A Life for Water: A Memoir

Luna Bergere Leopold
A Life for Water
Transactions of the American Philosophical Society
Volume 108, Part 4
978-1-60618-084-6

Luna Leopold is widely viewed as the foremost student of rivers of the 20th century. This volume presents a selection of informal essays written over the course of his long career. These essays complement his professional articles and books, and they illuminate how he became increasingly concerned with environmental degradation. Leopold argued forcefully that engineering solutions should be ethically framed as well as practical, and with that in mind, in 1969 he drafted the first environmental impact statement. He was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1991.

The volume is compiled and edited by Dr. Leopold's daughter Madelyn Leopold, Penelope Vita-Finzi, and Claudio Vita-Finzi.