APES Section 2 Notes

What are the three major historical shifts in human society?

Agricultural Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Globalization.

How does technological advancement impact the environment?

It allows more efficient resource use but increases pollution and resource consumption.

When did the shift from hunter-gatherer lifestyle begin?

About 12,000 years ago.

What was the typical size of a hunter-gatherer band?

About 50 people.

What were key features of hunter-gatherer life?

Foraging plants, hunting animals, and moving to conserve resources.

How did hunter-gatherers impact the environment?

Caused forest-to-grassland shifts and helped drive some species to extinction.

What major animals went extinct partly due to hunter-gatherers?

Mammoths, giant sloths, saber-tooth cats, and mastodons.

What started the Agricultural Revolution?

Humans began settling in one place and domesticating animals and plants.

What agricultural techniques were introduced during this revolution?

Slash-and-burn, cover crops, and the plow.

What was a major societal change due to the Agricultural Revolution?

Not everyone had to farm; people began to specialize in trades.

What were environmental impacts of the Agricultural Revolution?

Habitat destruction, increased birth rates, population growth, and material accumulation.

What was the main energy shift during the Industrial Revolution?

From renewable (wood/steam) to nonrenewable fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas.

What were key innovations in the Industrial Revolution?

Factories, mechanized farms, urbanization.

How did the Industrial Revolution affect population?

Infant mortality decreased, life expectancy increased, and population grew.

What were other effects of the Industrial Revolution?

Affordable goods, increased affluence, use of birth control, and reliable food supply.

What does the Globalization Revolution refer to?

Increased scientific knowledge and technological sophistication.

What are positive environmental effects of globalization?

Better understanding and faster responses to environmental issues.

What technologies help monitor Earth during globalization?

Remote monitoring systems and complex models.

How does globalization affect resource use?

It helps reduce dependence on nonrenewable resources.

What are the four main environmental eras in U.S. history?

Tribal, Frontier, Early Conservation, Environmental.

What characterizes the Tribal Era (Ice Age-1607)?

Respect for land, hunter-gatherers, small populations, low tech.

What defined the Frontier Era (1607-1890)?

Land giveaways, 80% of U.S. land held by government in 1850, Homestead Act in 1862.

What mindset dominated the Frontier Era?

The belief that wilderness needed to be tamed.

When was the Early Conservation Era?

1890-1960.

When did the Environmental Era begin?

1960-present.

Who were key figures in the start of the conservationist movement?

Henry David Thoreau and George Perkins Marsh.

What did George Perkins Marsh write?

Man and Nature.

What did Marsh argue in Man and Nature?

Resource mismanagement led to civilization decline; he questioned the idea of limitless resources.

What did Marsh propose?

Basic conservation principles still used today.

What was the Forest Reserve Act of 1891?

Gave the federal government authority to protect lands from exploitation and preserve them for future generations.

Who helped create the National Park System and National Park Service?

John Muir.

What did the Wilderness Act establish?

The National Wilderness Preservation System.

How many acres does the National Wilderness Preservation System protect?

Over 109.5 million acres.

What era was known as the "Golden Era of Conservation"?

The period under President Theodore Roosevelt.

What did Roosevelt do for conservation?

Protected 230 million acres of public land.

What powers did Roosevelt persuade Congress to grant the president?

The ability to designate public lands as wildlife refuges.

What organization did Roosevelt establish?

The Bureau of Forestry, now the U.S. Forest Service.

Who was the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service?

Gifford Pinchot.

What was the Antiquities Act of 1906?

Gave the president power to designate national monuments on federal land.

What is the main idea of the conservationist philosophy?

Resources should be used wisely and preserved for future generations.

What is the preservationist philosophy?

Nature should be left untouched and protected from human use.

What was the Raker Act of 1913?

Signed by Woodrow Wilson, it allowed the damming of Hetch Hetchy Valley.

What does the Hetch Hetchy debate represent?

A conflict between conservationists and preservationists.

Why is the Raker Act controversial today?

It allowed destruction of a pristine valley and violated clean energy principles.

What is Aldo Leopold known for?

Founding the modern environmental movement and advocating for ethical treatment of land.

What did Aldo Leopold believe?

The land should be loved and respected as part of ethical responsibility.

What did Franklin Roosevelt do for conservation?

Established environmental work programs during the Great Depression.

What were some of Roosevelt's conservation programs?

CCC, Hoover Dam, Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Soil Conservation Act.

What does the Soil Conservation Act allow?

Government reimbursement to farmers who reduce production for soil health.

What agency grew from the Soil Conservation Act?

National Resources Conservation Service.

Who was Rachel Carson?

Environmental advocate who connected pollution with human and ecological health.

What was Rachel Carson's impact?

Promoted cleanup of polluted areas, better pollution management, and conservation policies.

What environmental issue did Rachel Carson famously address?

The dangers of DDT and pesticides.

What was the Wilderness Act of 1964?

Gave the U.S. government power to protect vast tracts of land.

What four types of lands are protected under the National Wilderness Preservation System?

National Parks, National Forests, National Wildlife Refuges, and BLM (Bureau of Land Management) lands.

What is the "decade of the environment"?

The 1970s, when major environmental legislation was passed.

What agency did Nixon create?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

What significant act did Nixon endorse in 1973?

The Endangered Species Act.

What were some major environmental laws passed in 1972?

Bottle recycling law (Oregon), Federal Pesticide Control Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Consumer Product Safety Act.

What are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)?

Non-flammable, odorless, tasteless, chemically stable substances harmful to the ozone layer.

What did Jimmy Carter do for the environment?

Created the Department of Energy, used the Antiquities Act to triple land in the National Wilderness System.

What book influenced Carter's energy policy?

Soft Energy Paths, promoting solar over fossil and nuclear fuels.

What acts were passed during Carter's administration?

Clean Water Act, Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, CERCLA (1980).

What was Reagan's environmental legacy?

Lowered gas mileage standards, loosened pollution standards, increased private development on public land.

What else did Reagan do regarding environmental policy?

Cut research funding and appointed anti-environmental officials.

What is the "Wise Use" movement?

A movement claiming environmental regulations unfairly harm rural residents and favor urban elites.

What criticisms were aimed at George H.W. Bush?

Poor leadership on issues like population growth, global warming, biodiversity loss.

What actions did H.W. Bush take that weakened environmental laws?

Allowed mining, ranching, and real estate development on public lands.

What environmental policies did Bill Clinton support?

Appointed environmentalists, made Al Gore VP, consulted scientists, vetoed anti-environment bills.

What other actions did Clinton take?

Set SUV emissions standards, prioritized forest health, and tightened logging restrictions.

What trends emerged in the 1990s?

Growth in grassroots environmental groups, increased awareness of biodiversity and sustainability, expanded environmental studies in colleges.

How did George W. Bush weaken environmental protections?

Reduced energy conservation spending, withdrew from the Kyoto Treaty, increased nonrenewable resource extraction.

How did George W. Bush handle climate science?

Ignored IPCC evidence that global warming is human-caused.

What were Barack Obama's environmental accomplishments?

Set strict GHG standards for vehicles, power plants, factories; demanded penalties for BP oil spill.

What agreements did Obama support?

The Paris Agreement and the Montreal Protocol.

What else did Obama do environmentally?

Passed air quality laws, including ozone protections, and new legislation.

How did Donald Trump impact environmental policy?

Overturned many rules in favor of economic growth.

What were Trump's views on fuel efficiency regulations?

Called them "industry-killing regulations."

What did Trump do about non-renewable fuel production?

Removed restrictions and promoted extraction.