Chapter 3 Environmental History, Politics, and Economics

Jobs Or Owls? Pacific Northwest Pacific Northwest Northern spotted owl Northern spotted owl Listed as threatened Listed as threatened Some logging suspended Some logging suspended Northwest Forest Plan Northwest Forest Plan Compromise Compromise Some habitat protected Some habitat protected Some logging resumed Some logging resumed Loggers retrained Loggers retrained

Jobs Or Owls? More changes More changes Loggers got more access Loggers got more access Annual surveys required Annual surveys required Endangered species Endangered species Threatened species Threatened species

Conservation & Preservation Conservation Conservation Sensible management of resources Sensible management of resources Sustainable use Sustainable use Examples? Examples? Preservation Preservation Setting aside areas Setting aside areas Protection from humans Protection from humans Examples? Examples?

Environmental Views in the U.S.: 1700s-1800s Widespread environmental destruction Widespread environmental destruction Promote settlement Promote settlement Frontier attitude Frontier attitude Resources appeared inexhaustible Resources appeared inexhaustible

Early Environmental Movement Resources quickly being depleted Resources quickly being depleted John James Audubon John James Audubon Wildlife artist Wildlife artist Aroused public interest Aroused public interest

Early Environmental Movement Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau Writer Writer Lived simply Lived simply George Perkins Marsh George Perkins Marsh Man and Nature Man and Nature Humans as agents of change Humans as agents of change

Protecting U.S. Forests Deforestation happened quickly Deforestation happened quickly American Forestry Association American Forestry Association Formed by citizens Formed by citizens Concerned about forests Concerned about forests Forest Reserve Act Forest Reserve Act President can establish forest reserves President can establish forest reserves Reversed in 1907: why? Reversed in 1907: why?

Protecting U.S. Forests Gifford Pinchot Gifford Pinchot First head of U.S. Forest Service First head of U.S. Forest Service Appointed by T. Roosevelt Appointed by T. Roosevelt Viewed forests as useful to people Viewed forests as useful to people Manage them scientifically Manage them scientifically National Forests today have many uses National Forests today have many uses

National Parks & Monuments 1872: Yellowstone 1872: Yellowstone 1890: Yosemite 1890: Yosemite John Muir John Muir Biocentrist Biocentrist Preservationist Preservationist Sierra Club Sierra Club

National Parks & Monuments National Parks created by act of Congress National Parks created by act of Congress National Monuments designated by the President National Monuments designated by the President Today Today 58 National Parks 58 National Parks 73 National Monuments 73 National Monuments

Managing National Parks Originally managed by U.S. Army Originally managed by U.S. Army Hetch Hetchy Valley Hetch Hetchy Valley Yosemite NP Yosemite NP 1913: dam built 1913: dam built Parks needed more protection Parks needed more protection National Park Service: 1916 National Park Service: 1916

Mid-20 th Century Conservation Great Depression: FDR Great Depression: FDR Civilian Conservation Corps Civilian Conservation Corps Soil Conservation Service Soil Conservation Service Aldo Leopold Aldo Leopold Game Management Game Management A Sand County Almanac A Sand County Almanac Developed a land ethic Developed a land ethic

Mid-20 th Century Conservation Rachel Carson Rachel Carson Marine biologist Marine biologist Silent Spring Silent Spring Dangers of pesticides Dangers of pesticides Heightened public awareness Heightened public awareness Paul Ehrlich Paul Ehrlich Ecologist Ecologist The Population Bomb The Population Bomb

The Environmental Movement 1970: First Earth Day 1970: First Earth Day Gaylord Nelson Gaylord Nelson Denis Hayes Denis Hayes Religious support Religious support 1990: 141 nations celebrate Earth Day 1990: 141 nations celebrate Earth Day

Important Dates In Environmental History 1963: Clean Air Act 1963: Clean Air Act 1970: NEPA; EPA created 1970: NEPA; EPA created 1973: Endangered Species Act 1973: Endangered Species Act 1974: Safe Drinking Water Act 1974: Safe Drinking Water Act 1977: Clean Water Act 1977: Clean Water Act

Important Dates In Environmental History 1986: Chernobyl nuclear accident 1986: Chernobyl nuclear accident 1987: Montreal Protocol drafted 1987: Montreal Protocol drafted 1989: Exxon Valdez oil spill 1989: Exxon Valdez oil spill 1991: World’s worst oil spill 1991: World’s worst oil spill 1999: Human population reaches 6 billion 1999: Human population reaches 6 billion

Environmental Legislation NEPA NEPA Environmental Impact Statements Environmental Impact Statements Required by federal government Required by federal government Short- & long-term impacts Short- & long-term impacts Public input Public input Council on Environmental Quality Council on Environmental Quality Monitors EISs Monitors EISs Reports to president Reports to president

Environmental Impact Statements

Environmental Regulations 1) Environmental problem recognized 2) Full cost accounting 3) Congressperson drafts legislation 4) Legislation is passed 5) EPA now translates law into regulations 6) Law enforced

Legislative Success! National Parks National Parks Decreased soil erosion Decreased soil erosion Some endangered species improving Some endangered species improving Decreased pollution Decreased pollution Improved water quality Improved water quality Safer drinking water Safer drinking water Superfund Act Superfund Act

Economics Study of how we decide to use scarce resources to provide goods & services Study of how we decide to use scarce resources to provide goods & services Free market Free market Supply & demand determine price Supply & demand determine price U.S. economy U.S. economy

How Are The Economy & Environment Related? Environment is the source of materials Environment is the source of materials Environment serves as a sink for wastes Environment serves as a sink for wastes Sources & sinks contribute to natural capital Sources & sinks contribute to natural capital Resource degradation: overuse of sources Resource degradation: overuse of sources Pollution: overuse of sinks Pollution: overuse of sinks

Economy & Environment

National Income Accounts Total income in a nation in one year Total income in a nation in one year GDP & NDP provide estimates GDP & NDP provide estimates Two problems with current system Two problems with current system 1) Natural resource depletion 2) Cost & benefits of pollution control

Natural Resource Depletion Not figured in national income accounts Not figured in national income accounts Oil Oil Value is part of GDP Value is part of GDP Depletion not subtracted out Depletion not subtracted out

Pollution Control Currently, cost of polluting not deducted from GDP Currently, cost of polluting not deducted from GDP Estimates of environmental damage should be subtracted from GDP Estimates of environmental damage should be subtracted from GDP

External Costs Harmful environmental or social cost Harmful environmental or social cost Those not directly involved in transaction Those not directly involved in transaction Not reflected in market price Not reflected in market price Market increases pollution Market increases pollution

How Much Pollution Is Acceptable? Pollution is inevitable Pollution is inevitable Marginal cost Marginal cost Added cost of pollution Added cost of pollution Must balance: Must balance: Cost of more pollution Cost of more pollution Cost of giving up goods Cost of giving up goods

Marginal Cost Of Pollution Added cost of pollution Added cost of pollution

Marginal Cost Of Pollution Abatement Added cost of reducing pollution Added cost of reducing pollution

Optimum Amount Of Pollution Economically most desirable Economically most desirable Problems? Problems?

Economic Strategies For Pollution Control Command and control regulations Command and control regulations Limits and punishments Limits and punishments Some success Some success Problems? Problems? Incentive-based regulations Incentive-based regulations Emission targets Emission targets Incentives to reduce emissions Incentives to reduce emissions

Case Study: Central & Eastern Europe Late 1980s: fall of communist governments Late 1980s: fall of communist governments Much environmental destruction Much environmental destruction Governments supported heavy industry Governments supported heavy industry Who suffered? Who suffered?

Case Study: Central & Eastern Europe Today, environment must be improved Today, environment must be improved Some areas improving Some areas improving Some areas recovering slowly: why? Some areas recovering slowly: why?