The Cuyahoga River, which runs through downtown Cleveland, Ohio, used to catch fire every decade or so. It started in the 1860s, when the river became choked with industrial waste, and the conflagrations continued all the way until the 1960s – the same decade that Americans got serious about environmental protection.
People in the US now take for granted their clean water, clean air, and healthy forests. And when those are jeopardised, such as when residents of Flint, Michigan, could no longer drink their tap water, they feel enraged – and justly so. But at this moment in history, the ability of Americans to expect a healthy and safe environment is in greater danger than at any time since the Cuyahoga River last caught fire in 1969.
