PS 3480, Environmental Politics, January 26, 2009
Current events
Pre-Course Survey Results
Final Introductory Thoughts
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The Dominant Social Paradigm and Its Critics
1. The colonies and natural resources
Spokesman: John Winthrop
2. What are the key values in the Dominant Social Paradigm in the United States?
· Freedom as a central value
- self-reliance
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Property as the instrument of happiness
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Prosperity through economic growth, development, & capitalism
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Faith in science
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Nature exists to satisfy human wants and needs
3. The Dominant Social Paradigm at Work: The Mississippi River
The Pick-Sloan Plan, 1944
4. The Dominant Social Paradigm in American Government: The Constitution & Federalism
State Resource Management
The Coal Example
Severance Taxes
3. Critics of the Dominant Social Paradigm
a. The Preservationists (late 1800s)
Priority: Preserve Nature’s Beauty
Who Spoke for this view: John Muir
Legacy: The National Parks
b. The Conservationists (early 20th Century)
Priority: make the most efficient use of natural resources
Who Spoke for this view: Gifford Pinchot, Theodore Roosevelt
Legacy: The U.S. Forest Service
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management
State Departments of Conservation (Missouri Department of Conservation)
c. The Environmentalists (mid-20th century)
Priority: Protect humans from environmental harm
Who Spoke for this view:
Aldo Leopold, Sand County Almanac (1949)
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring (1962)
Legacy: Clean Air / Clean Water / Toxic Chemical regulation (among others)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
State environmental agencies (Missouri Department of Natural Resources)