Angels By The River Follows James Gustave Speth's Unlikely Path-from A Southern Boyhood To His Career As An Influential Mainstream Environmentalist To His Current System-changing Activism.born And Raised In A Town Where Both The Best And Worst Of The South Shone Through, Speth Explores How The Civil Rights Movement And The South's Agrarian Roots Influenced His Professional Life-from Creating, And Upholding, The Nation's Toughest Environmental Laws To Overseeing Global Aid Programs.rather Than Merely Reflect On These Accomplishments, Speth Uses The Past To Make The Case That A New Environmentalism Is Needed To Confront Today's Challenges. The Advancing Climate Crisis Cannot Be Addressed, He Warns, If We Remain Fixated On Endless Growth And Consumption, Increasing The Incomes Of A Few, Neglecting Needs Of The Many, And Helping Abroad Only Modestly.an American Tale, In All Its Complexity, Speth's Memoir Is An Inspiration For Readers Seeking Ways To Make A Difference In An Increasingly Complex World.