history of environmental science 2011
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History of Environmental
Science
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History of EnvironmentalScience
Three revolutions are significant in thedevelopment of environmental science
1. Agricultural Revolution
2. Industrial-Medical Revolution
3. Information-Globalization Revolution
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History of Environmental Science:Agricultural Revolution
Gradual move from nomadic lifestyle of hunter-gatherers to the farming of domesticatedanimals and plants
Started about 10,000 years ago
Led to human population growth
Can you explain why???
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History of Environmental Science:ancient civilizations
Ancient Rome limitedawareness of (orcommitment to)environmental dangersand threats
Example: lead poisoningamong upper classresulted from lead-basedfood containers
Example: unregulated
deforestation and soilerosion may havecontributed to thecivilizations downfall
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History of Environmental Scienceancient civilizations
Ancient Greeks some awareness
Example: Greeks deforested much ofGreece but also solar power when woodbecame scarce
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History of Environmental Scienceancient civilizations
Ancient China, India, Peru awareness ofmany environmental issues
Example: used soil conservation methodsto protect against erosion
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History of Environmental Science:In U.S., Tribal era
From about 10,000years ago to era ofEuropean exploration
hunter/gatherers,some farming
Small environmentalimpact due to smallpopulation size andlifestyle
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History of Environmental Science:1200-mid1700s
Middle Ages to Renaissance beginning ofawareness of public health issues but sanitationand regulation of use of resources very limited
Example: plague devastated Europe but led tobeginning of public health systems
Deforestation of much of Europe occurredduring this time led to use of coal
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Frontier Era in the U.S.
1607-1890
Expansion of European influence acrossNorth America
Clearing land, increasing use of resources,land granted by government
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History of Environmental Science:mid1700s - mid1800s
Beginning of Industrial-Medical Revolution Age of Enlightenment (approx. 1650-1800) science
progresses; thus, societys awareness of environmentalissues increased but new technologies led to pollution
and other problems Example: Ben Franklin fought against water pollution in
Philadelphia
Example: Industry pollutes air
and water through use of coal,other fossil fuels (London was
notorious for dirty air)
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History of Environmental Science:mid1700s - mid1800s
Thomas Malthus (1766-1834) British scholar, publishedessays on economics, human population growth
Believed that human populations would eventually bekept in check by famine, disease because populationsgrow exponentially, but food supply does not
In contrast to popular view that human populations weremoving toward perfection and a Utopian society
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Dr. John Snow (1854) first to recognizea pattern in an epidemic and link it to the
environment contaminated water fromone pump led to spread of cholera
Germ theory developed in 1861
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History of Environmental Science:Early Conservation Era in U.S. 1832-1960
Yellowstone established as the first US National Park(1872)
Concern about the environment in the US was voiced in themid 1800s by people such as Henry David Thoreau
Alas! how little does the memory
of these human inhabitants enhance
the beauty of the landscape!
Henry David Thoreau
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History of Environmental Science1880-1920
Progressive Era reform in U.S. was happening in manyfields, thus improving conditions for humans (slums,prisons, etc.) and the environment
Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle
Teddy Roosevelt conservationist, as president had ahuge impact in setting aside natural areas
Teedy Roosevelt and JohnMuir, Yosemite, 1903
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History of Environmental Science1880-1920
However, much of the preservation system was basedupon utilitarian conservation-the preserving of resourcesso they can provide homes and jobs for people.
John Muir was a geologist, author and
founder of the Sierra Club. Muir argued
that nature deserved to exist for its own
sake, regardless of its usefulness to us.
His view was called altruistic preservation-emphasizingthe fundamental right of other organisms to exist and to
pursue their own interests.
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20th Century: A Century of
GrowthThe inventions of the twentieth century had a remarkableeffect on daily life. They also had a devastating effect onthe environment. Human population grew tremendously.
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History of Environmental Science:1920-1940
Growing awareness of the effects of man-made threats to healthand the environment, yet society continues to develop, use productsand methods that are dangerous
Examples:
Use of poisonous lead in gasoline Use of carcinogenic radium to make glow-in-the-dark clock faces
- Women painting clocks with radium would sometimes put the brush in theirmouth to fix the brush into a point. Many women developed cancer
Dr. Alice Hamilton fought againstthe use of leaded gasoline; foughtfor the Radium Girls who filed alawsuit
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American Dust Bowl 1930s due to pooragricultural practices and drought
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History of EnvironmentalScience:1940-1960
Increasing scientific knowledgeproduces some things withnegative environmental impact:nuclear weapons, DDT and otherpesticides, synthetic materials
such as plastics that are notbiodegradable
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Aldo Leopold
wrote Sand County Almanac,
published in 1948, shortly after hisdeath
Wrote about the ethicalresponsibility humans have to take
care of the earththe land ethic
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Information-GlobalizationRevolution
Starting in 1950 but especially from 1970
Development of technology to gain access to moreinformation on a global scale
Computers, internet, phones, remote-sensing satellites Effects are personal, cultural, environmental what does
this mean?
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History of Environmental Science:Environmental Era 1960s-present
Awakening of U.S. public tomany environmental issues
Publication ofSilent Spring(1962) by Rachel Carson helpspropel the modernenvironmental movement,raised awareness of dangers ofpesticides and other chemicals
Garrett Hardin (ecologist)wrote essay Tragedy of theCommons in 1969
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History of Environmental Science:Environmental Era 1960s-present
Paul Ehrlich ecologist, 1970s, I=PAT,wrote Population Bomb, which made direpredictions about the effects of
overpopulation
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Environmental Impact Equation developed in the 1970s byPaul Ehrlich, Barry Commoner, John Holdren: I=PAT
Fig . 1-13 p. 15
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History of Environmental Science:1960s-1980s
Certain crises cause people to think twice, including nuclear accidents (Three Mile Island 1979, Chernobyl 1986)
an extended nationwide energy shortage (1970s)
Exxon Valdezoil spill (1989)
Increased regulation of air and water pollution 1970s: The Environmental Decade passage of Clean Air Act,
Clean Water Act (Public service commericalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4ozVMxzNAA)
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History of Environmental Science:1960s-1980s
More environmental activism(e.g.,Greenpeace)
Earth Day (April 22) was started in 1970
Lois Gibbs mom who fought forcommunity of Love Canal that was built ona toxic waste dump (1978)
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Other Names to Know
E.O. WilsonMr. Biodiversity, biologist concerned withloss of biodiversity
Jane Goodall ground-breaking research on chimps over
45 years, conservationist Ronald Reaganpresident 1980s, sagebrush rebel
emphasized economic development, opposed by manyenvironmental groups
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History of Environmental Science:1990s-present
Environmentalism grows in the U.S. but many recognizethe economic cost of being green; political factionsdebate issues worldwide
Global warming is supported by scientific evidence (IPCC
reports, 2007 Nobel Peace Prize to IPCC and Al Gore),but is still hotly debated
Developing countries
have less money to protect
the environment and still faceissues such as leaded gasoline
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The Future - ???
Green consumers
Energy efficiency (e.g., CAFE standards)
New technology (e.g., clean coal)
International cooperation
Growing population
Poverty
Increasing standard of living