history of environmental science 2011

7/28/2019 History of Environmental Science 2011

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History of Environmental

Science
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/BlueMarble-2001-2002.jpg


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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
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:%22Indian_teams_hauling_60_miles_to_market_the_1100_bushels_of_wheat_raised_by_the_school._It_brought_four_cents_more_than_-_NARA_-_519190.tif&page=1


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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
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Malthus.jpg


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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
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_Snow.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Snow-cholera-map-1.jpg


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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
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/henrydavid395281.htmlhttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/henrydavid395281.html


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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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:John_Muir_Cane.JPG


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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
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Aldoleopold.jpg


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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
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Garrett_Hardin.jpg


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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
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Population_Bomb.jpg


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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)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4ozVMxzNAAhttp://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)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lois_Gibbs_NMU_Mqt,_MI_10-15-10_(11).JPGhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Plos_wilson.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jane_Goodall_HK.jpg


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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
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Plos_wilson.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jane_Goodall_HK.jpg


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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

history of environmental science 2011

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