Environmental History: An Overview G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 13th Edition Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Objectives 1. Describe the changes that generally occur during a cultural revolution. Name the shift that the author of your text proposes we are currently undergoing. 2. Briefly describe hunter-gatherer societies, focusing on division of labor and power, the relationship of humans to nature, the impact of their societies on the environment, their use of energy and material resources, and population size. 3. Describe early forms of agriculture. Describe changes that occurred in human population distribution, employment, relationships between societies, environmental impacts on energy and material resources, and the Earth?s carrying capacity as the Agricultural Revolution unfolded.

Chapter 2 Objectives 4. Briefly describe the Industrial Revolution, focusing on changes in energy consumption. Describe relationships between energy consumption and the production and consumption of material goods. List the benefits that are distributed to most citizens of industrial societies. 5. Compare hunter-gatherer societies, agricultural societies, and industrial societies, focusing on division of labor and power, the relationship of population to food supply, the relationship of humans to nature, the use of resources (energy and materials) per person, and the environmental impacts. Project how a sustainable-earth society would fit into this analysis.

Chapter 2 Objectives 6. Analyze the amount of time over the course of history that has been used to bring about cultural changes. Include a comparison of the length of time to bring about the Agricultural Revolution and the length of time to bring about the Industrial Revolution. Project an amount of time to bring about a cultural change to an earth-wise society. Suggest modern capabilities that might enable this change to occur. 7. Describe each era of U.S. environmental history, noting the contributions of important people, turning points, and major pieces of environmental legislation.

1500 1850 1870 1880 1906

Cultural Changes & the Environment Timeline 160,000 yrs. – Homo sapiens idaltu 60,000 yrs. – Homo sapiens sapiens 12 – 10,000 yrs. – Agricultural revolution 275 yrs. – Industrial revolution 50 yrs. – Information & Globalization revolution Hunter - Gathers

Hunter-Gatherers Collected wild edible plant parts, hunted, fished, and scavenged. Often nomadic… moving with the seasons. Small bands of 50 or fewer Expert knowledge of natural surroundings High infant mortality & death by 30 -40 yrs. Low environmental impact.

Figure 2-2 Page 23 1 Clearing and burning vegetation 4 Allowing to revegetate 10 to 30 years 2 Planting 3 Harvesting for 2 to 5 years Figure 2-2 Page 23

Agricultural Revolution 10,000 – 12,000 yrs. ago Gradually settled in agricultural community Domesticated wild plants & animals Cleared small areas of land by cutting trees, other plants and slash & burn cultivation. Often used shifting cultivation Sustainable cultivation learned by trial and error. Environmental impact low but increasing.

Industrial-Medical Revolution 275 yrs. ago (1700’s – 1800’s) Shifts from renewable to nonrenewable Shifts from local handmade goods to machine made large-scale production of goods. Population increased and cities grew. Farming practices, medicine, nutrition and life expectancy grew. Pollution and poor working conditions grew

Information & Globalization Revolution 50 years ago and continues… Using new technologies for rapid access to increased amounts of information Involves all parts of the globe on some level. Techs include: phone, radio, TV, computers, internet, automated databases, and satellites. Still degrades the environment Cultural diversity reduced.

Environmental History U.S. Environmental History Tribal and Frontier Era Early Conservation Era The Environmental Era Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic

Environmental History of the United States: Tribal Era Tribal Era: Native Americans Lasted 10,000 years 5 – 10 million people Hunted, gathered, burned & cleared fields, and planted crops. Respect for the land and animals. Did not believe in land ownership Low environmental impact due to small population & low technology.

Environmental History of the United States: Tribal Era My people, the Blackfeet Indians, have always had a sense of reverence for nature that made us want to move through the world carefully, leaving as little mark behind as possible. JAMAKE HIGHTOWER 1942 - 2001

Taking over a continent: Frontier Era Frontier Environmental Movement Europeans arrive and settle: 1607 – 1890 See land and resources an inexhaustible Wilderness and nature to be feared and conquered. Converted public land to private land

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

Early Conservation Era (1832 – 1960) 1832 - 1870 A few alarmed at resource depletion & degradation Urge that part of wilderness be protected

Important Figures During The Early Conservation Era Henry David Thoreau George Perkins Marsh John Muir Theodore Roosevelt Alice Hamilton Franklin Roosevelt

(1817 – 1862) Henry David Thoreau Early conservationist Built a cabin at Waldon’s Pond near Concord, Massacheusetts Lived alone for 2 years Wrote: Life in the Woods Spoke against slavery Men have become the tools of their tools. Thank God men cannot as yet fly and lay waste the sky as well as the earth! What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?

(1838 – 1914) 1891 – The Forest Reserve Act of 1981 George Perkins Marsh Nature preservationist founded the Sierra Club Leader of the Preservationist movement Mainly responsible for the establishment of Yellowstone National Park Lobbied for a National Park System.

(1858 – 1919) President Theodore Roosevelt writer, explorer, naturalist, birdwatcher first national politician to bring conservation issues to the attention of the public persuaded Congress to give the president power to designate public land as wildlife refuges. tripled the size of the national forest reserves.

(1869 – 1970) Alice Hamilton toxicologist, physician, and educator first woman professor at Harvard Medical University pioneer in industrial diseases and hygiene investigated hazards that workers were exposed to, especially toxic materials such as mercury, CO2, lead, etc.

Environmental History of the United States: The Environmental Era Period: 1960-2000 The environmental movement The science of ecology Spaceship Earth worldview 1980’s: anti-environmental movement 1990’s: environmental awareness

Important Figures During The Environmental Era – Part 1 Rachel Carson: Silent Spring (1962) (See Individuals Matter on p. 33) Richard Nixon: EPA; ESA Jimmy Carter: DOE, Superfund

Important Figures During The Environmental Era – Part 1 Ronald Reagan: anti-environmentalist Bill Clinton: environmental concerns a priority George W. Bush Jr.: environmental concerns not a priority

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