Ancient Forests of the Pacific Northwest : a Sourcebook for Activists,
http://books.google.com/books?id=SxVBAQAAIAAJ&q="It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment."&dq="It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment."&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Fs0HU7SyNtGIogTooILoAQ&ved=0CGcQ6AEwCQ

But it's not clear where the original source is

 

[Mick West]

1985: Sabah Society Journal
http://books.google.com/books?id=HGPjAAAAMAAJ&q="We appealed and argued, because in the words of Ansel Adams"&dq="We appealed and argued, because in the words of Ansel Adams"&hl=en&sa=X&ei=es4HU9CHCob6oATsj4KAAg&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA

 

[Willie]

Thanks Mick. That's farther than I got.

 

[Steve Funk]

The statement by Ansel Adams would be expected, given that the policy of the Forest Service in the 1980's was to harvest most of the old growth unless otherwise protected or in areas where logging would cause demonstrable damage to soil or water quality. But this has no relationship to conspiracy theories. The policy was openly developed, and was consistent with existing laws, including the Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act, and the Resource Planning Act. However, courts eventually found that the policy was in conflict with another law, the endangered species act.

 

[NoParty]

A) I never saw this quote in his lifetime (d. 1984) nor have I ever seen it on any official sites…so I'm quite dubious.

B) The sentiment, however, is not hard to ascribe to him…he worked long and hard to get numerous administrations to
treat the environment better, culminating in his taking Ronald "…a tree is a tree, how many more do you need to look at?" Reagan aside to try
to convince him. In short though, Adams would probably complain less today (on this topic) than any time in the last 100 years.

 

[deirdre]

quote from a Playboy interview. May 1983

Playboy: What is the most critical fight now?

Adams: To save the entire environment: wilderness protection, proper use of parks, breakdown of Federal operation of the parks in favor of private interests, acquiring new park and wilderness land, unrestrained oil drilling and mining on land and offshore, etc. First on the list now is that all the wilderness areas must be protected. It is very important. With the current Administration, they are gravely threatened. It means that the small inroads this country has made in protecting some areas, both for scenic beauty and for invaluable resources, are threatened.

Here is an important point: Only two and a half percent of the land in this country is protected. Not only are we being fought in trying to extend that two and a half percent to include other important or fragile areas but we are having to fight to protect that small two and a half percent. It is horrifying that we have to fight our own Government to save our environment. Our worst enemy is the person the President designated with the responsibility of managing the country's environment: James Watt. No wonder it is a monumental battle.

http://davidsheff.com/article/ansel-adams/ (http://archive.is/ah7i5)

 

[Soulfly]

quote from a Playboy interview? 1983?

View attachment 6171 http://davidsheff.com/article/ansel-adams/

Find that on the internet or under the mattress?

 

[NoParty]

quote from a Playboy interview? 1983?

View attachment 6171 http://davidsheff.com/article/ansel-adams/

Wait! There really are articles?!?

 

[deirdre]

Find that on the internet or under the mattress?

I only buy it for the articles

 

[Willie]

Wow and thanks. The context is helpful.

 

[littlepoots]

lol - i'm guessing that's why the research was necessary lol