Overview of US Enviro History

8/4/2019 Overview of US Enviro History

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Overview of U.S.

Environmental History


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The Frontier Era (1607-1890)

US Government encouraged westwardsettlement of continent

1850-1890 > half of public land givenaway or sold cheaply to:

Railroad

Timber

Mining

Land Developers

Frontier officially closed in 1890

States

Schools

Universities

Homesteaders


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The Frontier Era (1607-1890)

Land Runs Far & Away


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Early Conservationists (1832-70)

warned of resource degradation Henry David Thoreau

Decreased biodiversity

Cabin on Walden Pond (Concord, Ma) Life in the Woods


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Early Conservationists (1832-70)

warned of resource degradation George Perkins Marsh

Scientist and Member ofCongress

Man & Nature Targetaudience: legislatorsand citizens

Resource Conservation

Questioned notion of inexhaustable resources

Scientific studies / case studies demo rise andfall of past civilizations linked to resource

utilization


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Early Conservation 1870-1930

Began Protection of Natural Resources &Public Health by Govt. & Private Groups

Forest Reserve Act of 1891

Established Fed. Govt. role in protectingpublic lands from exploitation

1892John Muir founded Sierra Club

Leader of preservationist movement

Protect land from all but low impactrecreation (Enacted 1964)

Proposed/lobbied for National ParkSystem on public lands


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Few protections enacted until Rooseveltadmin 1901-1909 AKA Golden Age ofConservation Congress gave office of Pres. power to

designate public land as federal wildliferefuges

1903first federal refugePelican Island

Added 35 more reserves by 1904

Tripled the size of the national forest reserves

1905US Forest Service created to manageand protect forest reserves

First ChiefG. Pinchot Scientific approach to forest management


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1906Antiquities Act Allowed Pres. to protect scientific or historical

sites on federal lands as national monuments


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Split in conservation movement overpublic land use.

1. Conservationists (wise use)

Roosevelt & Pinchot

2. Preservationists

Muir

1916National Park Service Act

Parks maintained so as to be left unimpairedfor future generations

Established NPS within Dept. Interior tomanage system


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After WW I To encourage economic growth and

expansion Fed promoted increase resourceremoval from public land.

Hoover proposed returning all fed. lands tostates or private interests for economicdevleopment

Depression hit states didnt want the land

and investors didnt want to invest.


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Conservation 1930-1960

During and After Depression FDR (1933-45)

2nd wave of conservation & public healthimprovements

Enacted Govt. programs to provide jobs andrestore degraded environment

Fed purchased large tracts of farm land

Fed established CCC (1933)

2 million people employed Turned farmland into parks and recreation land

Restored silted waterways

Built levees and dams for flood control


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1935 Soil Conservation Act Soil Erosion Service under Dept. of Agriculture

Correct erosion probs thatdestroyed farms

During the same April as Black Sunday, 1935,Hugh Hammond Bennett, was in Washington D.Cto testify before Congress about the need for soilconservation legislation.A dust storm from the Great Plains arrived in

Washington. As a dusty gloom spread over thenation's capital and blotted out the sun, Bennettexplained, "This, gentlemen, is what I havebeen talking about."Congress passed the Soil Conservation Actthat same year.


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Post Depression Public Health Improvements

Established public health

boards & agencies at

municipal, state and federal

levels

Increased public education

on health issues

Introduced vaccine

programs Improved trash collection

and sanitation reduction

in waterborne infection


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During the 1960s

The Modern Environmental Movement Rachel Carson Silent Spring (1962)

Pesticide Pollution

Resource conservation to qualitypreservation

Public demand for pollution control grew

Wilderness Act (1964)

Authorized govt. to protect undevelopedtracts of land

Land only used for non-destructive forms of

recreation such as hiking or camping.


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During the 1960s

Public awareness of environmental issuescontinued to grow

Pollution and habitat loss were endangeringspecies

1969- Earthrise U.S. Apollo 8 Mission


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During the 1970s

First Decade of the Environment Increased public outcry led to laws protecting

env. Quality and natural resources

First Earth Day4/20/70

EPA established 1970 ESA 1973

Federal Land Policy &Management Act 1978

Gave BLM authority to manage public land

85% of the land in 12 western states

Angered many who previously had unrestricted use ofthis land


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During the 1970s

Federal Land Policy & Management Act1978 (contd)

Sagebrush Rebellion ranchers, miners,

developers, loggers, farmers

2 goals

Significantly reduce government regulation of the

use of public lands

Turn over ownership of most Fed land to states.

Then states could sell or lease land to private

interests

1981Ronald Reagan


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During the 1970s

Jimmy Carter1977-81 Created the Dept. of Energy to reduce

dependence on foreign oil.

1980helped to create Superfund underCERCLA

Used the Antiquities Act of 1906 to protect

more public land than any other president 3X land in the Nat. Wilderness System

2X land in the Nat. Park System (AK)


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During the late 1970s

Love Canal(New York, 1978)

Homes built on former

industrial waste site.

Chemicals seeped up

to surface

Leukemia in local

children Lois Gibbs

CERCLA - Superfund


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During the late 1970s

Three Mile Island (1979) Most serious nuclear

reactor accident in the

history of the US

Harrisburg, PA

Partial meltdown of the reactor core

Equipment malfunctions

Design related problems Worker errors

very small off-site releases of radioactivity.


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1980sEnvironmental Backlash

Various industries organized and fundeda strong movement against enviro.movement that were impacted by environmental laws

& regulations in the 60s and 70s Sagebrush Rebellion

Late 70s coalition of ranchers minersloggers developers etc. wanted toremove federal ownership of publiclands give to states.

Reagan self-proclaimed


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Ronald Reagan Appointed anti-enviro people to key fed

positions

Increased private energy, mining & timber

on public land Cut funding for research on energy conserv.

& renewable energy

Eliminated tax incentives for res. solar energy& energy conservation

Lowered auto mileage standards

Relaxed fed air and water quality pollutionstandards


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Ronald Reagan Appointed anti-enviro people to key fed

positions

Increased private energy, mining & timber

on public land Cut funding for research on energy conserv.

& renewable energy

Eliminated tax incentives for res. solar energy& energy conservation

Lowered auto mileage standards

Relaxed fed air and water quality pollutionstandards


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1980sEnvironmental Tragedies

Chernobyl (Soviet Union, 1986)Explosion at nuclear power plantwhich contaminated the city causingcancer, deaths and developmentaldeformities

Bhopal (India, 1984) -Plant released toxic pesticide intoatmosphere initially killing 3800people.


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After 1990 Bill Clinton 1993-2001

Promised national and global environmentalleadership.

Placed environmental leaders in key positions

Vetoed many anti-enviro bills

Implemented regulations requiring SUVs to meet car

emission standards Made forest health primary focus of managing nat.

forests

Declared road-less areas of nat. parks off limits toroad building and logging

Used Antiquities Act to protect land by declaringthem national monuments. Protected more landthan Roosevelt or Carter.

Faulted for not being strong enough on global enviroissues.


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After 1990

1990smuch tug-of-war between pro-enviro groups and pro-industry groups

2001George W. Bush

Pro-industry like Reagan

Increased private energy, timber andmineral dev. on public lands

Opposed increasing gas mileage standards

Relaxed water and air quality standards Withdrew U.S. from Kyoto Protocol


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Environmental Era 1990-2002 Anti-Environmental Movement Strengthens

Grassroots Environmental OrganizationsSprang Up

Interest in Environmental Issues Increased

Increase in Environmental Studies programsestablished at colleges and universities

Awareness of Environmental IssuesIncreased

Sustainability Population Growth

Biodiversity Protection

Global Warming


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Population Growth


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Population Growth


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Enviro Outlook for the 21st Century

Issues we face: Global Warming

Water Shortages and Political

Conflicts over Water Supplies Population Growth

Biodiversity Loss

Poverty


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Enviro Outlook for the 21st Century

Major Goals: Focus on five most important

environmental issues

Protect 100 million acres of land in the US

End Commercial Logging in US NationalForests

Slow Urban Sprawl

Build Sustainable Cities

Build public support for environmentalissues

Use Politics and Economics to ImproveEnvironmental Quality


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Enviro Decision Making Model

1. Formulate a clear statement of the issueto be decided

2. Gather information related to the issue

3. Consider stakeholders and values

4. List possible courses of action

5. Explore (+) and (-) consequences ofeach course of action

6. Make a decision


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Resources

http://www.worldwatch.org/brain/features/timeline/timeline.htm
http://www.worldwatch.org/brain/features/timeline/timeline.htmhttp://www.worldwatch.org/brain/features/timeline/timeline.htmhttp://www.worldwatch.org/brain/features/timeline/timeline.htmhttp://www.worldwatch.org/brain/features/timeline/timeline.htm

Documents

Overview of US Enviro History