 Three Major “Revolutions”
in Human Culture
 U.S. Environmental History
 Tribal and Frontier Era
 Early Conservation Era
 The Environmental Era
 Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic
 Cultural Changes and the Environment: Hunter-Gatherer Culture
 Hunter-gatherers
 Nomadic: seasonal movement
 Usually limited environmental
impact
 Cultural Changes and the Environment: The Agricultural Revolution
 Agriculture
 Slash and burn / shifting cultivation (See Fig. 2-2 p. 22)
 Essentially sustainable resource use
 Increased environmental impact
 Refer to Trade-Offs in Fig. 2-3 on p. 23
 Cultural Changes and the Environment: The Industrial-Medical Revolution
 Industrial Revolution (mid-1700’s)
 Shift to dependence on non-renewable resources
 Dramatic increase in environmental impact
 Refer to Trade-offs in Fig. 2-4 on p. 23
 Cultural Changes and the Environment: The Information/Globalization Revolution
 Information Revolution
 Rate of information increase and speed of communication
 Globalization
 Decrease in cultural diversity
Refer to Trade-offs in Fig. 2-5 on p. 24
 Environmental History of the United States: The Tribal and Frontier Eras
 Tribal Era: Native Americans
 Native Americans caused some extinctions, but generally were low-impact hunter-gather or
agricultural societies.
 Frontier Environmental Worldview: European Settlement (1607-1890)

Significant impact as wilderness frontier was “tamed”
 Environmental History of the U.S.:
The Early Conservation Era
 Period: 1832-1960
 Concern over resource use
 Preservation of public lands
 Public health initiatives
 Environmental restoration
projects
 Important Figures During The Early Conservation Era
 Henry David Thoreau
 George Perkins Marsh
 John Muir
 Theodore Roosevelt
 Gifford Pinchot
 Franklin Roosevelt
 Henry David Thoreau
(1817-1862)
 Naturalist
 Writer: Life in the Woods (Walden Pond in Massachusetts)
 Sought self-sufficiency, a simple lifestyle and harmonious coexistence with nature
 Henry David Thoreau
(1817-1862)
 Henry David Thoreau (1817-62)
 Naturalist and writer: Life in the Woods (Walden Pond in Massachusetts)
 George Perkins Marsh (1801-1882)
 Scientist
 Congressman from Vermont
 Man and Nature (1864)
 Showed the importance of wise use of resources
 Showed declines of past civilizations were linked to misuse of resources
 George Perkins Marsh (1801-1882)
 Scientist
 Congressman from Vermont
 Showed the importance of wise use of resources
 Most of his warnings were not taken seriously
 John Muir (1838-1914)
 Geologist, naturalist
 Yosemite Valley, Utah, Nevada, the Northwest and Alaska
 Responsible for the establishment of Yosemite Nation Park
 Established the Sierra Club
 Lobbied for conservation laws
 John Muir (1838-1914)
 John Muir (1838-1914)
 Founder of the
 Sierra Club
 Join Today!
 Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1913)
 Writer, explorer, naturalist, avid birdwatcher, 26th President
 First political figure to bring to attention conservation issues to the public
 According to many, has contributed more than any other president to natural resource
conservation
 Forest Service, Antiquities Act
 Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1913)
Theodore Roosevelt
1858-1919
26th President
He pushed the passage of the National Park Service Act in 1916.
They don’t make
Republicans like that
Anymore
 Clifford Pinchot (1865-1946)
 First chief of the U.S. Forest Service
 Pioneered scientific management of forest resources on public land
 Appointed by Teddy Roosevelt
 Gifford Pinchot (1865-1946)
 First chief of the U.S. Forest Service
 Hetch Hechy
 Franklin D. Roosevelt
(1882-1945)
 Enacted federal government programs to provide jobs to help get the country out of the Great
Depression
 Many of these programs were aimed at restoring the country’s degraded environment
 Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC)
 Franklin D. Roosevelt
(1882-1945)
 32nd President
 Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC)
 Environmental History of the United States: The Environmental Era
 Period: 1960-Today
 The environmental movement
 The science of ecology
 Spaceship Earth worldview
 1980’s: backlash against environmentalism
 1990’s: environmental awareness
 Important Figures During The Environmental Era – Part 1
 Rachel Carson: Silent Spring (1962)

(See Individuals Matter on p. 27)
 Richard Nixon: EPA; ESA
 Jimmy Carter: DOE, Superfund
 Important Figures During The Environmental Era – Part 1
Rachel Carson
(1907-1964)
Biologist
Silent Spring (1962)
Helped end the use of
DDT
 1970’s The Environmental Decade
 Earth Day April 20, 1970
 Environmental Protection Agency 1970
 Endangered Species Act 1973
 Federal Land Policy and Management Act 1978
 Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
 Department of Energy
 Superfund
 Musicians United for Safe Energy, or MUSE

No Nukes Concert September 23, 1979
 Important Figures During The Environmental Era – Part 2
 Ronald Reagan: “If there are no trees then there will be no forest fires”
 George W. Bush Sr.: Self proclaimed “Environmental president”
 Bill Clinton
 George W. Bush Jr.: Clean forest initiative, Clean air initiative, appointed an oil executive to
run the EPA , withdrew from Kyoto treaty
 1980’s Environmental Backlash
 Anti-environmental movement
 Reagan greatly increased private exploitation of public natural resources
 Cut tax incentives for residential solar energy
 Lowered gas mileage standards, air and water standards
 1980’s Environmental Backlash
 George H.W. Bush promised to be “the environmental president”
 Showed no leadership on environmental issues such as population growth, global warming, and
loss of biodiversity
 Allowed industry, mining, ranching, and real estate development undercut environmental laws
 1990 to 2004 Trying to hold the line
 Bill Clinton promised to provide national and global environmental leadership
 Appointed respected environmentalists to key positions
 Vetoed most anti-environmental bills
 Protected vast parcels of land in the West
 Dropped the ball on Global Warming
 1990 to 2004 Trying to hold the line
 George W. Bush has done nothing good for the environment
 Reversed many of the environmental laws
 Ignored Global Warming (misinformation)
 Put in people tied to the oil industry in key environmental positions
 Tried to reverse ever environmental gains made by Clinton
 And so on and so on!!!!!
 Case Study: Aldo Leopold and His Land Ethic
 Individuals are interdependent
 Ethics: respect for land
 Shift from conqueror to member
 Problems arise when land viewed as a commodity
 Preservation of the integrity, stability, and beauty of land is a right
 Case Study: Aldo Leopold and His Land Ethic
Aldo Leopold
1887-1848
Forester, writer
Conservationist
Sandy County
Almanac
Inspired the modern
Environmental
Movement