TC

Natural Resources History: Prehistory to 20th Century

Lecture #3: Natural Resources History: Prehistory to 20th Century

Overview of Natural Resource Usages

  • Throughout history, there are three major paths of natural resource use:
    • Exploitation: Utilization aimed at maximum short-term profit, often disregarding negative long-term sustainability impacts and harm to other stakeholders.
    • Conservation: The prudent use of resources to maximize benefits for current and future generations, considering environmental impacts.
    • Preservation: The non-use of resources, leaving them in their natural state.

Exploitation

  • Definition: The act of using a resource with the goal of achieving maximum short-term profit without consideration for long-term damage or sustainability.
  • Consequences: This approach neglects the impacts on the environment and future generations.
  • Examples:
    • Clear-cutting forests without replanting.
    • Lack of erosion control measures where forest land is disturbed.
  • Historical Example: John D. Rockefeller, referred to as an "Oil Robber Baron", exemplifies a prominent figure in exploitation.
  • Contemporary Issues:
    • Present-day water pollution in China (specific data noted as "38885", likely indicating a statistic).

Conservation

  • Definition: The "wise-use" of natural resources aimed at maximizing benefits while preserving them for future generations. It balances current use with environmental impact.
  • Implications: It includes the idea of sustainability and consideration for the needs of future generations.
  • Example: Sustained yield forestry, where some trees are left standing to provide habitat, reduce soil erosion, improve aesthetic value, and supply seeds for replenishing the forest.
  • Famous Conservationist: Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, who played a vital role in creating National Forests and expanding National Parks in the United States.

Preservation

  • Definition: The non-use of a resource, encapsulated in the phrase "leaving only footprints and taking only photographs". It emphasizes maintaining natural resources undisturbed.
  • Examples: National parks and forest preserves are classic instances of preservation.
  • Recent Establishments: The San Juan Islands National Monument (established in 2013), Glacier National Park, and several others highlight the ongoing efforts in preservation.
  • Statistical Note: Wilderness areas in the U.S. now total over 90 million acres, emphasizing the significant land set aside for strict preservation.
  • Notable Preservationist: John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, recognized for his advocacy for the preservation of natural areas including Yosemite National Park.

Ancient History of Natural Resource Use

  • Early humans were heavily dependent on the natural world for survival.
    • Use of Fire: One of the earliest technologies enabling human progression.
    • Extinction Events: The extinction of large mammals such as the woolly mammoth can be attributed to various factors including human activity.
    • Agriculture Development: Marked by early farming techniques, erosion control, and irrigation in the fertile crescent.
  • Impact on Biodiversity: The extinction of species was a direct result of human actions, including hunting and habitat change.
  • Hunting tools: Flint Clovis points from around 12,000 BCE evolve as a technology for hunting.

The Development of Agriculture and Fire Use

  • Pre-Columbian settlement patterns in Eastern U.S. resulted from native people's agricultural practices, including controlled burns to clear land for hunting and meadow management.
    -Significant Changes: Native Americans significantly altered their environments through agriculture and the strategic use of fire, especially in regions like the Great Plains and Mississippi Valley.

U.S. Historical Resource Exploitation

  • Timeframe: Exploitation practices from 1620 to the 1870s.
    • Notable Acts:
    • Arkansas Act (1850), Homestead Act (1862), and various Railroad Acts during 1850-1870s that promoted land development.
    • Mining Acts (1872) that encouraged mining operations.
  • Forest Reserve Act of 1891: Marked a pivotal change towards recognizing sustainability in resource management.
  • Settler Impact: First settlers cleared forests, establishing croplands, while the natural forests were primarily diminished by 1890.

The Technological Advances Supporting Resource Exploitation

  • Windmill: This crucial technology facilitated settlements in arid regions of the West, providing essential water supply.
  • Fencing: The introduction of barbed wire in the late 1800s enabled ranching and marked the beginning of fenced lands in previously open territories.

The Complexities of Native American Relations and Wildlife Management

  • Policy aimed at the extermination of buffalo to control and force Plains Indians into reservations between the 1860s and 1880s.
  • The establishment of significant national policies that led to the fencing of lands and eventual closure of the frontier by the 1890s.
  • Noteworthy Historical Event: The Wounded Knee Massacre in South Dakota served as a pivotal moment in U.S. policy towards Native Americans.

The Case Study of Texas in Resource Management

  • Overview: Texas did not have public lands available for homesteading, as state lands were sold to private parties.
  • Consequences: This led to the development of large private ranching operations.
  • National forestry efforts: Beginning in the 1930s, federal policies introduced National Forests in Texas against this backdrop of privatized lands.
  • Significant Discovery: The Spindletop oil field, characterized by a massive gusher, marked a significant moment in oil discovery in 1901, laying the groundwork for Texas's long-standing leadership in oil and gas.

The Progressive Era: 1870-1916

  • Key Achievements: This period witnessed the establishment of national forests, wildlife refuges, and national parks, a significant regulatory push towards conservation.
  • Notable Parks Established:
    • Adirondack Reserve (1872), Yosemite (1862), and Yellowstone (1872) highlighted important legislative actions during this period.
  • Establishment of the National Park Service in 1916 was a critical move towards organized conservation efforts.

Visual Documentation in Natural Resource History

  • Yosemite: Recognized as the first national park, established in 1872, serving as a model for natural resource protection.
  • Numerous visual aids reflecting significant events and patterns of historical importance, showing changes in the American landscape over centuries.

Final Reflections

  • The approach to natural resources has evolved from unfettered exploitation to conservation, and ultimately, preservation, reflecting the increasing awareness of environmental sustainability.