This book offers a political history of environmental policy and regulation in California, from the Gold Rush to the present. Over its 150-year history, California has successfully protected its scenic wilderness areas, restricted coastal oil drilling, regulated automobile emissions, preserved coastal access, improved energy efficiency, and, most recently, addressed global climate change. How has this state, more than any other, enacted so many innovative and stringent environmental regulations over such a long period of time? The first comprehensive look at California's history of environmental leadership, this book shows why the Golden State has been at the forefront in setting new environmental standards, often leading the rest of the nation. It traces California's remarkable environmental policy trajectory and explains why California took a leading role - it had more to lose from environmental deterioration and more to gain from preserving its stunning natural geography.