The Fight for Freshwater: A Memoir

A leading freshwater ecologist, Mike Joy is a powerful advocate for the conservation of our waterways. In this memoir, he offers a rare first-hand look at the life of a scientist whose research led him to activism. Vividly describing the environmental damage he has witnessed in New Zealand’s rivers, lakes and streams, he writes also about the political challenges he has met along the way. At a perilous time for our universities, his story is an inspirational account of staying true to academia’s function as ‘critic and conscience’ of society. This is also the story of personal discovery, determination and resilience. Mike was by turns a truck driver, mechanic, milkman, agent with the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, and farm hand – in the industry he would later critique in his academic activism. The Fight for Freshwater is an engaging account of a remarkable life – and vital reading for all concerned for the future of our environment.