Readers can
learn more about Humbled in a series of online book talks hosted by the
Monterey County Historical Society.
Nonfiction, 348 pages, 47
photos and illustrations
Vista Verde Publishing, September 2020, $28.00
ISBN 9781735109206
(eBook planned for release in the near future)
————————————————————————————————————
Readers
can learn more about Humbled in a series of online book
talks hosted by the Monterey County Historical Society. Church and McKenzie
will discuss the book, their research, and why they wrote it on Saturday, Oct.
17, at 3 p.m., on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m., and on other dates yet to be
determined. During these talks, the authors will donate to MCHS 25 percent of
the proceeds from every book ordered from vista-verde-publishing.com. To be
included in the Zoom event, email mchs@redshift.com.
For
author interviews: gwchurch@gmail.com or (831)
722-0819
Review copies of the
book available on request; to read Chapter 1, go to
vista-verde-publishing.com
About the book
Today,
Monterey Bay is a place of beauty and natural splendor, and is protected by
federal law as a national marine sanctuary. It’s hard to believe that in the
1960s, plans called for a major industrial complex to be developed at the
midpoint of the bay, starting with a refinery that Humble Oil intended as a
linchpin of its West Coast operations.
The building
permit sought by the powerful company became the focus of a bitter and
protracted conflict that divided the region. Most people in Monterey County wanted
the jobs and economic stability that big industry would bring. But a vocal
minority fought back hard against the industrialization of the bay. The
Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved the permit, but ultimately Humble
would never start construction.
The
controversy was one of the first major battles of the modern environmental
movement, and garnered state and national attention, including coverage in the New
York Times. It was a critical turning point for the Monterey Bay, home to
hundreds of species of sea life, marine mammals and birds.
This
slice of Central Coast history is examined in detail in the new nonfiction book
Humbled: How California’s Monterey
Bay Escaped Industrial Ruin, by
Glenn Church and Kathryn McKenzie (Vista Verde Publishing, 2020).
Church
and McKenzie chronicle the Humble affair, starting with plans in the 1950s designating
the tiny fishing village of Moss Landing as an industrial center, through the
events of 1965-1966 when Humble applied for a permit to build a refinery. The
project was turned aside through a concerted effort by environmentalists,
farmers, and other residents who felt a refinery would irreparably damage the
region’s air and water quality. It also documents the political wiliness of
local politicians who simply outfoxed Humble, one of the world’s biggest
corporations. Just how this was accomplished makes a fascinating read that is
like a textbook for environmental activism.
The
book recalls some of the personalities who wrangled over the issue, such as Monterey
County Supervisor Tom Hudson, known for his flamboyant antics and love of
back-room deals; State Senator Fred Farr, who rose above personal tragedy to
fight for the bay that he loved; and famed photographer Ansel Adams, who became
a public and outspoken opponent of Humble Oil.
The
book began when Church and McKenzie began reading through notes and papers of
the late Warren Church, a former Monterey County Supervisor and Glenn’s father,
who played a prominent role in the controversy. That led to more than a year of
research that revealed the entire picture of exactly what made Humble turn away
from Moss Landing.
Humbled
can be ordered from vista-verde-publishing.com, at local bookstores, and from
major online booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Authors’ bios
Glenn Church and Kathryn
McKenzie both grew up in the Monterey Bay area and have a deep love and
appreciation for the land and the environment. Church, a farmer and
businessman, has written extensively about politics and has been active in
environmental and international human rights issues. McKenzie, a Monterey Bay
area journalist and environmental writer, has been working for newspapers and
magazines for more than 35 years, most recently Voices of Monterey Bay, Health
Matters and Edible Monterey Bay.
They have been married
since 2017, and make their home in North Monterey County on California’s
Central Coast. This is their first book.
Advance praise for Humbled
The Humble Oil incident was the most consequential political
battle in our area’s modern history, and people need to know how these events
saved local agriculture and preserved the natural beauty of the Monterey Bay
for generations to come.
— Congressman Sam Farr (Retired)
A sweeping
epic chronicling circumstances and events that would have ruined the ecology of
our region, were it not for the concern and vigilance of those who cared.
— James Perry, Monterey County Historical Society executive director
It’s
hard to imagine what the Monterey Bay — now a national marine sanctuary — would
look like today if locals hadn’t taken a stand against Humble Oil in the 1960s.
It was a time before “environmental activism” was a term, but the until-now
unsung heroes in this story were prescient enough to see disaster looming if
they didn’t take action. Humbled shows
how a few determined souls changed the course of history, and it should inspire
all of us to keep fighting for environmental justice today.
— Julia Reynolds, author of Blood
in the Fields: Ten Years Inside California’s Nuestra Familia Gang
Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
https://www.chatterboxpublicrelations.com/
