Environmental History: An Overview

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Environmental History An Overview
Environmental Perspectives Cultural
Changes Environmental History of the US Chapter 2
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EIJ-Chapter 2

• What is your perspective of the environment? How
  do you think it should/shouldnt be used?
• Is your answer to 1 sustainable for the entire
  human population?
• How has mankinds use of the environment changed
  over time? What impact has/does this had on the
  species of Earth (including humans)

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Key Concepts

• Four Major Revolutions in Human Culture

U.S. Environmental History

• Tribal and Frontier Era

• Early Conservation Era

• The Environmental Era

• Aldo Leopolds Land Ethic

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Environmental Attitudes

• Preservationists- individuals who believe that
  undisturbed lands should be set aside and
  protected from harmful human activities,
  regardless of their economic value
• Conservationists- the belief that humans can use
  natural areas and wildlife in ways that sustain
  them for current and future generations
• Conservation Biologists- a multidisciplinary
  science that (1) investigates human impacts on
  diversity of life on Earth (biodiversity) (2)
  develop practical plans to preserve this
  biodiversity
• Restorationists- individuals that believe in
  returning some or all of the natural areas back
  to their original state prior to degradation by
  human activity

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Cultural Changes the Environment
Hunter-Gatherer Culture

• Hunter-gatherers

• Nomadic seasonal movement

• Limited and local environmental impact

• Generally work with natural processes

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Cultural Changes the Environment The
Agricultural Revolution

• Agriculture

• Slash and burn/shifting cultivation (See Fig.
  2-2 p. 23)

• Essentially sustainable resource use

• Increased environmental impact

Refer to Connections on p. 24
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History of Energy Consumption

• Biological Energy Sources
• Initial energy transfer occurs via
  photosynthesis.
• Very early in history humans began to exploit
  additional energy sources to make life more
  comfortable.

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Increased Use of Wood

• Early civilizations used human muscle power as
  their primary energy source.
• Energy provided by burning wood enabled people to
  cook food, heat living areas, and develop
  primitive metallurgy.
• Dense, rapidly growing human settlements quickly
  outstripped wood production, thus new fuel
  sources had to be utilized.

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Fossil Fuels The Emerging Industrial Revolution

• During the Carboniferous period, (275-300 MYA)
  conditions were right for the build-up of large
  deposits of plants, animals, and microorganisms.
  
• Led to the formation of fossil fuel deposits.

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Cultural Changes the Environment The
Industrial Revolution

• Industrial Revolution(275 yrs ago) Machines
  replaced human and animal labor in the
  manufacture and transportation of goods.
• Steam engines converting heat energy into forward
  motion was central to this transformation.

• Shift to dependence on non-renewable resources

• Dramatic increase in environmental impact

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Oil Replaces Coal
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Cultural Changes and the Environment The
Information Revolution/Globalization

• Information Revolution

• Rate of information increase and speed of
  communication

• Globalization

• Decrease in cultural diversity

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Environmental History of the United States The
Tribal and Frontier Eras

• Tribal Era Native Americans

• Native Americans generally low-impact
  hunter-gather or agricultural societies

• Frontier Environmental Worldview European
  Settlement (1607-1890)

• Significant impact as wilderness frontier was
  tamed

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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

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Environmental History of the United States The
Environmental Era

• Period 1960-2000

• The environmental movement

• The science of ecology

• Spaceship Earth worldview

• 1980s anti-environmental movement

• 1990s environmental awareness

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Case Study 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