Environmental History: Learning from the Past G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 14 th Edition Chapter 2 G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 14 th Edition Chapter 2

Key Concepts  Three Major “Revolutions” in Human Culture U.S. Environmental History  Tribal and Frontier Era  Early Conservation Era  The Environmental Era  Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic

2-1 Cultural Changes and the Environment: Hunter-Gatherer Culture  Hunter-gatherers  Usually limited environmental impact  Nomadic: seasonal movement

2-1 Cultural Changes and the Environment: The Agricultural Revolution  Agriculture  Slash and burn/ shifting cultivation (See Fig. 2-2 p. 22)  Essentially sustainable resource use  Increased environmental impact Refer to Trade-Offs in Fig. 2-3 on p. 23

Cultural Changes and the Environment: The Industrial-Medical Revolution  Industrial Revolution (mid-1700’s)  Shift to dependence on non-renewable resources  Dramatic increase in environmental impact Refer to Trade-offs in Fig. 2-4 on p. 23

2-1 Cultural Changes and the Environment: The Information/Globalization Revolution  Information Revolution  Rate of information increase and speed of communication  Globalization  Decrease in cultural diversity Refer to Trade-offs in Fig. 2-5 on p. 24

2-2 Environmental History of the United States: The Tribal and Frontier Eras  Tribal Era: Native Americans  Native Americans caused some extinctions, but generally were low-impact hunter-gather or agricultural societies  Frontier Era: European Settlement ( ) Frontier Environmental World View  Significant impact as wilderness frontier was “tamed”

First wave of U.S. environmental policy Laws to promote land settlement and resource extraction, for example: General Land Ordinances, 1785, 1787 Homestead Act, 1862 Mineral Lands Act, 1866 Timber Culture Act, 1873

Land settlement U.S. policy encouraged settlers like these in Nebraska, circa. 1860, to move west.

Mining in Alaska Resource extraction Logging in Washington

2-3 Environmental History of the United States: The Early Conservation Era  Period:  Concern over resource use  Preservation of public lands  Public health initiatives  Environmental restoration projects

Second wave of U.S. environmental policy To address impacts of the first wave— for example: –Creation of national parks –Creation of national forests –Forest Reserve Act 1891 –Soil conservation policy –Wilderness Act, 1964

Important Figures During The Early Conservation Era  Henry David Thoreau  George Perkins Marsh  John Muir  Theodore Roosevelt  Gifford Pinchot  Franklin Roosevelt

2-4 Environmental History of the United States: The Environmental Era  Period: 1960-Today  The environmental movement  The science of ecology  Spaceship Earth worldview  1980’s: backlash against environmentalism  1990’s: environmental awareness

Third wave of U.S. environmental policy Modern environmental activism and policy arose in response to pollution and other problems. Silent Spring Earth Day EPA and National Environmental Policy Act Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act

Rachel Carson and Silent Spring Carson’s 1962 book brought attention to pesticide dangers and catalyzed environmental awareness.

Rivers on fire The petroleum-polluted Cuyahoga River in Ohio caught fire, showing the need for action against water pollution.

Earth Day Earth Day began in 1970… …and is bigger than ever today.

Important Figures During The Environmental Era – Part 1  Rachel Carson: Silent Spring (1962) (See Individuals Matter on p. 27)  Richard Nixon: EPA; ESA  Jimmy Carter: DOE, Superfund

Important Figures During The Environmental Era – Part 2  Ronald Reagan  Bill Clinton  George W. Bush Jr.

2-5 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