History of HumansHistory of Humans

Current form of our species is Homo Current form of our species is Homo sapiens sapienssapiens sapiens1. about 60,000 yrs old. Estimate may 1. about 60,000 yrs old. Estimate may be as old as 90,000 to 176,000be as old as 90,000 to 176,0002. Up until 12,000 to 10,000 years ago 2. Up until 12,000 to 10,000 years ago we were hunter-gathererswe were hunter-gatherers3. 12,000 yrs ago switched to 3. 12,000 yrs ago switched to agriculureagriculure4. 275 years ago industrial revolution4. 275 years ago industrial revolution5. Last 50 yrs-Information revolution5. Last 50 yrs-Information revolution

Hunter-gatherersHunter-gatherers

Collected edible plants Collected edible plants and hunted and and hunted and scavenged meatscavenged meat

Nomadic groups of 50Nomadic groups of 50 Survived through Survived through

earth wisdomearth wisdom Short life spanShort life span High infant mortalityHigh infant mortality Population grew very Population grew very

slowlyslowly

Environmental Impacts of Environmental Impacts of Hunter-gatherersHunter-gatherers

Started fires to flesh out gameStarted fires to flesh out game Stampeded wild animals over cliffsStampeded wild animals over cliffs Contributed to change of forests to Contributed to change of forests to

grasslandsgrasslands Contributed to the extinction of the Contributed to the extinction of the

Mastodon, Saber Tooth Cats, cave bear, Mastodon, Saber Tooth Cats, cave bear, giant sloth, and mammothgiant sloth, and mammoth

Altered species distributionAltered species distribution Overall Overall lowlow resource useresource use and and lowlow

environmental impactenvironmental impact

Agricultural Societies-Agricultural Societies-before the plowbefore the plow

Domestication of wild animals and cultivation Domestication of wild animals and cultivation of plantsof plants

Probably a slow shift that began with hunter-Probably a slow shift that began with hunter-gathers supplementing their foodgathers supplementing their food

Began in the tropical forests of Asia, Mexico, Began in the tropical forests of Asia, Mexico, and Africaand Africa

Practiced slash and burn agriculturePracticed slash and burn agriculture After a plot was used for several years, it was After a plot was used for several years, it was

reinvaded by forest and left fallow for 30 yearsreinvaded by forest and left fallow for 30 years This is subsistence farming and there was little This is subsistence farming and there was little

impact because the plots were small and they impact because the plots were small and they had no tools had no tools

Agricultural Societies- Agricultural Societies- Post PlowPost Plow

Later, with the invention of the metal Later, with the invention of the metal plow pulled by animals everything plow pulled by animals everything changedchanged

The plow allowed the farmers to grow The plow allowed the farmers to grow enough food for their families and to enough food for their families and to save some for bartersave some for barter

This allowed trade and cities to be set-This allowed trade and cities to be set-up. It also caused disputes over landup. It also caused disputes over land

Now survival of wild animals becomes Now survival of wild animals becomes less importantless important

Effects of Agricultural Effects of Agricultural RevolutionRevolution

Birth rates rose faster than death Birth rates rose faster than death rates and population increasedrates and population increased

People cleared increasingly larger People cleared increasingly larger plots of land and destroyed more plots of land and destroyed more natural habitatnatural habitat

People began accumulating material People began accumulating material goodsgoods

Fig. 11.26, p. 255

Low

High

Rel

ati

ve

po

pu

lati

on

siz

e

Bir

th r

ate

an

d d

eath

rat

e(n

um

ber

per

1,0

00 p

er

yea

r)

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Stage 1Preindustrial

Stage 2Transitional

Stage 3Industrial

Stage 4Postindustrial

Lowgrowth rate

Increasing Growthgrowth rate

Very highgrowth rate

Decreasinggrowth rate

Lowgrowth rate

Zerogrowth rate

Negativegrowth rate

Birth rate

Total population

Death rate

Time

Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution

Began in England in the mid 1700sBegan in England in the mid 1700s Began when England used up all of its Began when England used up all of its

forests and substituted coal for woodforests and substituted coal for wood Shift from renewable to n on-Shift from renewable to n on-

renewablerenewable This lead to growth in mechanization This lead to growth in mechanization

and factory townsand factory towns Fossil fuel powered farm equipment Fossil fuel powered farm equipment

lead to an increased agricultural yield lead to an increased agricultural yield which lead to more peoplewhich lead to more people

Environmental ImpactsEnvironmental Impacts

Reduced infant mortalityReduced infant mortality Raised life expectancy which lead to Raised life expectancy which lead to

more peoplemore people Better healthBetter health Birth controlBirth control EducationEducation Affordable goodsAffordable goods incomeincome

Globalization and The Information Globalization and The Information RevolutionRevolution

• Cultural shift to Cultural shift to new technologies new technologies such as TV, such as TV, computers an computers an internetinternet

• Hard to know what Hard to know what the impacts will bethe impacts will be

Possible ImpactsPossible Impacts

Help us understand more about the Help us understand more about the Earth and how systems work Earth and how systems work

Allow us to respond to problems fasterAllow us to respond to problems faster Use technology to monitor changes in Use technology to monitor changes in

the Earththe Earth More sophisticated technology to model More sophisticated technology to model

complex systemscomplex systems Technology to reduce pollution and use Technology to reduce pollution and use

materials more effectivelymaterials more effectively

Bad Stuff about itBad Stuff about it

• Cause confusion, Cause confusion, distraction, and a distraction, and a sense of hopelessness sense of hopelessness because of information because of information overloadoverload

• Increase environmental Increase environmental degradation and degradation and homogenization of homogenization of world culturesworld cultures

• We are developing new We are developing new technologies before we technologies before we can evaluate their can evaluate their impactimpact

The Conservation eraThe Conservation era1832-1870: Early Conservationists1832-1870: Early Conservationists

They urged unspoiled They urged unspoiled wilderness be wilderness be managed by the managed by the government for future government for future generationsgenerations

George CaitlinGeorge Caitlin Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau George Perkins MarshGeorge Perkins Marsh

ConservationistsConservationists1870-19301870-1930

1870-1900: environmental concern 1870-1900: environmental concern grows because of yellow fever, typhoid grows because of yellow fever, typhoid fever, cholera, garbage, air pollution, fever, cholera, garbage, air pollution, unsafe factories, contaminated waterunsafe factories, contaminated water

1891 Forest Reserve Act: established 1891 Forest Reserve Act: established the responsibilty of the federal the responsibilty of the federal government to protec public landsgovernment to protec public lands

1892: John Muir formed the Sierra club1892: John Muir formed the Sierra club

1901-1907: Golden Era of 1901-1907: Golden Era of ConservationConservation

Theodore Roosevelt was presidentTheodore Roosevelt was president Persuaded congress to give the president the Persuaded congress to give the president the

power to designate public land as wildlife power to designate public land as wildlife refuges refuges

Established the bureau of reclamationEstablished the bureau of reclamation Tripled the size of forest reservesTripled the size of forest reserves 1905: Congress created the US Forest 1905: Congress created the US Forest

service to manage and protect forest service to manage and protect forest reserves. Gifford Pinchot was the first chiefreserves. Gifford Pinchot was the first chief

1912: US National Park System was created1912: US National Park System was created The passenger pigeon became extinctThe passenger pigeon became extinct

Hetch-Hetchy Decision: Hetch-Hetchy Decision: divided the conservationists divided the conservationists

into two groups.into two groups. PreservationistsPreservationists Believed humans Believed humans

should protect should protect nature, not nature, not conquer itconquer it

John MuirJohn Muir

Wise UseWise Use Believed resources Believed resources

should be used should be used wisely to enhance wisely to enhance the nation’s the nation’s economic growtheconomic growth

Gifford PinchotGifford Pinchot Theodore Theodore

RooseveltRoosevelt

Both groups opposed Both groups opposed delivering public lands delivering public lands into the hands of a few for into the hands of a few for profitprofit

Both would be Both would be disappointed by what has disappointed by what has happened over the yearshappened over the years

1930-19601930-1960

The 1930s was the great depression and The 1930s was the great depression and Franklin Roosevelt was presidentFranklin Roosevelt was president

Low cost purchase of large tracts of land Low cost purchase of large tracts of land from cash poor landownersfrom cash poor landowners

Started Civilian Conservation Corp Started Civilian Conservation Corp Built large dams to get cheap water to CABuilt large dams to get cheap water to CA Enacted the Soil Conservation Act of 1935 Enacted the Soil Conservation Act of 1935

that was for combating the problem of soil that was for combating the problem of soil erosionerosion

The 1960sThe 1960s

Rachel Carson published silent spring, Rachel Carson published silent spring, which documented how DDT was killing which documented how DDT was killing wildlife. The beginning of the wildlife. The beginning of the environmental Era.environmental Era.

The 1960sThe 1960s

1964 Wilderness Act allowed the 1964 Wilderness Act allowed the government to protect large tracts government to protect large tracts of public land as part of the National of public land as part of the National Wilderness System Wilderness System

1965-1970 science of ecology was 1965-1970 science of ecology was created to understand earthcreated to understand earth

Cuyahoga River caught fire and Cuyahoga River caught fire and burned for eight daysburned for eight days

1960s1960s

Massive air pollution Massive air pollution in New York leaves in New York leaves 300 dead300 dead

Lake Erie beaches Lake Erie beaches closed due to pollutionclosed due to pollution

Santa Barbara Santa Barbara coastline heavily coastline heavily polluted by leaking polluted by leaking offshore oil rigs.offshore oil rigs.

Foam in rivers from Foam in rivers from pollutionpollution

The 1970sThe 1970s

April 20April 20thth first Earth Day first Earth Day 1970 Richard Nixon created EPA (the 1970 Richard Nixon created EPA (the

Environmental Protection AgencyEnvironmental Protection Agency 1973 OPEC oil embargo1973 OPEC oil embargo 1974 CFCs found to be creating 1974 CFCs found to be creating

ozone holeozone hole 1978 Love Canal1978 Love Canal 1979 Three Mile Island1979 Three Mile Island

1980s1980s

The Wise Use movement was formed The Wise Use movement was formed which was an industrial coalition which was an industrial coalition aimed at destroying all the aimed at destroying all the environmental laws environmental laws