Activity 4.1- US Environmental History and Major Regulations

Introduction

    Sustainability in terms of making the world a place that can maintain a healthy quality of life in humans and their environments was a term that wasn't introduced until 1987. Here a report given by the United Nations discussed "the analysis of human dependency and quality of life on ecological systems, social networks, and economic viability"(Theis, pg. 15), which are all interconnected on deep levels, and which also negate the need for more hands-on approaches in order to start solving the problems humanity faced. An analysis of environmental policy and framework concludes that there are at least 3 major periods that ushered in fresh ideas, scientific understanding, advancements in technology, political institutions, and laws which aimed to mitigate human impacts in the environment just like sustainability. These periods are the

                                    a)  American conservation movement 

                                    b) rise of environmental risk as basis for policy 

                                    c) integration of social and economic factors to create sustainability standards (Theis, pg.15).

The American Conservation Movement 

     The colonists who immigrated to North America had no idea of waste, nor that a resource could be used to the point of extinction. With a majority of colonists living along the East coast with the consciousness that there was tons of land to expand on, they had no care in the world for the effects that they were causing by abusing the land and its resources. These attitudes carried over into the 19th century as expansion began. However, as early as mid-eighteenth century many individuals and groups started becoming aware of how inefficiently humans managed various aspects of their lives, specifically with their environments and resources. By 1850 the country was becoming urbanized and increasingly literate, meaning people were starting to become consciously aware of the fact that the resources they were using weren't as endless as they once thought, and were also more receptive to hearing about the impacts of growth on society and the earth. Three groups in particular were credited for having profound influences on the ways people perceived themselves and their interactions with their environments, as well as land use policies, and on providing environmental resources and services to a growing population. These three groups were known as "the "resource efficiency" group, the transcendentalist movement, and the organized industrial interests" (Theis, pg.16). 

    The resource efficiency group's concerns were based around harmful agricultural practices that were wasteful, inefficient, and unsustainable by modern values. Though concerns initially started with farming, these same concerns were translated into the management of forest and logging, wastes created from mining and smelting, and by the end of the century, the impacts of chemical exposure on employees in the workforce.  The members of this resource efficiency group were vital in utilizing the scientific methods to tackle the problems that were rooted in human behavior towards the environment. As a result, specific fields of study, like environmental science, engineering, and public health, as well as certain federal institutions, like the National Parks Service and the National Wildlife federation, were established (Theis, pg. 17).  

    The Transcendental Movement was formed in the 1830's in response to the culture and society, as well as increasing urbanism and the stiffness of organized religions. It introduced a way of thinking that involved an individuals unparalleled relationship with their environment, and how that relationship was to be valued over the conformity that is expected in society. Transcendentalism ended up becoming a major driving force for the advancement of society in the realm of conservation. It is important to mention that this movement redefined our social contract with the natural world in a holistic way and within it, new found appreciations for nature, the liberation of human thought, need for racial equality, universal suffrage, and gender equity were recognized (Theis, pg.17-24) 

    The involvement of industrial entities was vital in the change of perspective on anthropogenic activity in an environment. At the time regulations were few, if existent at all, and businesses had no incentive to manage their emissions or to use resources efficiently. Generation of waste was also seen as necessary for expansion, job production, and social well-being. Focuses in this movement were directed to land reformations, which affected railroad expansion and forest preservation (Theis, pg.24-26).   

Environmental risk management 

    Environmental risk is a mathematical way to calculate the statistical probability of an adverse reaction occurring to human health or ecological systems in response to "physical, chemical, or biological entities in the environment" (Theis, pg 27). Environmental risk management can be traced back to public health, industrial hygiene, and sanitary engineering. 

Creating Stainability Standards 

    It is important to be able to understand the problems being faced before trying to tackle them. On that note, it was recognized in importance that the constant additions of new technologies and products is constantly changing and adding to the depth of the problems that exist in the environment. Because of this, policy makers such as the EPA have recognized that the focus of environmental policies must be shifted to a global level in many situations in order to actually be able to fully handle the problem that humanity and global ecosystems are facing (Theis, pg.35-46). 

    Without these three aspects of consideration we could not make policies that are effective enough to actually mitigate the effects being created by humans in global ecosystems. Below is a timeline of the major US federal environmental laws that have been enacted to conserve and preserve the environment, as well as protect human health. 

(Theis)(Russell)

Works cited

Theis, T., & Tomkin, J. (Eds). (2018). Sustainability: A comprehensive foundation. OpenStax CNX.  THEISandTOMKIN_Sustainability-a-Comprehensive-Foundation-45.1.pdf

Russell, E., & Fairfax, S. K. (2014). Guide to U.S. Environmental Policy (Links to an external site.). CQ Press. Chapter 28