1. Environmental History
Learning from the Past

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. President Theodore Roosevelt ( ) 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

11. 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

12. - 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

13. Environmental Era
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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

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

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

22. 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

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

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

25. 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