Canaries on the Rim: Living Downwind in the West

by Chip Ward

Book Overview

In the late 1970s Chip Ward and his wife left the Sleeping Rainbow Ranch in Capitol Reef National Park to raise their children in the classic small-town American setting of Grantsville, Utah. There,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1859847501
• ISBN13: 9781859847503
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Verso
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.8" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

A Remarkable Achievement

This book is a remarkable achievement that describes remarkable achievements. First, although this is Chip Ward's first published work, the book is well written and easy to read. It is by turns lyrical, witty, informative, wise, sensitive, and, yes, angry. It describes how the author raised awareness in his community and made a difference despite overwhelming odds. I found it inspiring and uplifting despite the grim topic of toxic pollution. That Ward can keep his sense of humor in the midst of such adversity is amazing. It is a shame this book has not found a much bigger audience.

We all live downstream...

I loved the book! And Mr. Ward should be commended highly for taking the actions he did, and writing the book to make other people aware of these terrible problems in Utah. It's outrageous! I feel sorry for the people of Utah, and wonder when we will come to our senses.Whatever the answers are to these terrible environmental problems, I think you can depend that each of us will be unpleasantly surprised by some more of these issues in the future, no matter where we live.

Welcome to Utah!

When you enter Utah, the Billboards don't tell you that you've entered the largest environmental sacrifice zone in the country. You have to read Canaries on the Rim: Living Downwind in the West to find that out. Ward details what the Army and other government officials are afraid to tell you. He documents the environmental ecocide that has taken place in the once pristine deserts of the Great American West from decades of uncontrolled military experiments and unregulated industrial pollution. In his book, Ward describes the attitude and mindset of the people who live in one of the most beautiful, yet most polluted states in America, and the polluters who take advantage of their trust. Home to the largest stockpile of chemical weapons in the world, the only nerve gas incinerator in the country, and the largest industrial polluter in America (MagCorps), the people of Utah have been subjected to environmental conditions that boggle the mind.From atomic testing in the 50's, to open-air biological and nerve agent testing in the 60's, to uncontrolled industrial pollution in the 70's, to the MX missle crisis in the 80's, to chemical weapons incineration in the 90's, the reasons for the skyrocketing rate of chronic illness are not hard to track down. Ward gives a colorful first hand account of his efforts to uncover the deceipt, corruption, and cover-ups that have plagued the people of Utah. Canaries on the Rim is a humerous tale of the darkness that has compromised the lives and health of Utahns. This is a must read for all Americans, especially those living in the intermountain west.

Think one person can't help change the world? Think again!

If you eat food, drink water or breathe air, you need to read "Canaries on the Rim." Ward's account of environmental injustice in Utah, and the efforts taken by he and other environmental and public health advocates to set right decades of environmental wrongs, ought to move any citizen to action.What I like most about the book is the way Ward uses humor and his first-hand knowledge in the environmental "movement" to make his point. No grandstanding, no techno-babble, no moral high-ground preaching. The book is easy to read and will make you laugh despite the real, frightening details of chemical, biological and nuclear testing in the West.Think one person can't help change the world? Think again -- and read this book!

An articulate view of Utah accepting environmental abuse

An important book that tells a fascinating story of the passive but patriotic citizens of Utah. They believe, accept, and even support the environmental PR spoutings of the Army and large industry while the isolated county of Tooele gets rich off the results. Fascinating and compelling reading. Very well written by Chip Ward.