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Environmental History: Learning from the Past

Environmental History: Learning from the Past. Environmental History of the US 4 Eras. The environmental history of the US can be divided into 4 eras: Tribal Frontier Early conservation Environmental. Environmental History of the US Tribal Era. Tribal Era- Native Americans

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Environmental History: Learning from the Past

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  1. Environmental History: Learning from the Past

  2. Environmental History of the US4 Eras • The environmental history of the US can be divided into 4 eras: • Tribal • Frontier • Early conservation • Environmental

  3. Environmental History of the USTribal Era • Tribal Era- • Native Americans • 10,000 years before European settlement • Slash and burn/shifting cultivation • Small population • Low environmental impact

  4. Environmental History of the USFrontier Era • 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

  5. Environmental History of the USEarly Conservation Era1832-1870 • Early Conservation Era- • Alarm at resource depletion • Urged part of unspoiled wilderness be protected as legacy to future generations • Thoreau (Life in the Woods) and other writers addressed these issues but not taken seriously • Active role of government increases • Environmental change within democracies involves voicing opinions through elected officials, legislation, budgeting, and lobbying by special interest groups.

  6. Environmental History of the USEarly Conservation Era1870-1930 • Actions ↑ role of government and private citizens in resource conservation • 1891-Forest Reserve Act established federal government as responsible for protecting public lands • 1892-John Muir founded Sierra Club and led preservationist movement • 1890-Yosemite National Park

  7. Environmental History of the USEarly Conservation Era1870-1930 cont…. • Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1908 • Established wildlife reserves and tripled size of national reserve • President given power to designate public land as federal wildlife reserves • 1905-US Forest Service • 1906-Antiquities Act President can protect areas on federal lands as national monuments (Grand Canyon) • “Golden Age of Conservation”

  8. Environmental History of the USEarly Conservation Era1870-1930 cont…. • 1916-National Park Service Act creates National Park System

  9. Environmental History of the USEarly Conservation Era1930-1960 • Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) • 1933-Civil Conservation Corp (CCC) • 2 million people employed • Restore degraded environment, built dams, etc. • 1940’s and 50’s had little change

  10. Environmental History of the USEnvironmental Era1960’s • Environmental Era- • Citizens began modern environmental movement • 1962-Rachel Carson published Silent Spring about pesticide effects • 1963-Clean Air Act • 1964 Wilderness Act protecting tracts of land in the Wilderness System • 1968-Garrett Hardin • 1969-Spaceship Earth worldview

  11. Environmental History of the USEnvironmental Era1970’s • Environmental decade • 1970-1st Earth Day • Nixon • 1970-EPA established • 1973-Endagered Species Act • 1978-Bureau of Land Management started to manage public lands through Federal Land Policy and Management Act

  12. Environmental History of the USEnvironmental Era1970’s cont….. • Jimmy Carter • 1977-Department of Energy (DOE) to reduce dependence on foreign oil • 1977-Clean Water Act • 1980-Superfund created in response to Love Canal to clean up abandoned hazardous waste • Tripled land in National Wilderness system and doubled land in the National Park System

  13. Environmental History of the USEnvironmental Era1980’s • Anti-environmental movement formed to weaken laws of 60’s and 70’s • Ronald Reagan • Increased private energy, mineral development and timber cutting • Funding for environmental resources cut

  14. Environmental History of the USEnvironmental Era1990-2004 cont…. • George Bush Sr. • Weakened protections on almost as much public lands as Teddy Roosevelt protected • Increase fossil fuel use • Relaxation on air and water quality standards • 1992 attended the United Nations Conference, Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to discuss environmental issues

  15. Environmental History of the USEnvironmental Era1990-2004 • Clinton protected more public lands as national monuments than any other Pres. • 1997-Kyoto Japan 161 nations met to negotiate a treaty to decrease emissions and slow climate change

  16. Environmental History of the USEnvironmental Era1990-2004 • George Bush Jr • Just like dad • Withdrew US totally from Kyoto treaty • We’ll see what’s next! • Frontline’s Hot Politics

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