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A Historical Perspective on Environmental Research and Management
Ted Binnema |
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Environmental history is a relatively young and
interdisciplinary field of history. Its emergence in the
1970s was influenced by the rise of the postwar
environmental movement and by developments in ecological
sciences that recognize ecosystems as dynamic. After
tracing the development of the interdisciplinary field
of environmental history briefly, this paper will
explore two main themes that can inform those who make
important environmental policy decisions. The first will
be to explore the so called “wilderness debate” which
has been one of the most active discussions in the field
since 1995. This debate is relevant to anyone interested
in the management of mountain areas, particularly the
national parks in mountain areas. Although centered on
the United States, research stimulated by this debate,
which has centered on the history of wilderness, ideas
of wilderness, and the relationship between wilderness,
parks, and aboriginal people, is very relevant to those
who manage parkland and wilderness areas in mountain
areas in Canada. The second theme of the paper will be
to explore how historians and other scholars have been
using historical documents to attempt to reconstruct
past environments. Ideally, this effort draws upon the
skills of documentary historians and the knowledge of
the environmental sciences. An understanding of these
two themes should guide scientists as they make
decisions about how to manage the environment, and
should assist them as they explain their decisions to
environmentalists, the media, and the general public. |
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