Environmental HistoryEnvironmental HistoryZuck EE2

Environmental HistoryEnvironmental History

“The history of humanity’s relationships to the environment provides many important lessons that can help us deal with today’s environmental problems and not repeat past mistakes.” -G. Miller

Major human cultural changesMajor human cultural changes

12,000 years ago → hunter-gatherers10,000-12,000 years ago → agricultural

revolution275 years ago → industrial revolution50 years ago → information and

globalization revolution

Tribal EraTribal EraUp to early 1600s

Cultural changes have

Given us much more energy and new technologies with which to alter and control more of the planet to meet our basic needs and increasing wants.

Cultural changes have:Allowed expansion of

the human population, mostly because of increased food supplies and longer life spans.

Cultural changes have:

Increased our environmental impact because of increased resource use, pollution, and environmental degradation.

Hunter-gatherers

60,000 year existenceCollecting edible wild

plant parts, hunting, fishing, and scavenging for meat

Worked together to get enough food to survive

Many were nomadicExpert knowledge and

understanding of their natural surroundings.

Hunter-gatherer discoveries

Which plants and animals could be eaten and used as medicines.

Where to find water.How plant availability

changed throughout the year.

How some game animals migrated to get enough food.

Hunter-gatherers

Had very little impact on their environment and local ecosystems.

Were part of the ecosystem, just like other animals and plants.

Did not try to control any part of the environment. They learned to adapt.

Advanced hunter-gatherers

Had a greater impact on the environment.

Advanced hunter-gatherers

Used more advanced tools and fire to convert forests into grasslands.

Advanced hunter-gatherersAdvanced hunter-gatherers

Contributed to the extinction of some large animals.◦E.g. mastodon,

sabor-toothed tiger, giant sloth, cave bear, mammoth, and giant bison.

Advanced hunter-gatherersAdvanced hunter-gatherers

Altered the distribution of plants and animals feeding on such plants as they carried seeds and plants to new areas.

Early and advanced hunter-Early and advanced hunter-gatherersgatherers

Exploited their environment, but impact was limited.

Limited impactLimited impact

Small population sizesLow resource use per

personMigration; allowed

natural processes to repair most of the damage

Lack of technology that could have expanded impact.

Tribal EraTribal Era

North America occupied by 5-10 million tribal people.

Until European settlers arrived in early 1600’s.

Native Americans were hunter-gatherers.

Tribal EraTribal Era

Native AmericansDeep respect for

the land and animals

Did not believe in land ownership

Burned and cleared fields, planted crops.

Frontier EraFrontier Era1607-1890