Summary of Losing Eden

Losing Eden: An Environmental History of the American West by Mark Spence tells the story of the destructive environmental changes to the American West over the past two hundred years. Through the lens of a sweeping history, Spence explores the ways in which settlers and the federal government have stripped away and altered once-pristine portions of the region, covering topics such as the damaging effects of logging, mining, farmland development, water management, and energy production. With vivid descriptions of the environment’s trajectory, Spence shows how western native communities, ranchers, miners, farmers, and towns have suffered from exploitation and misuse of resources, and how conservation efforts and public land protection often come too late. He also demonstrates how policy reforms could provide solutions in the future. Finally, Spence uses his environmental history to underscore the importance of proper resource management and offers important lessons for the rest of the world.