Transcript Environmental History (presentation)

Environmental History: Learning
from the Past
Key Concepts
Three Major “Revolutions” in Human Culture
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Hunter-Gatherer Culture
The Agricultural Revolution
The Industrial Revolution
The Information Revolution
U.S. Environmental History
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Tribal Era
Frontier Era
Early Conservation Era
The Environmental Era
Cultural Changes and the Environment:
Hunter-Gatherer Culture
 Hunter-gatherers: “modern humans” (homo sapiens
sapiens) have existed about the last 60,000 years. Until 12,000
years ago we were mostly hunter-gatherers.
 Nomadic: seasonal movement: lived in small
who worked together to find food and survive.
 Usually limited environmental impact:
very little environmental impact because they moved around
in such small groups.
Life expectancy: 30-40 years, needed to constantly
move looking for food, water and shelter.
Hunter-Gatherer Culture
• Often survived by being
experts on the land and
their natural
surroundings.
• Advanced huntergatherers had a greater
environmental impact
with tools and fire.
Cultural Changes and the Environment:
The Agricultural Revolution
Agriculture: about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago (end
of last ice age) agricultural settlements began to spring up.
Domesticating wild plants and animals.
Quality of Life: people lived longer and better
lives with a more consistent food supply.
Environmental Impact: was not large. Their
dependence on human muscle power and crude tools while
they cultivated small areas.
Agricultural (Neolithic) Revolution *
Early Agricultural practices
With the agricultural revolution, people settled
into communities, cultivated plants and
domesticated animals.
Slash-and-burn cultivation developed in tropical
regions. Sustainable cultivation (such as
seen with this rotational type) meant little
impact on the land.
 Essentially sustainable resource use
Modern Agricultural practices
Encourages: monoculture, irrigation, fertilizers
and pesticides.
Causes problems like: soil erosion, habitat
fragmentation, land, air and water pollution.
Damage to humans and wildlife through the use
of fertilizers and pesticides
- eutrophication
- genetic resistance
 Increased Environmental Impact
retur
Slash and Burn and Shifting Cultivation
1
Clearing
and burning
vegetation
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4
3
Planting
return
Allowing
to revegetate
10 to 30 years
Harvesting for
2 to 5 years
The Agricultural Revolution: Increased
Impact on Environment
Slash and Burn did destroy local environment,
but was usually very small and had a limited
impact.
Still a problem
in some parts
of developing
World. (Amazon)
Cultural Changes and the Environment:
The Industrial-Medical Revolution
Industrial Revolution (mid-1700’s):
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began in England and spread to US in the 1800s
people lived in improved living conditions (longer and healthier)
environmental degradation dramatically increased
factory towns sprung up, less people needed to farm
The Industrial-Medical Revolution: A
shift to nonrenewable resources
• A shift took place where
humans moved from relying
on wood and flowing water
to a dependence on machines
run by nonrenewable fossil
fuels (first coal, then later oil
and natural gas)
• The steam engine was the
“workhorse” of the industrial
revolution
The Industrial-Medical Revolution: Dramatic
Increase in Environmental Impact
• Factory towns grew
polluted, noisy and very
hazardous. (air pollution,
water pollution, toxics)
• Coal smoke filled cities.
• Fossil fuels powered
larger farm machines for
larger farms.
Cultural Changes and the Environment:
The Information/Globalization Revolution
Information Revolution: Since the 1950s
we have moved towards technologies to share information
rapidly on a global scale.
Global access to information can help us
understand and respond to environmental
problems, but can lead to information
overload.
What will it mean for future environmental
protections? Global Environmental Problems
Cultural Changes and the Environment: The
Information/Globalization Revolution
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Information Revolution
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Rate of information increase and
speed of communication
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Globalization leads to a world socially,
economically, and environmentally more
interconnected.
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Decrease in cultural diversity
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Awareness of environmental problems
can lead us to respond effectively.
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Information overload can lead to
confusion and hopelessness.
return
Cultural Changes and the Environment
Hunter-gatherers
Humans (Homo sapiens) have been in existence for about 160,000 years, a mere blink of an eye
in terms of biological life. (early humans lived off the land – nomadic)
Agricultural (Neolithic) Revolution
(10,000 to 12,000 years ago)
Industrial-Medical Revolution
(began in the 1700’s in England Progressed to United States in the 1800’s)
Information and Globalization Revolution
return
(since 1950 and especially since 1970)
Trade-Offs in the Name of Progress
Environmental History of the United
States: The Tribal Eras
 Tribal Era: Native Americans
 N. America was occupied by Native Americans
for at least 10,000 years.
 Practiced hunting and gathering, burned and
cleared fields, and planted crops.
 Had deep respect for the land and its animals.
 Had little environmental impact.
Environmental History of the United States:
The Tribal Era, Native Americans
• During the tribal era
(prior to 1600s for
last 10,000 years)
• 5-10 million people
• Hunter-gatherers
• Small agriculture
• No land ownership
• It’s sustainable
living!
Environmental History of the United
States: The Frontier Eras
 Frontier Environmental Worldview:
European Settlement (1607-1890)
 Viewed most of the continent as having inexhaustible
resources.
 “Wilderness” was to be tamed or taken over
 European settlers conquered Native Americans and
spread across the continent.
 The transfer of public lands to private interests
accelerated the settling of the continent.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Early Conservation Era
1832-1870 as the
frontier of US was
getting crowded, the
“Early Conservation
Era” began.
California Gold Rush
Environmental History of the United
States: The Early Conservation Era
 Period: 1832-1960
 Concern over resource use
 Preservation of public lands
 Public health initiatives
 Environmental restoration projects
Environmental History of the United
States: The Early Conservation Era
Concern over resource use: a few
people began to warn we were degrading
the environment.
Water quality in cities declined as forests cut
down upstream
Frontier became “crowded” with people
moving westward.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Early Conservation Era
Preservation of public lands: between
1870 and 1930 newly formed citizen groups and
the government began to protect our nation’s
natural resources.
Forest Preservation Act of 1891
1905 Antiquities Act
1890 Yosemite
National Park
1916 National Park
Service Act
Important Figures During The Early
Conservation Era
Henry David Thoreau: an American
writer who was alarmed by the loss of wild
places in the northeastern US. (1817-62)
George Perkins Marsh: a scientist and
member of Congress helped legislators see
need for resource conservation. Questioned
whether our nation’s resources were
inexhaustible. (1801-1882)
Important Figures During The Early
Conservation Era
John Muir (1838-1914)
• Geologist, writer, inventor
• Founder of the Sierra
Club
• Spent years lobbying to
protect land
• Help get Yosemite
National Park created.
Important Figures During The Early
Conservation Era
Aldo Leopold (1887-1948)
• Strong proponent of Land
Ethics, a philosophy in which
humans as part of nature have
an ethical responsibility to
preserve wild nature.
• One of the founders of
conservation and
environmental movements of
the 20th century.
Important Figures During The Early
Conservation Era
Aldo Leopold and His Land Ethic
 Individuals are interdependent
 Ethics: respect for land
 Shift from conqueror to member
 Problems arise when land viewed as a commodity
 Preservation of the integrity, stability, and beauty of
land is right
Important Figures During The Early
Conservation Era
 Theodore Roosevelt: his term in office 19011909 called the Golden Age of Conservation.
1st wave of national resource conservation
Most environmentalists view Teddy
Roosevelt as the best environmental
President.
 Gifford Pinchot: (1865-1946) was first head
of the US Forest Service, which was created in
1905 to manage and protect forests.
Important Figures During The Early
Conservation Era
During the great depression of the 1930s
the government (under Franklin
Roosevelt bought land and hired workers
to restore degraded environment and build
dams for electricity.
2nd wave of national resource
conservation
World War II and post economic boom
little changed in environmental protections.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
Period: 1960-Today: the modern
environmental movement began and more
citizens urged government to improve
environmental quality. Environmental
Awakening.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
The environmental movement: citizens
began to organize in the 1960s and 1970s to
demand political leaders protect public health
and environment. (1964 Wilderness Act)
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
Rachel Carson (1907-1964):
• Started modern
environmental movement
• Documented the pollution in
the air, water and wildlife
from DDT pesticide.
• Created a wake-up call that
environment was in danger.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
The science of ecology: between 1965 and
1970 the science of ecology emerged awakening
people to the interconnections among
population growth, resource use and pollution.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
Spaceship Earth Worldview: 1969 Apollo
Mission to moon sent back pictures of earth floating
in the black void of space. Reminded everyone of the
need to protect our home.
Environmental Era 1970s
The Environmental Decade
 April 20, 1970 First Earth Day
 1970 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Created under Richard Nixon
 1973 Endangered Species Act
 1977 Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act
 1980 Superfund Law
Environmental Era 1980s
The Environmental Backlash
1980’s: backlash against environmentalism
An anti-environmental movement formed to
weaken or do away with many environmental laws
passed in the 1960s and 1970s.
Ronald Reagan: advocated
less environmental regulations,
appointed industry members to key
posts and cut funding for EPA.
Environmental Era 1990s
Environmental awareness
 Since the 1990s environmentalist have spent most of
their time trying to fight any weakening of
environmental laws passed in the 1960s and 1970s.
 Increased awareness of important but complex
environmental issues such as sustainability,
population growth, biodiversity protection, and
threats from global warming.
Environmental History of the United
States: The Environmental Era
2000’s – Now: IPCC
 George W. Bush, like Reagan in the 80s, he
opposed or wanted to weaken many existing
environmental and public land-use laws and
policies
 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC)
 The Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) was
published in 2007
Environmental History of U.S.
Environmental Milestones (1960-2004)
http://www.worldwatch.org/brain/features/timeline/timeline.htm
Changing Environmental Issues
20th Century
Environmental Issues
Local
Acute
Obvious
Immediate
Discrete
21st Century
Environmental Issues
Global
Chronic
Subtle
Multigenerational
Complex
Environmental Perspectives
• For much of history, our viewpoint has been
that the Earth’s resources are unlimited and
that we can exploit them with no fear of them
running out.
• The human population was small.
• For all practical purposes, that viewpoint
served us well.
• But the Industrial Revolution has changed
everything.
Anthropocentric or Techno-centric
Worldview
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Human-centred
Nature is there to benefit mankind.
Humans are not dependent on nature.
Most people in MEDCs (more economically
developed countries) hold this view.
• Includes the cornucopian (technology will
always solve our problems) and the
environmental management (stewardship)
worldviews.
Eco-centric Worldview
• Life-centred
• Respects the rights of nature and
acknowledges the dependence of humans on
nature.
• Includes the soft technologists (favor smallscale, local action) and the deep ecologists
(value nature more than humanity).
“Some people suggest that we are now on the
brink of the third great revolution of human
race: that following the Agricultural Revolution
and the Industrial Revolution there will now be
the Sustainability Revolution”
Mather and Chapman (1995)
Cultural Changes and the Environment:
The Sustainability Revolution
 Like its industrial counterpart, the Sustainability
Revolution is creating a pervasive and permanent
shift in consciousness and worldview (paradigm
shift) affecting all facets of society.
 The Sustainability Revolution evolved as a reaction
to the Industrial Revolution's degradation of the
environment and our well-being.
Cultural Changes and the Environment:
The Sustainability Revolution
 Concern for the environment, the economy and
social equity;
 Understanding of our dependence on the health of
natural systems (dean air, dean water, healthy soils
and forests, biodiversity) for our survival and wellbeing;
 Knowledge of the limits of the Earth's ecosystems
and the detrimental impact of unchecked human
activities (population, pollution, economic growth);
 Long-term, intergenerational perspective in actions
and goals.
Cultural Changes and the Environment:
The Sustainability Revolution
 By taking a comprehensive look at the
interconnections among ecological, economic and
equity issues ranging from global warming to
pollution, health and poverty, we are more likely to
seek and implement lasting solutions.