Activity 4.1 – US Environmental History and Major Regulations

 

  Throughout time history has changed so much, going back to early on when colonists and settlers arrived there were no environmental policies and no concern with the environment at that moment. They weren't aware or concerned that these items could be overconsumed. Therefore this led to the large consumption of natural resources without consideration of what will follow. Although not all were unaware of the effects, there were very few groups during the 1800's who were concerned about the impacts of the rapid growth of society. Not many paid any attention to these groups until the 1900s. As time went by American's thoughts about the environment shifted the public decided to hear them out. The three groups changed viewpoints, in the book states these groups" came to have profound influences on the way we thought of ourselves in relation to the environment, on our land use policies, and on providing environmental goods and services to the growing population: the "resource efficiency" group, the transcendentalist movement, and organized industrial interests". (Theis, T., & Tomkin, J, 2018)

 The transcendent movement in the 1830s changed individuals' viewpoints towards urbanism/religion and allowed them to connect themselves to their surroundings. Which resulted in them caring for the environment due to a higher power and those with a known status. President Roosevelt was one to help bring awareness as he " was responsible for 225 million acres of land added to the U.S. Forest Service, and the creation of 50 wildlife refuges and 150 national forests" (Theis & Tomkin, 2018) With gained knowledge the American Conservative movement came along creating a "remarkable legacy of environmental reform" (Theis, T., & Tomkin, J, 2018). This movement became the foundation and accomplished many things that helped preserve the earth's resources and wildlife while doing so it redefined the social contract between us and the environment teaching Americans to valuf e the earth's beauty and maintain it.  This movement was led by many such as scientists, politicians, economists, and citizens,

 Pollution was and is a growing concern but during the 1900's they became significantly aware of the damage being done not only to the public health and the environment. Not only because of the numerous global issues that were happening such as the effect of The World War and the large amount of pollution from waste and gunpowder residue. But also the population increase worsened the impact we were imposing on the environment, from the industrial factories causing poor air quality resulting in respiratory issues, illnesses, and death. Contaminated waterways were another major issue. This opened the eyes to humanity seeing the real damage being done by realizing their connection to the environment. 

As the 2000s approached, more attention was being focused on environmental impact once again. There is still a growing concern about the social contract between us and the environment because our overuse and pollution continue. However, there are regulations and methods happening to preserve our environment for not only our safety but also the earth. Science and activists succeeded in bringing about significant change through their findings, such as reducing pesticide use, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water filtrations, and using alternatives for nonrenewable resources. Modern society understands that sustainable and environmentally friendly practices and procedures have many benefits, including public health to prevent illnesses and help save our earth's resources from being depleted.

Theis, T., & Tomkin, J. (Eds). (2018). Sustainability: A comprehensive foundation. OpenStax CNX. https://archive.org/details/ost-earth-sciences-col11325/mode/2upLinks to an external site. 

Russell, E., & Fairfax, S. K. (2014). Guide to U.S. Environmental Policy (Links to an external site.). CQ Press. 

Used Grammarly to correct various grammar and punctuation errors.