Lecture #1
The History of Environmentalism
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Environment– Conditions or circumstances that surround an
organism or groups of organisms
– The complex of social or cultural conditions that
affect an individual or community
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Environmental Science – The systematic study
of our environment and how humans interact with it.
– People live vastly different lifestyles throughout
the earth.
– Human societies interact with nature with varying
intensity in the ways they exploit the natural
environment
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Environmental Science is…….
• Interdisciplinary
• Integrative
– Natural Sciences
– Social Sciences
– Humanities
Mission oriented
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Environmental Science vs.
Environmentalism
• Environmental science - use of scientific
method to study processes and systems in the
environment
• Environmentalism - working to influence
attitudes and policies that affect our
environment
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Historical Perspective
Four Distinct Stages in environmental history
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pragmatic Resource Conservation
Moral and Aesthetic Nature Preservation
Concern about Health and Ecological Damage
Global Environmental Citizenship
– These are not mutually exclusive; parts of each
persist today in the environmental movement.
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1. Pragmatic Resource Conservation
Conservation- Managing and protecting
natural resources and using them
sustainably.
–This focuses on instrumental value
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George Perkins Marsh
• Man and Nature
published in 1864,
(which influenced
Theodore Roosevelt
and Gifford
Pinchot.)
• Called attention to
the destructive
impact of human
activity on land,
especially through
deforestation.
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Teddy Roosevelt’s Administrationearly 1900’s
• Creation of the US
Forest Service
(1905)
• Expansion of
National Forest
holdings
• Establishment of
53 wildlife refuges
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United States Forest Service (USFS)
• Multiple,
Sustainable Use
Policy
• To be “used for the
greatest good, for
the greatest number
for the longest
time”
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Gifford Pinchot
• 1865-1946
• First Americanborn Forester
• Appointed First
Chief of the U.S.
Forest Service
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2. Moral & Aesthetic Nature Preservation
aka ‘Biocentric preservation’
Preservation:
• Protecting natural environments from human
development
• Focus on intrinsic value
• “nature deserves to exist for its own sake
regardless of its usefulness to us.”
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John Muir
• Believed in
preservation of
pristine wilderness
areas
• Founded the Sierra
Club in 1892
• “Father of National
Parks”
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Frederick Law Olmstead
• Father of American
Landscape
Architecture
• Developed Central
Park in 1857
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Olmstead’s Words
• Served as the foundation for legislation
establishing the National Park Service
• “To conserve the scenery and the natural and
historic objects and the wildlife therein and
to provide for the enjoyment of the same in
such manner and by such means as will leave
them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future
generations.”
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National Park Service
• Founded in 1916
• To preserve for the
benefit, use, and
inspiration of
present and future
generations…
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Creation of National Parks
• 1872
• Yellowstone
• World’s First
National Park
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1930’s Ecology and Economy Clash
• Hetch-Hetchy Valley
• Civilian Conservation
Corps (CCC)
• Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA)
• Soil Conservation
Service (SCS)
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3. Concern about Health & Ecological
Damage
Modern Environmental Movement
• Industrial explosion of WW II added new
concerns to the environmental agenda.
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Rachel Carson
• Alerted the general
public in 1962 to
the dangers of
pesticides in her
book Silent Spring.
• This work led to
the banning of DDT
in 1972.
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Wangari Maathai
• Founded the Greenbelt
movement (1970’s), an
organization focused on
planting trees,
environmental
conservation and
women’s rights.
• Won the Nobel Peace
Prize for environmental
action (2004).
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Polarization
Continued urban growth and associated
pollution caused divergence of:
1. Those who supported and profited from
industrialization (‘industry’).
2. Those who worried about the effects of
pollution (‘environmentalists’).
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The Rise of National Green
Organizations (NGO’s)
• World Wildlife
Federation
(WWF) 1961
• Environmental
Defense Fund
1967
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Catalysts
• 1969 Burning
of the
Cuyahoga
River, OH
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Catalyst
• 1969 Santa
Barbara Oil
Spill
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New Legislation
The Federal Government Responds:
• 1963 Clean Air Act
• 1965 Water Quality Act
• 1966 Endangered Species Conservation Act
• 1968 National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
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Issues of the 1960’ and 1970’s
Human
Population
Growth
Fossil Fuel
Drilling
Nuclear
Weapons
Testing
Recycling
Nuclear Power
Water
Pollution
Wilderness
Protection
Landfilling
Waste
Air Pollution
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1970’s The Environmental Decade
The Federal
Government continued to respond:
• 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
• 1970: Creation of Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) by President Richard M. Nixon.
– This agency is responsible for national issues
of environmental health, a responsibility
shared with the Department of the Interior.
• 1973 Endangered Species Act
• 1977 Clean Water Act
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Earth Day
April 22, 1970
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The Empire Strikes Back?
Industry responds to new regulations:
• Form research groups
• Develop educational materials
• Enhance public relations
Industry successfully battles NGO’s in the
courts.
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Shifting Strategies
Broadening issues
weakens NGO’s
Rise of Radical
Environmentalism
• Greenpeace 1971
• Sea Shepherd 1977
• Earth First 1980
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Deregulation
•
•
•
•
Reagan Administration 1980-1988
Goal- to minimize federal regulations
CEQ: 1 member and a small budget
Reagan used White House councils to
sidestep the EPA
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Environmental Disasters
These disasters kept focus on the environment.
• Love Canal 1978
• Ixtoc I 1979
• Three Mile Island 1979
• Bhopal 1984
• Chernobyl 1986
• Exxon Valdez 1989
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4. Global Environmental Citizenship
Global Interconnections
• Increased technology has greatly expanded
international communications.
– Daily events now reported worldwide instead of
locally or regionally
• Global Environmentalism
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Global Awareness
1990’s: elevation of environmental issues
• Scientific evidence of ozone hole, global
warming, declining resources.
• 1990 Earth Day; 1992 Earth Summit
• Strong environmental policy of Clinton-Gore
Administration (1992-2000)
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21st Century
Environmental issues low priority
under the Bush-Chaney
administration
• Economic downturn
• Energy issues
• Terrorism and National Security
• War
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President Obama
“ Each of us has a part to "play in a new future that
will benefit all of us. As we recover from this
recession, the transition to clean energy has the
potential to grow our economy and create
millions of jobs -– but only if we accelerate that
transition. Only if we seize the moment. And only
if we rally together and act as one nation –workers and entrepreneurs; scientists and
citizens; the public and private sectors.“
-President Obama, June 15, 2010
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Environmental Issues are a much higher
priority under the Obama administration. 
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So now what??????????????????
The future is in OUR hands.
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