Environmental Policy And Philosophy Of Managing The Environment

The environmentalist movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries presents a picture of America at the time: torn between the desires to expand while seeking to protect nature. Although all members of the movement sought to protect nature, there were two predominant schools as to how to go about this. In their two philosophies, they created two methods for human interaction with the wilderness. The conservationist movement can be called the utilitarian movement, and sought the greatest good for the greatest number over the longest term. In contrast, the preservationist school aimed at keeping nature in its current state, although the

Ecomodernist’s believe that modernization is the major tool to resolving environmental issues. Ecomodernist’s feel as though society needs to always progress and that humanity cannot ever slow down or else development would stop completely. Ecomodernist’s view modernity as the human separation from mastery over nature (Taylor). This perspective stresses the idea of using our technological and

Conservation was the most important reform, from this time period, since it worked towards protecting the United State’s physical environment which leads to obtaining the essential resources of nature, preserving the naturality of the planet, and living a higher quality of life.

This is something that we have attempted to change over time, but have not stopped. Theodore Roosevelt called for Americans to consider conservation of the environment, but focused on the conservation of resources over the conservation of ecosystems and indigenous species. (as cited in Merchant, 2012, pp. 333-334). This type of logical use conservation is typical in American history. We have had a strong history of avid hunters supporting the conservation of animals so that their species would remain available to sportsmen. One example of this is John James Audubon. Audubon was an avid hunter. He killed birds in mass numbers in his research in Florida (as cited in Merchant, 2012, pp.178-180). However the famous Audubon Society is the organization responsible for hiring and paying Guy Bradley, the first game warden in the Florida everglades (McIver, 2003). Hunters have an interest in preserving the species they desire to hunt, and in this desire they require natural ecosystems be protected. This protection of the ecosystem ensures that their valued game stays available for hunting. However, women were at the forefront of the conservation movement in many states. Carolyn Merchant describes women’s groups across the country protecting different facets of the environment. One example was the Audubon movement created in opposition to the plume industry. These movements helped create legislation that helped protect some plume birds as early as 1913. (Merchant, 2012, pp.355-363). Eventually the land that was being conserved for eventual use were slowly being transformed into protected parks that are intended to preserve the scenery and its plant and animal inhabitants for the future. The National Parks Act of 1916 was the first to establish large national parks in the United States (as cited in Merchant, 2012, pp.371-372).

“Conservation laws” (document 8) positively impacted the environment, especially the National Conservation Commision (1909) which was put in place to conserve US natural resources. The National Reclamation Act raised money from the sale of public lands which funded irrigation programs in western states. This Act was installed by Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 “to increase” the land’s “usefulness” (document 6), the irrigation systems allowed crops, animals, and people to prosper. In addition, perhaps the most important act, the National Park Service Act which was enacted in 1916 by Woodrow Wilson after he expressed that “we have not stopped to conserve the exceeding bounty of nature (document 2). The Act was put in place to conserve “scenery”, “natural and historic landmarks”, “wildlife therein” and to “provide enjoyment for future generations”(The National Park Service Act). Environmental issues in the Gilded Age such as resources depletion, ecosystem destruction, air pollution, and public land exploitation all lead to the environmental reforms of the Progressive

Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the ideals of conservation, protection, and preservation became embedded within the development industry. Intensive periods of growth, urban and suburban sprawl, coupled with the surge and education regarding environmental liability took a toll upon the United States’ national resources. Throughout this period in the Unite States, the preservation movement developed into a network of National Parks throughout the country, in addition to laying down the groundwork for the conception of preservation to be adapted within other fields. One type of a historic site, which is arguably deserving of conservation, and frequently encountered throughout the United States are battlefields, in particular

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a program in the 1930s that helped the environment and over 500,000 unemployed Americans. This organization was made to help people during the Great Depression by supplying jobs to many unemployed people. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said that it would keep the youth “off the street corners”(FDR). Another goal of the program was to develop good citizens through outdoor labor which focused on soil conservation and forestation. In this text, I will explain what the CCC was, how it affected the people, and its role in the environment.

When I was five years old I began school. In Kindergarden we learned basic things like letters, numbers, and how not to be fully engulfed in flames. For some reason, 2004 was the height of anti-fire education in Missouri and before I knew how to tie my shoes I knew that if I ever was ablaze, to cover my face, fall to my knees, and roll back and fourth. This is what my institution placed serious value upon and because I was a student of that institution I also placed serious value upon it. The same idea must be applied to a university's teaching of environmental sustainability. This is discussed in David Orr's "What is Education For?" Through choosing a curriculum a university chooses what it places value onto, by making the environment a priority it showcases to the future generations that environmental wellness is an important responsibility for them to take ownership.

We should promote the conservation of our ecologies by reducing the amount of waste that goes directly into the environment and promoting green thinking and living all across the world. For instance, we could protect our environment by reducing the amount of cattle that feed in a certain area and by prohibiting the introduction of alien-invasive species as they deplete minerals and food in the soil for other plants to consume.

White’s thesis in The Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis states that in order to confront the expanding environmental crises, humans must begin to analyze and alter their treatment and attitudes towards nature. The slow destruction of the environment derives from the Western scientific and technological advancements made since the Medieval time period. “What people do about their ecology depends on what they think about themselves in relation to things around them” (RON p.7). Technology and science alone will not be able to save humans until we adjust the way of thinking and suppress the old ideas of humans power above nature. Instead, we need to learn how to think of ourselves as being

in an effort to solve problems, which can be seen with the Clean Water Act.

Sustainability is a topic that has become very important in recent years. Sustainability is defined as, “the ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely.” ("Finding and Resolving the Root Causes of the Sustainability Problem", 2014)

The Twentieth Century conservationists like John Muir and Gifford Pinchot always argued that it was important for the government of the day to strike a balance between the two conflicting goals of economic development and environmental conservation. According to Menzel (2007; 3- 4), other environmental movements in the USA had been in constant conflict with industrial enterprises. The major root cause of conflict being the fact that industrial enterprises had ignored the fact their activities were hurting the environment through

Environmental issues have been a cause of a lot of debate in the recent past. Governments and nongovernmental organizations have been in constant consultations on how to help protect the environment. Apparently, as a result of man’s many actions, the natural environment is getting torn apart so quickly that the coming generations will not enjoy this kind of environment, unless a

Many people believe that the Sustainable Revolution began with concern for the environment. The way we portray our relation to the natural world has changed since the times of Thoreau and Emerson. The E for environment