When the Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969, it wasn't the first time that had happened - but it was the time that inspired action. Black mayor Carl Stokes "declared war...on pollution." Congress passed the Clean Air and Clean Water acts, and the first Earth Day took place in 1970. People "learned that caring for the Earth requires constant attention." Wittenstein nods to the river's cleanliness when Indigenous peoples were its custodians, and acknowledges that although more than 40 species of fish have returned to the river, it's still not as clean as it was before the Industrial Revolution.

Back matter includes an author's note, an environmental time line (starting with the publication of Silent Spring), more resources, and a bibliography.

See also: The Great Stink by Colleen Paeff; Zero Waste by Allan Drummond ( )