Environmental History Learning from the Past

Cultural Changes and the Environment 3 major changes have occurred since we were hunter-gatherers 1) The agricultural revolution (10000-12000ya) 2) The industrial-medical revolution (~275ya) 3) The globalization revolution (~50ya)

Problems resulting from changes More energy and technology available to alter the planet Human population increased dramatically Pollution, increased resource use, and environmental degradation occur

Hunter-gatherers had a small impact on the earth They lived in small groups and moved ith seasons They had expert knowledge of their natural surroundings Population growth was slow due to high infant mortality and a shorter life expectancy

Agricultural revolution provided food for longer, healthier living, but increased environment degradation -people settled and began cultivation of plants and animals -some used slash and burn, especially tropical regions -others used sustainable cultivation, such as crop rotation

Agriculture led to: -more food available for longer and healthier lives -formation of towns and villages -habitat destruction began to occur -beginning of soil erosion and overgrazing of areas -pollution of natural resources began

Industrial-medical revolution meant higher standard of living coupled with environmental degradation Began in England in 1700s and came to US in 1800s Shift from reliance on renewable resources to nonrenewable fossil fuels Fossil fuel use in factories led to pollution Working conditions often dangerous Exodus from rural areas to towns

Early Conservation Era (1832-1960) - Few people warned of resource degradation Henry David Thoreau wrote Life in the Woods, an environmental classic that told of his observations of nature over 2 years in the Massachusetts wilderness George Perkins Marsh, a scientist and Vermont legislator, published Man and Nature, presented studies showing the need for resource conservation

1870-1930, role of federal government and private citizens increased to protect natural resources 1891 Forest Reserve Act established that the federal government was responsible for protecting public lands from exploitation ***John Muir, geologist and founder of the Sierra Club, lobbied for conservation laws 1) led movement to limit use of public wilderness to hiking and camping 2) lobbied for national park system 3) responsible for establishing Yosemite National Park in 1890

President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) established wildlife reserves and tripled size of national forest reserves Persuaded congress to give the power to designate public land as federal wildlife reserves US Forest Service created with Gifford Pinchot as first chief in1905 Antiquities Act of 1906 allows president to protect areas of scientific or historical interest as national monuments

National Park Service Act passed in 1916 Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover promoted resource removal from public lands at low prices to stimulate economic growth Hoover proposed selling all public lands to private interests for economic development The Great Depression was devastating for the Nation, but forestalled the purchase of public lands by private interests

- 1930s the government bought land and hired workers to restore the country’s degraded environment President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1933 - 2 million people obtained work restoring degrade environments, building dams, etc. - CCC provided jobs, flood control, irrigation water, and cheap electricity - Few changes were made during 1940s and 1950s due to WWII and economic recovery after the war

Environmental Era 1960-2004 1960s were beginning of modern environmental movement Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring documenting the harmful effects of pesticides on air, water, and wildlife 1964 Congress passed Wilderness Act Public awareness grew concerning the harmful effects of pollution and habitat loss for wildlife species

1970s First annual Earth Day April 20, 1970 celebrated by 20 million people President Nixon established the EPA in 1970 Endangered species Act passed in 1973 Federal Land Policy and Management Act passed in 1978 gave the Bureau of Land Management its first real authority to manage public lands

85% of public lands are in 12 western states “sagebrush rebellion” was a campaign by miner, ranchers, loggers, developers, farmers, and others that wanted to greatly reduce government regulation and persuade legislators to sell or lease lands to private interests at low prices This was return of thinking to President Hoover’s idea

President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) Persuaded congress to create the Department of Energy with the task of reducing the country’s dependence on imported oil Appointed environmentalists to key positions and consulted on resource policy Helped create the Superfund as part of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (used to clean up abandon hazardous waste sites) Tripled land in National Wilderness system and doubled land in National Park system

1980s- Environmental Backlash President Regan greatly increased private energy and mineral development and timber cutting on public lands Federal funding for research on energy conservation and renewable energy resources were drastically cut Many of Regan’s policies were challenged, strongly opposed in Congress, and caused public outrage “wise-use” movement formed by coal, oil, mining, automobile, timber, and ranchers

George H. W. Bush elected in 1989 promised to be the “environmental president” Continued to support exploitation of valuable resources on public lands and allowed some environmental laws to be undercut

Bill Clinton elected in 1993 Appointed environmentalists to key positions in environmental and resource agencies Protected more public land in the lower 48 states than any other president George W. Bush became president in 2001 Proceeded to weaken many environmental and public land use laws and policies Policies rested on increasing use of fossil fuels and relaxation of air and water quality standards

President Obama Immediately reversed Bush policy that refused to allow California to enact stricter car emission standards

The species Homo sapiens sapiens has lived on Earth about _____ years 4,000 12,000 30,000 60,000 90,000

Agricultural societies resulted in all of the following changes to humans except Growth of villages Specialized occupations and long distance trade Increased competition for resources Equal work distribution among people Urbanization

A major stimulus for the Industrial Revolution was The bubonic plague The European Wars A shortage of wood poverty Famine

The OPEC oil embargo and energy crisis occurred in 1963 1973 1983 1993 2003

Benefits bestowed on most citizens of industrialized countries are least likely to include More affordable material goods An increase in average agricultural production per person A higher average life expectancy Continued exponential growth of the human population Lower infant mortality rates