chapter 3 environmental history, politics, and economics
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Environmental History, Environmental History, Politics, and EconomicsPolitics, and Economics
Jobs Or Owls?Jobs Or Owls? Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwest Northern spotted owlNorthern spotted owl
Listed as threatenedListed as threatened Some logging suspendedSome logging suspended
Northwest Forest PlanNorthwest Forest Plan CompromiseCompromise Some habitat protectedSome habitat protected Some logging resumedSome logging resumed Loggers retrainedLoggers retrained
Jobs Or Owls?Jobs Or Owls? More changesMore changes
Loggers got more accessLoggers got more access Annual surveys requiredAnnual surveys required
Endangered Endangered speciesspecies
Threatened Threatened speciesspecies
Conservation & PreservationConservation & Preservation ConservationConservation
Sensible management of resourcesSensible management of resources Sustainable useSustainable use Examples?Examples?
PreservationPreservation Setting aside areasSetting aside areas Protection from humansProtection from humans Examples?Examples?
Environmental Views in the Environmental Views in the U.S.: 1700s-1800sU.S.: 1700s-1800s
Widespread environmental destructionWidespread environmental destruction Promote settlementPromote settlement Frontier attitudeFrontier attitude Resources Resources
appeared appeared inexhaustibleinexhaustible
Early Environmental Early Environmental MovementMovement
Resources quickly Resources quickly being depletedbeing depleted
John James AudubonJohn James Audubon Wildlife artistWildlife artist Aroused public Aroused public
interestinterest
Early Environmental Early Environmental MovementMovement
Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau WriterWriter Lived simplyLived simply
George Perkins MarshGeorge Perkins Marsh Man and NatureMan and Nature Humans as agents of Humans as agents of
changechange
Protecting U.S. ForestsProtecting U.S. Forests Deforestation happened quicklyDeforestation happened quickly American Forestry AssociationAmerican Forestry Association
Formed by citizensFormed by citizens Concerned about forestsConcerned about forests
Forest Reserve ActForest Reserve Act 18911891 President can establish forest President can establish forest
reservesreserves Reversed in 1907: why?Reversed in 1907: why?
Protecting U.S. ForestsProtecting U.S. Forests Gifford PinchotGifford Pinchot
First head of U.S. Forest First head of U.S. Forest ServiceService
Appointed by T. RooseveltAppointed by T. Roosevelt Viewed forests as useful to Viewed forests as useful to
peoplepeople Manage them scientificallyManage them scientifically
National Forests today have National Forests today have many usesmany uses
National Parks & National Parks & MonumentsMonuments
1872: Yellowstone1872: Yellowstone 1890: Yosemite1890: Yosemite
John MuirJohn MuirBiocentristBiocentristPreservationisPreservationistt
Sierra ClubSierra Club
National Parks & National Parks & MonumentsMonuments
National Parks created by act of National Parks created by act of CongressCongress
National Monuments designated by National Monuments designated by the Presidentthe President
TodayToday 58 National Parks58 National Parks 73 National 73 National
MonumentsMonuments
Managing National ParksManaging National Parks Originally managed by Originally managed by
U.S. ArmyU.S. Army Hetch Hetchy ValleyHetch Hetchy Valley
Yosemite NPYosemite NP 1913: dam built1913: dam built
Parks needed more Parks needed more protectionprotection
National Park Service: National Park Service: 19161916
Mid-20Mid-20thth Century Century ConservationConservation
Great Depression: FDRGreat Depression: FDR Civilian Conservation CorpsCivilian Conservation Corps Soil Conservation Soil Conservation
ServiceService Aldo LeopoldAldo Leopold
Game ManagementGame Management A Sand County AlmanacA Sand County Almanac Developed a land ethicDeveloped a land ethic
Mid-20Mid-20thth Century Century ConservationConservation
Rachel CarsonRachel Carson Marine biologistMarine biologist Silent SpringSilent Spring
Dangers of pesticidesDangers of pesticidesHeightened public Heightened public awarenessawareness
Paul EhrlichPaul Ehrlich EcologistEcologist The Population BombThe Population Bomb
The Environmental The Environmental MovementMovement
1970: First Earth Day1970: First Earth Day Gaylord NelsonGaylord Nelson Denis HayesDenis Hayes
Religious supportReligious support 1990: 141 1990: 141
nations celebrate nations celebrate Earth DayEarth Day
Important Dates In Important Dates In Environmental HistoryEnvironmental History
1963: Clean Air Act1963: Clean Air Act 1970: NEPA; EPA 1970: NEPA; EPA
createdcreated 1973: Endangered 1973: Endangered
Species ActSpecies Act 1974: Safe Drinking 1974: Safe Drinking
Water ActWater Act 1977: Clean Water Act1977: Clean Water Act
Important Dates In Important Dates In Environmental HistoryEnvironmental History
1986: Chernobyl nuclear accident1986: Chernobyl nuclear accident 1987: Montreal Protocol drafted1987: Montreal Protocol drafted 1989: Exxon Valdez oil spill1989: Exxon Valdez oil spill 1991: World’s 1991: World’s
worst oil spill worst oil spill 1999: Human 1999: Human
population reaches population reaches 6 billion 6 billion
Environmental LegislationEnvironmental Legislation NEPANEPA
Environmental Impact StatementsEnvironmental Impact StatementsRequired by federal governmentRequired by federal governmentShort- & long-term impactsShort- & long-term impactsPublic inputPublic input
Council on Environmental QualityCouncil on Environmental QualityMonitors EISsMonitors EISsReports to presidentReports to president
Environmental Impact Environmental Impact StatementsStatements
Environmental RegulationsEnvironmental Regulations
1)1) Environmental problem recognizedEnvironmental problem recognized
2)2) Full cost accountingFull cost accounting
3)3) Congressperson drafts legislationCongressperson drafts legislation
4)4) Legislation is passedLegislation is passed
5)5) EPA now translates law into EPA now translates law into regulationsregulations
6)6) Law enforcedLaw enforced
Legislative Success!Legislative Success! National ParksNational Parks Decreased soil erosionDecreased soil erosion Some endangered species improvingSome endangered species improving Decreased pollutionDecreased pollution
Improved water Improved water qualityquality
Safer drinking Safer drinking waterwater
Superfund ActSuperfund Act
EconomicsEconomics
Study of how we decide to use scarce Study of how we decide to use scarce resources to provide goods & resources to provide goods & servicesservices
Free marketFree market Supply & demand determine priceSupply & demand determine price U.S. economyU.S. economy
How Are The Economy & How Are The Economy & Environment Related?Environment Related?
Environment is the source of materialsEnvironment is the source of materials Environment serves as a sink for Environment serves as a sink for
wasteswastes Sources & sinks contribute to natural Sources & sinks contribute to natural
capitalcapital Resource degradation: overuse of Resource degradation: overuse of
sourcessources Pollution: overuse of sinksPollution: overuse of sinks
Economy & EnvironmentEconomy & Environment
National Income AccountsNational Income Accounts
Total income in a nation in one yearTotal income in a nation in one year GDP & NDP provide estimatesGDP & NDP provide estimates Two problems with current systemTwo problems with current system
1)1) Natural resource depletionNatural resource depletion
2)2) Cost & benefits of pollution Cost & benefits of pollution controlcontrol
Natural Resource DepletionNatural Resource Depletion
Not figured in national income Not figured in national income accountsaccounts
OilOil Value is part of GDPValue is part of GDP Depletion not Depletion not
subtracted outsubtracted out
Pollution ControlPollution Control
Currently, cost of Currently, cost of polluting not polluting not deducted from GDPdeducted from GDP
Estimates of Estimates of environmental environmental damage should be damage should be subtracted from GDPsubtracted from GDP
External CostsExternal Costs Harmful environmental or social costHarmful environmental or social cost Those not directly involved in Those not directly involved in
transactiontransaction Not reflected Not reflected
in market pricein market price Market Market
increases increases pollutionpollution
How Much Pollution Is How Much Pollution Is Acceptable?Acceptable?
Pollution is inevitablePollution is inevitable Marginal costMarginal cost
Added cost of pollutionAdded cost of pollution Must balance:Must balance:
Cost of more pollutionCost of more pollutionCost of giving up goodsCost of giving up goods
Marginal Cost Of PollutionMarginal Cost Of Pollution Added cost of pollutionAdded cost of pollution
Marginal Cost Of Pollution Marginal Cost Of Pollution AbatementAbatement
Added cost of reducing pollutionAdded cost of reducing pollution
Optimum Amount Of Optimum Amount Of PollutionPollution
Economically most desirableEconomically most desirable Problems?Problems?
Economic Strategies For Economic Strategies For Pollution ControlPollution Control
Command and control regulationsCommand and control regulations Limits and punishmentsLimits and punishments Some successSome success Problems?Problems?
Incentive-based regulationsIncentive-based regulations Emission targetsEmission targets Incentives to reduce Incentives to reduce
emissionsemissions
Case Study: Central & Case Study: Central & Eastern EuropeEastern Europe
Late 1980s: fall of communist Late 1980s: fall of communist governmentsgovernments
Much environmental destructionMuch environmental destruction Governments supported heavy Governments supported heavy
industryindustry Who suffered?Who suffered?
Case Study: Central & Case Study: Central & Eastern EuropeEastern Europe
Today, environment must be Today, environment must be improvedimproved
Some areas improvingSome areas improving Some areas recovering slowly: why?Some areas recovering slowly: why?