Exam 1 Flashcards
Delta smelt controversy
- Small fish endemic to the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta, which frequently becomes caught in water pipes
- Less than 3” in length, short lifespan, low reproductive output
- Generally considered a good environmental indicator, located in an ecologically important estuary
- Protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1993
- The delta has other economically important fish species, is used for recreation, and provides a major source of water to California farmers (as well as acting as a sink for their pollution)
- Despite being a historically common species, the delta smelt populations have decreased by 20% over the last 20 years due to high water demands and herbicide/pesticide pollution, indicating a stressed ecosystem which may result in a decrease in ecosystem services (ecological, recreational, commercial goods/services)
- Concerns delta smelt will be overrun by harmful non-native fish species
- Should short term (increased water supply for farmers) or long term benefits (intact delta ecosystem) be prioritized?
Environmentalist
Persons belonging to social movement seeking to protect the environment through activism, education, and research
Environmental Science
A multidisciplinary effort to understand the interactions between humans and their environment
Importance of environmental studies today
While humans have always modified the environment (for example, early humans hunted many species of Pleistocene megafauna to extinction approximately 10,000-20,000 years ago), today human activities affecting the environment are more varied and increasing at a rapid rate. Consider the conversion of natural lands to agricultural, suburban, and urban areas, and the changes in soil, air, and water chemistry. At no time in Earth’s history has a single species had such a profound impact on the planet.
Benefits of environmental studies
- Understanding the consequences of our actions and being able to make informed decisions
- Develop a greater appreciation of the Earth and life on it
- Sustain a healthy planet
Origins of environmental thought
- Can be traced to long-held religious/philosophical beliefs in many societies
- ex. Hinduism & Buddhism: sacred wilderness areas set aside for intense spiritual experiences; direct links between natural and spiritual worlds
- ex. Native Americans: Iroquois consider how their actions affect the lives of the next 7 generations; Hopi perform dry farming (corn, etc. grown without supplemental water) on “borrowed” ancestral land
- Biodiversity is important to those who live close to the land
- ex. Penan of Borneo: name individual places, animals, and trees in the environment
- ex. Amhara of Ethiopia (1600’s): live in highlands/mountains and set aside the grassland at Guassa for sustainable use. The grassland is patrolled by 1 man from each household, and is open for grass harvesting 1 month ever 3-4 years. Grass is used for thatched roofs, stuffing pillows/mattresses, etc. If someone is found illegally exploiting the grassland, then they are fined, jailed, or their livestock are killed.
Environmental views across societies: Hunter-gatherers
- Generally had wiser use of natural resources
- Learned to live within the constraints of a fixed resource base
Environmental views across societies: Livestock, Large-Scale Agricultural, or Industrial Societies
- Rapid consumption and destruction of natural resources
- Goals: Maximize economic growth and assert control over other peoples/groups
European views of the Environment: Middle Ages (5th-15th Century)
- God created nature for our use and benefit
- Nature should be converted to agriculture (i.e. “productive land”)
- Wilderness is useless land inhabited by spirits and monsters
European views of the Environment: 16th Century
- Origins of environmentalism
- Concern over decline in several culturally and ecologically important species in Poland led to King Zygmunt II creating a nature reserve in 1564
- The gamekeepers were charged with preventing hunting in the reserve.
- Though the reserve failed to prevent the auroch’s extinction, the wisent survived.
- As time passed, there was a continuing pattern of increased cultivation and firearms leading to a decrease in wildlife
European views of the Environment: 19th Century
- Several major bird species went extinct, with more rapidly declining; this led to the British conservation movement in the mid-1800’s
- Commons, Open Spaces, and Foothills Preservation Society established 1865
- Strong environmental traditions arose in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Scandinavia
European views of the Environment: Colonialism
- From the 16th-19th centuries, Europeans explored the globe and heavily exploited colonies’ resources with little regard for environmental destruction or impact on local people.
- Ex. King Leopold of Belgium’s claim to the Congo (1865-1909): Thousands of tons of wild rubber and palm oil were extracted yearly, with all of the profits going to Belgium. Congo’s population of 20 million people was halved during his rule.
- Colonial scientific officers may be thought of as early environmentalists (18th-19th century). The scientific officers studied the natural histories of the colonies and raised environmental concerns, leading to the passage of environmental ordinances.
- Ex. On the islands of Tobago and Mauritius, forests were replanted on degraded lands and discharge of pollutants into water was regulated.
- Ex. In India an extensive system of forest reserves was established.
- The goal of the scientific officers was to avert local economic losses and environmental catastrophes.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1836)
- Nature is a temple in which people can commune with the spiritual world
- “The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship”
Henry David Thoreau (1854)
- Advocate for nature, opponent of materialism
- Lived in a cabin in Walden Wood from 1845-1847, where he wrote the book Walden
- “Wilderness is the preservation of the world”
American vs European environmentalism
- American: preserve large wilderness areas unmanaged and unmodified by humans
- European: manage wilderness because of long history of humans in the landscape
