1. The History of Environmental
Science

3. Environmental degradation is nothing
new!
[deg-ruh-dey-shuhn]
the wearing down of the land by the erosive
action of water, wind,

4. The Fall of Troy
 3000 years ago “Homer” wrote of the ancient city
of Troy.
 Troy was situated below a wooded hillside.

5. The Fall of Troy
Deforestation led to erosion
(d -fôr -sta sh n)
The cutting down and removal of all or
most of the trees in a forested area.
Deforestation can erode soils, contribute to
desertification and the pollution of
waterways, and decrease biodiversity
through the destruction of habitat.
(i-ˈrō-zhən)
the process by which the surface of the
earth is worn away by the action of water,
glaciers, winds, waves, etc.

6. The Fall of Troy
 Soil blocked the harbour
 Ships could not get in or out
 Eventually the thriving seaport ground to a halt
 Troy’s economy was dependent on shipping

7. Pioneers in Environmental Science
 Theodore Roosevelt
 Aldo Leopold
 John Muir
 Rachel Carson

8. Theodore Roosevelt
 "The conservation of natural resources is the
fundamental problem. Unless we solve that
problem it will avail us little to solve all others."
Theodore Roosevelt.
October 4, 1907

9. Theodore Roosevelt
 Was our “Conservationist
President
 Established the
National Forest
and Parks System

10. Theodore Roosevelt
 Went to the badlands in South Dakota to hunt
 There he became concerned by the destruction of big
game species and overgrazing of the grasslands

11. Theodore Roosevelt
 Established 51 Federal Bird Reserves
 Four national game preserves
 150 National Forests
 Five National parks
 Protected 230,000 acres of land!

12. Aldo Leopold
 Born in Burlington, Iowa!

13. Aldo Leopold
 Father of Wildlife Conservation in America

14. Aldo Leopold
 Known for his “concept of the land” ethic
We abuse land because we
regard it as a commodity
belonging to us. When we see
land as a community to which
we belong, we may begin to use
it with love and respect.”
Foreword to A Sand County
Almanac (1949), ASCA viii.

15. Aldo Leopold
 Said we need to repair the damage we have caused as
well as take care of the land

16. Aldo Leopold
 Also wrote A Sand County Almanac

17.  To keep every cog and wheel
is the first precaution of
intelligent tinkering.
---Aldo Leopold

18. John Muir
In every walk with nature
one receives far more than
he seek”

19. John Muir
 Born in Scotland; emigrated to United States

20. John Muir
 Muir founded the Sierra club in 1892 to “do
something for the wilderness and make the
mountains glad.”
 The Sierra club is the oldest, largest and most
influential grassroots environmental organization
in the U.S.

21. John Muir
 Convinces Roosevelt to make Yosemite into a
National Park

22. Rachel Carson
• Before there was an
environmental movement, there
was one brave woman and her
very brave book (Silent Spring)
Peter Matthiessen


23. Rachel Carson
 Was aware of the dangers of pesticides such as DDT
 DDT was important to agriculture

24. Rachel Carson
 Wrote the book Silent Spring
 Warned the public about the dangers of misusing
pesticides

25. Rachel Carson
 She was attacked by pesticide companies who
wanted to discredit her work

26. Rachel Carson
 Her book influenced President Kennedy to call for
testing of the chemicals mentioned in the book.
 She testified before a congressional committee
 Carson has been called the mother of the modern
environmental movement.

27. Rachel Carson
 DDT was banned as a result of her study
 Time Magazine elected her “one of the 100 most
influential people of the century”
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbtp2B-IFmw