Chapter 3 Environmental History, Politics, and Economics

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?