Offers the first comprehensive history of the period when the US created the legislative, legal, and administrative structures for environmental protection that are still in place today. The book tells a dramatic story of cultural change, grassroots activism, and political leadership that led to the passage of a host of laws attacking pollution.

The Green Years, 1964-1976 is the inspiring story of the passage of the USA's most important environmental legislation. Both Democrats and Republicans share credit for this achievement, a major contrast to the sharp divisions over environmental issues today.