Historical Roots

1. Historical Roots • Up to mid/late 1800s • Western European viewpoints. • White, middle class, Christian, male. • Little role of any others. • Expansion and exploitation. • View of unlimited resources (land in particular). • “Manifest Destiny” • Has had a huge impact on our “Dominant Social Paradigm” • Our value system, beliefs • NOT the same as popular opinion • Although there were some early conservationists: e.g., Henry David Thoreau, 1850s.

2. Pragmatic Resource Conservation • Mid/late 1800s into early 1900s • View that resources are there for us to USE • “”for the greatest good, for the greatest number, for the longest time” • Develop and use resources for benefit of people who are here NOW • Wasteful to neglect developing resources • Often considered a “utilitarian” view • Does not advocate abuse, over-use, recklessness in use! • Many were not concerned with future generations • Most influential proponents: • Theodore Roosevelt, pres. 1901-1909. • Founded US Forest Service • Gifford Pinchot. • Appointed by Roosevelt to head the new US Forest Service, founded 1905. • Very utilitarian. View that not to use resources is wasteful. • Notable exceptions: • George Marsh, mid/late 1800s. • John Muir. He was on good terms with Roosevelt, and they often worked together, although often they did not always agree.

3. Aesthetic (“Moral”) Conservation/Preservation • Early 1900s to about 1960s • View that nature should be preserved and resources conserved for long term as much as possible • Nature had a right to exist • Preserve for future generations • Preserve nature in its purest state • Most influential proponents: • John Muir: opposed Pinchot. 1st pres of Sierra Club. • Stephen Mather: 1st director of US Park Service, founded 1916. (tho first National Park, Yellowstone, established in 1872 by Pres. Grant) - very aesthetic. Mather thought that Park Service should exist to protect and preserve. • Aldo Leopold (1887-1948). Worked for US Forest Service, until disillusioned, left, went to UW-Madison. Changed from a pragmatic to an aesthetic conservationist. Wrote “A Land Ethic” and “Sand County Almanac” (1949 pub.) • Leopold view of a “healthy land ecosystem”: include all species, predators as well as prey.

4. Modern Conservation/Environmentalism • 1960s - today?? To early 90s • Many argue it ended in late 80s/early 90s in the US • Previous eras: concerned much more with land use. Little awareness of things like pollution or scientific study of the environment (although some scientists did, including Leopold). • Shift towards scientific research, activism, regulation. • Includes both resource conservation and environmental pollution issues. • Most influential proponent: • Rachel Carson (d.1964): Often credited with helping bring on this era, with book “Silent Spring” pub. 1962. • Many new environmental protections laws. A few examples of laws: • 1963 Clean Air Act (first draft), 1970 Clean Air Act • 1964 Wilderness Act, • 1969 NEPA (established the EPA in 1970) • 1972 Clean Water Act • 1973 Endangered Species Act

5. Currently in the US… • Since early 1990s, shifted away from environmental conservation as important. But recently there seems to be a shift back to conservation. Of particular concern now is Climate Change/Global Warming. • Still concerned with scientific research, but less federal and state funding or involvement. • In general, public not particularly involved in conservation right now • Much less activism • Less education • More concerned with economy and materialism • US government returned to pragmatic and utilitarian views • “Roll-back” of many environmental laws • Weakening of Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, EPA and more • Globally, however, other nations are showing much more concern - moving towards a “global environmentalism” • Many more International summits, treaties • Stewardship major concern now.