Environmental History: Learning from the Past

1. Environmental History: Learning from the Past

2. Cultural Changes and the EnvironmentHuman 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

3. Cultural Changes and the EnvironmentThree Cultural Changes • Agricultural revolution • Began 10-12,000 yrs ago • Industrial revolution • 150 years ago • Information and globalization revolution • 50 years ago

4. Cultural Changes and the EnvironmentThree Cultural Changes • Have increasedour impact on environment in several ways • More energy and technology • Increased food production • Expansion of human population • Increase in resource use

5. Cultural Changes and the EnvironmentHunters-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

6. Cultural Changes and the EnvironmentHunters-Gatherers • Small environmental impact due to: • Understanding of environment • Low population • Low resource use • Migration to allow reparation • Lack of technology

7. Cultural Changes and the EnvironmentAgricultural 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

8. 1 4 Clearing and burning vegetation Allowing to revegetate 10 to 30 years 2 3 Planting Harvesting for 2 to 5 years

9. Pick 3 examples of each to ADD to your notes!  Agricultural Revolution Good News Bad News Destruction of wildlife habitats from clearing forests and grasslands More food 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

10. Cultural Changes and the EnvironmentIndustrial/Medical Revolution • Began in England in 1700’s • U.S. in 1800’s • Huge shift in culture

11. Cultural Changes and the EnvironmentIndustrial/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 ↑

12. Trade-Offs Pick 2 examples of each to ADD to your notes!  Industrial-Medical Revolution Good News Bad News Increased air pollution Mass production of useful and affordable products 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

13. Cultural Changes and the EnvironmentInformation and Global Revolution • Information and Global Revolution- • 1950’s • New technology to gain rapid access to global info • TV • Telephone • Satellites • Computers

14. 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

15. Environmental History of theUnited States4 Eras • The environmental history of the US can be divided into 4 eras: • Tribal • Frontier • Early conservation • Environmental

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

17. Environmental History of the USFrontier 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

18. Environmental History of the USConservation Era • Conservation Era (1832-1960) • Concern over resource use • Preservation of public land • Public health initiatives • Environmental restoration projects

19. Environmental History of the USEnvironmental Era • Environmental Era (1960-2010) • Science of Ecology • 1980’s: anti-environmental movement • 1990’s: environmental awareness

20. 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.

21. John Muir • Founded the Sierra Club • Preservation • Preserve areas for aesthetics (beauty of nature!)

22. 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.

23. Rachel Carson • Wrote the book “Silent Spring” about the dangers of pesticides. • Contributed to the ban of DDT

24. Environmental Challenges of the 21st Century • The threat of climate change • Growing water shortages • Continuing population growth • Continuing biodiversity loss • Continuing poverty

25. Topography Song-Rules • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT4FxKyE7QQ