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Environmental History: Learning from the Past
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Cultural Changes and the Environment Human History
Homo sapiens have been on Earth 160,000 years Until 12,000 years ago we were hunter-gatherers, moving as we needed for food
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Cultural Changes and the Environment Three Cultural Changes
Agricultural revolution Began 10-12,000 yrs ago Industrial revolution 150 years ago Information and globalization revolution 50 years ago
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Cultural Changes and the Environment Three Cultural Changes
Have increased our impact on environment in several ways More energy and technology Increased food production Expansion of human population Increase in resource use
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Cultural Changes and the Environment Hunters-Gatherers
Most of our existence Collect edible plants, fish, hunt Lived in small nomadic bands Worked together to survive Population grew slowly Small environmental impact South Africa: San, Khwe, Sho, Bushmen, and Basarwa Australia: Spinifex people
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Cultural Changes and the Environment Hunters-Gatherers
Small environmental impact due to: Understanding of environment Low population Low resource use Migration to allow reparation Lack of technology
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Cultural Changes and the Environment Agricultural Revolution
Began 10-12,000 years ago H-G settled & created agricultural communities Plant cultivation developed Slash and burn/shifting cultivation Sustainable: grow food enough for living; want resources available for future generations! Little impact on the environment-no machinery
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1 Clearing and burning vegetation 4 Allowing to revegetate 10 to 30 years 2 Planting 3 Harvesting for 2 to 5 years
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Pick 3 examples of each to ADD to your notes!
Agricultural Revolution Good News Bad News More food Destruction of wildlife habitats from clearing forests and grasslands Supported a larger population Killing of wild animals feeding on grass or crops Longer life expectancy Fertile land turned into desert by livestock overgrazing Higher standard of living for many people Soil eroded streams and lakes Formation of villages, towns, and cities Towns and cities concentrated wastes and pollution and increased spread of diseases Towns and cities served as centers for trade, government, and religion Increase in armed conflict and slavery over ownership of land and water resources
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Cultural Changes and the Environment Industrial/Medical Revolution
Began in England in 1700’s U.S. in 1800’s Huge shift in culture
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Cultural Changes and the Environment Industrial/Medical Revolution
Cultural shifts Renewable (wood, water) nonrenewable Localized goods large scale, machine made Rural (country living) urban (city-living) Increased crop yields/acre w/ farm machinery Population ↑ sharply Environmental impact ↑
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Pick 2 examples of each to ADD to your notes!
Trade-Offs Pick 2 examples of each to ADD to your notes! Industrial-Medical Revolution Good News Bad News Mass production of useful and affordable products Increased air pollution Increased water pollution Higher standard of living for many Increased waste pollution Greatly increased agricultural production Soil depletion and degradation Lower infant mortality Groundwater depletion Longer life expectancy Increased urbanization Habitat destruction and degradation Lower rate of population growth Biodiversity depletion
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Cultural Changes and the Environment Information and Global Revolution
New technology to gain rapid access to global info TV Telephone Satellites Computers
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Information-Globalization Revolution
Trade-Offs Information-Globalization Revolution Good News Bad News Computer-generated models and maps of the earth’s environmental systems Information overload can cause confusion and sense of hopelessness Remote-sensing satellite surveys of the world’s environmental systems Globalized economy can increase environmental degradation by homogenizing the earth’s surface Ability to respond to environmental problems more effectively and rapidly Globalized economy can decrease cultural diversity
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Environmental History of the United States 4 Eras
The environmental history of the US can be divided into 4 eras: Tribal Frontier Early conservation Environmental
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Environmental History of the US Tribal Era
Native Americans 10,000 years before European settlement Hunter Gatherers Slash and burn/shifting cultivation Small population Low environmental impact
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Environmental History of the US Frontier Era
Early 1600’s—European settlement Frontier environmental worldview—vast and inexhaustible resources Tribes and land conquered Public private land Government declared frontier officially closed in 1890
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Environmental History of the US Conservation Era
Concern over resource use Preservation of public land Public health initiatives Environmental restoration projects
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Environmental History of the US Environmental Era
Science of Ecology 1980’s: anti-environmental movement 1990’s: environmental awareness
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George Perkins Marsh A scientist and member of congress
Questioned the idea that resources were inexhaustible Created resource conservation principles we still use today Example: We will conserve forests, so we can use them later—wood, etc.
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John Muir Founded the Sierra Club Preservation
Preserve areas for aesthetics (beauty of nature!)
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Theodore Roosevelt Conservationists whose term in office was known as the “Golden Age of Conservation”. Designated the Grand Canyon as one of the first 16 national parks. More than tripled the size of the national forest reserves.
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Rachel Carson Wrote the book “Silent Spring” about the dangers of pesticides. Contributed to the ban of DDT
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Environmental Challenges of the 21st Century
The threat of climate change Growing water shortages Continuing population growth Continuing biodiversity loss Continuing poverty
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Topography Song-Rules
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