...History 124 7 November 2012 Coal Power and the Upper Big Branch Mining Disaster Coal was a major energy source for the United States throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries during the Industrial Revolution (Yale.edu). Even though it was a major energy source, coal has caused many problems with the environment and the people of the United States. Many disasters have occurred because of the safety regulations of coal mines. The safety regulations and conditions of coal mines have caused harm to people through death and poverty and has caused harm to the environment through pollution of the air and water over the years. The history of where coal was mined can help us understand how a disaster can happen in West Virginia or anywhere else. Coal was first recorded in the United States in 1663-1664 (netl-history). The coal shows up on a map of the Illinois River (netl-hisoty). Then in 1701 coal was found on the James River (netl-history). The James River is now Richmond, Virginia (netl-history). Several “coal mines” were shown on a map of the upper Potomac River by 1736 (netl-history). The upper Potomac River is now the border of Maryland and West Virginia (netl-history). The first commercial coal production began in 1748 from mines around the Richmond, Virginia area (netl-hisotry). In the late 1700s coal was starting to be mined at Mount Washington in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (netl-history). Over time coal was discovered in many different locations. It was...
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...Unilever claims that corporate social responsibility, including environmentalism, is at the heart of its business. However, the transition to a responsible and sustainable company is an ongoing process. Unilever has attracted some criticism from activists on not achieving the high aims and goals the company has communicated publically and internally. Despite the criticisms, Unilever has been at the forefront of its industry to initiate processes and create transparency in in its operations, especially regarding the environment. Even in its infancy, Unilever had difficulty balancing ideals with business goals. Unilever's founding companies produced products made of oils and fats, principally soap and margarine. At the beginning of the 20th century their expansion nearly outstripped the supply of raw materials. In an effort to reduce increasing costs due to World War I and growing limitations on supplies, former business rivals join forces, at first in the form of trade associations. These companies set up negotiations intending to prevent others from producing the same types of products but instead they merge to create Unilever. After struggling through the Great Depression and World War II, one of the main products companies were trying to develop was detergent. Soaps are made of materials found in nature and are break down naturally in the environment. A big drawback from using soap is that the minerals in water react with those in the soap, leaving an insoluble film...
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...岛屿太平洋①环境史研究概述 [内容提要]岛屿太平洋环境史尚处初创阶段。相关研究主要从西方“他者”研究、殖民扩张需求，及二战后本土学者对西方“发展战略”反思的知识与现实基础中产生而来。20世纪90年代后，西方学者逐渐摆脱“他者研究”倾向。随着二战后，太平洋研究机构的建立，本土学者异军突起，在发觉自身历史独特性的同时，深刻反思西方“进步观念”、“发展战略”为岛屿未来的可持续发展提供借鉴。然而，初创中的研究仍存在“零散混乱”、欠缺对现实社会环境不公正的关注等问题。综上，未来的岛屿太平洋环境史有必要向中观综合区域性研究发展。 [关键词]岛屿太平洋 波利尼西亚 环境史学史 区域研究 本土研究 一、岛屿环境史研究的兴起 著名环境史学家约翰·麦克尼尔，在2001年出版的《太平洋世界环境史》论文集中曾用“正在形成中的领域”来形容当前的太平洋环境史研究。他亦坦诚指出：“当前，太平洋区域环境史其实并没有真正形成。”[1]( pxiii)尽管，其所谓“太平洋区域”是指包含东亚、澳洲、北美等更为广阔的区域，但仅就小范围的岛屿太平洋区域来说，能将环境史研究与日益博兴的太平洋区域研究相结合的岛屿太平洋环境史尚在草创之中。 尽管，相关研究尚未完全形成，但近现代相关考古学、博物学、历史学、人类学、自然科学等领域却成就辉煌；这为岛屿太平洋环境史研究提供了重要的知识基础。早在16世纪中期，伴随着太平洋航海探险的进行，欧洲人急需了解神秘瑰丽的太平洋岛屿区域。于是，早期的船长日记、探险家游记便成了西方人有关岛屿太平洋历史的最早记载。18世纪，卢梭的浪漫主义所谓的“高尚的野蛮”（noble savage）[2](p5)，直接影响了西方人对热带岛屿的认识，并逐渐演化为《东方学》中揭示的：18世纪末19世纪初，欧洲对太平洋岛屿进行统治和改造的“殖民话语”。19世纪末20世纪初随着全球资本主义体系的形成，欧洲在太平洋地区为帝国主义霸权与商品市场展开激烈争夺，殖民帝国纷纷在太平洋岛屿上建立自己的海外殖民地并推广单一种植园等生产方式。同时，西方学者则大多从“他者”角度认识和编撰岛屿太平洋的历史。二战后，相关研究有了新进展。特别是20世纪90年代末，帮随着环境史研究的兴起岛屿太平洋历史研究出现了反话语霸权、反权力的后殖民、后现代倾向。一方面，西方著名环境史学家们，通过环境史研究视角考察当地人与自然互动的历史关系；更加尊重岛屿环境因素影响下文化和历史发展的特性；尽可能还原当地历史演变过程的连续性，并将“岛屿区域”放在全球范围内考察其间的复杂联系。另一方面，本土研究如雨后春笋般大量涌现。夏威夷、斐济等地纷纷建立起“波利尼西亚文化研究中心”以及“太平洋学术研究中心”等学术机构。本土学者纷纷成长起来，对欧洲殖民统治之下的历史认识、“进步观念”和“发展战略”进行深刻反思；并以著民视角重新审视历史上岛民与岛屿自然环境之间的互动关系，逐渐认识到岛屿特殊的地理、气候条件，在塑造岛国历史中所扮演的至关重要的角色。通过艰辛努力本土学者们的研究既发出了岛国历史“自己的声音”；又从更加整体、有机的角度，将西方传统上的“他者”研究，扩展为复杂联系的岛屿太平洋环境史。 值得注意的是：20世纪70-80年代，仍被西方人看作“人间天堂”、“世外桃园”的岛屿区域，并没有出现与西方相似的大规模环保运动。这也在一定程度上导致岛屿环境史研究对发展战略反思有待深入；相关研究对社会“环境不公正”等现象关注不够充分等问题。 二、岛屿环境史研究的相关成果 ...
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...academic discipline. For a general history of human beings, see History of the world. For other uses, see History (disambiguation). Page semi-protected Historia by Nikolaos Gysis (1892) Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.[1] —George Santayana History (from Greek ἱστορία - historia, meaning "inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation"[2]) is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians. It is a field of research which uses a narrative to examine and analyse the sequence of events, and it sometimes attempts to investigate objectively the patterns of cause and effect that determine events.[3][4] Historians debate the nature of history and its usefulness. This includes discussing the study of the discipline as an end in itself and as a way of providing "perspective" on the problems of the present.[3][5][6][7] The stories common to a particular culture, but not supported by external sources (such as the legends surrounding King Arthur) are usually classified as cultural heritage rather than the "disinterested investigation" needed by the discipline of history.[8][9] Events of the past prior to written record are considered prehistory. Amongst scholars, the 5th-century BC Greek historian Herodotus is considered to be the "father of history", and, along with his contemporary...
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...Jared Diamond’s popular writings, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed and Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Diamond is a Professor of Geography at UCLA, not an anthropologist, archaeologist, or historian. He makes most complex and abstruse publications of historians, archaeologists, and anthropologists easily understandable for a larger public. This book mainly consists of three parts with a series of case studies. Part 1, “HUMAN RESILIENCE AND ECOLOGICAL VULNERABILITY”, tells us about past environmental challenges and adaptations in chapters on Rapa Nui, the Greenland Norse, and Nineteenth century China. Part 2, “SURVIVING COLLAPSE: STUDIES OF SOCIETAL REGENERATION”, looks at the resilience of indigenous societies undergoing processes of social and environmental change in the American Southwest, the Lowland Maya Area, and Mesopotamia. Part 3, “SOCIETIES IN THE AFTERMATH OF EMPIRE”, looks at the ways current environmental narratives have been shaped by European colonialism and Imperialism among the Inca, in Rwanda, on Hispaniola, in Australia and in New Guinea. The main issues addressed by essays in these chapters include: ecological vulnerability, resilience, geographical determinism, and the aftermath of empire in explaining rise and collapse of human societies. The collection of essays in the book exclusively focus on counter questions to Diamond’s theories. When I started reading this book, I was unclear about comments of authors on Diamond’s...
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...History is an imperative, open-ended subject with a multitude of perspectives to view with every topic and time frame it consists of. One such topic and period of time is the Reconstruction Era and the following decades leading up to the Industrialization of America. As with any other period in history, there are different ways to view this specific span of time. Interpreting this period of one as social unjust and injustice is one option. Conversely, it can be distinguished for significant progress in various aspects and the overall prosperity that came as a result of industrialization. Focusing on one method or the other may better guide in understanding this period. For starters, both of these components were clearly present in this duration...
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...History (from Greek ἱστορία - historia, meaning "inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation"[2]) is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians. It is a field of research which uses a narrative to examine and analyse the sequence of events, and it sometimes attempts to investigate objectively the patterns of cause and effect that determine events.[3][4] Historians debate the nature of history and its usefulness. This includes discussing the study of the discipline as an end in itself and as a way of providing "perspective" on the problems of the present.[3][5][6][7] The stories common to a particular culture, but not supported by external sources (such as the legends surrounding King Arthur) are usually classified as cultural heritage rather than the "disinterested investigation" needed by the discipline of history.[8][9] Events of the past prior to written record are considered prehistory. Amongst scholars, the 5th-century BC Greek historian Herodotus is considered to be the "father of history", and, along with his contemporary Thucydides, forms the foundations for the modern study of history. Their influence, along with other historical traditions in other parts of their world, have spawned many different interpretations of the nature of history which has evolved over the centuries and are continuing to...
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...000 – Computer science, information, and general works • 000 Generalities • 001 Knowledge • 002 The book • 003 Systems • 004 Data processing and Computer science • 005 Computer programming, programs, data • 006 Special computer methods • 007 Not assigned or no longer used • 008 Not assigned or no longer used • 009 Not assigned or no longer used • 010 Bibliography • 011 Bibliographies • 012 Bibliographies of individuals • 013 Bibliographies of works by specific classes of authors • 014 Bibliographies of anonymous and pseudonymous works • 015 Bibliographies of works from specific places • 016 Bibliographies of works from specific subjects • 017 General subject catalogs • 018 Catalogs arranged by author & date • 019 Dictionary catalogs • 020 Library & information sciences • 021 Library relationships • 022 Administration of the physical plant • 023 Personnel administration • 024 Not assigned or no longer used • 025 Library operations • 026 Libraries for specific subjects • 027 General libraries • 028 Reading, use of other information media • 029 Not assigned or no longer used • 030 General encyclopedic works • 031 General encyclopedic works -- American • 032 General encyclopedic works in English • 033 General encyclopedic works in other Germanic languages • 034 General encyclopedic works in French, Provencal...
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...are going to talk about General Motors (GM) and what they have to offer to the commitment to the environment. First let look at what is GM where did they come from, GM was Found in 1908 By a William Durant, he build a company for horse-drawn vehicles to moving to the automobile industry. This is more then 100 years, in automotive care in the history of this come. (GENERAL MOTORS, 2013) When comes to the GM commitment to the environment, they have may many changes to make changes to the environment. Back in 1994 they have make significant improvement to reduce it factory emission, GM made a environmental Pledge to endorsing the “Ceres Principles” this was a tem point code of corporate environmental conduct. The Boston-based Ceres is a coalition of investor groups, representing over $300 billion in invested capital, and major U.S. environmental organizations, aligning financial and environmental interests. (Fleming, 2002) With GM Environmental and Ceres Principles describe goals for protecting human health, natural resources, and the global environment. With both of these come they are required to disclose the information on environmental impact and progress in al annual report. GM have increased the recycled content used in it vehicles they are increased the recyclability of it vehicles, they have also increased vehicle fuel economy model. "GM has shown, historically, its commitment to the environment," says Elizabeth Lowery, GM vice president for environment and energy. "We've...
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...Basic Issues in Environmental Science What do you understand by the terms environment, ecosystem and development? 1 Key themes to the study of Environmental Science are: • Human Population growth is the major contributor to environmental problems • Sustainability is the key to future availability of resources and environmental consequences • Global perspective is needed to solve many environmental problems • Industrial development and urbanization have serious environmental consequences • People and nature are interrelated and share a common history • Any solution to environmental issues requires consideration of both knowledge from science and values 2 Population Growth Most of the environmental problems (such as air pollution, waste generation etc) result from high population growth. An urban world has many negative impacts: •Rivers and coast lines are affected •Agricultural areas •Loss are affected of endangered species •Wetlands are filled in; and so forth. 3 Population Growth is causing the expansion of urban areas and industrial growth Also affecting sustainability: At present living environmental resources are being harvested more than its replenishment rate— what will happen in future? Can you define the following terms? • Sustainable resource harvest • Sustainable ecosystem 4 Understanding the concept of sustainable development • First defined in ‘Our Common Future’, a 1987 report of the World...
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...University of Phoenix Material Environmental Science and Human Population Worksheet Using the textbooks, the University Library, or other resources, answer each of the following questions in 100 to 200 words. 1. What would you include in a brief summary on the history of the modern environmental movement, from the 1960s to the present? In a brief summary on the history of the modern environmental movement from the 1960s to the present, its focus was on a few prominent environmental issues and disasters. The environmental movement has evolved significantly in the last five decades. Today, many of the rallying points of the environmental movement have become ingrained into American society. Air and water quality standards are regulated for the public good, endangered and threatened species are protected, and chemicals and products go through a rigorous testing process to determine potential health and environmental threats. Today the environmental movement in America is divided into three levels: local, national, and international 2. Explain the primary concern over exponential population growth. What promotes exponential population growth? What constrains exponential population growth? 3. What is carrying capacity? Compare predictions for human population growth in developed countries versus developing countries. What will occur if carrying capacity is exceeded? ...
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...Environmental Pollution Outline 1. Complete the following outline using Ch. 21–25 of the text. Use complete sentences. Here is an example: a. Example - Environmental History 1) Before 1960 a) Few people had ever heard the word ecology. b) The term, environment, meant little as a political or social issue. 2) Silent Spring by Rachel Carson a) Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1960. b) At about the time the book was published, several environmental events were occurring. c) Examples of these environmental events are oil spills and highly publicized threats of extinction of many species. d) Environment became a popular issue. 3) Early Days of Modern Environmentalism a) Environmentalism was dominated by confrontations between those labeled environmentalist and those labeled anti-environmentalists. b) Environmentalists believed that the world was in peril. c) The anti-environmentalists believed that social and economic heath and progress were necessary. 4) Today a) The situation has changed from the early days of modern environmentalism. b) Public opinion polls show that people around the world rank the environment among the most important social and political issues. c) No longer is there a need to verify that the environmental problems are severe. 2. Complete the rest of the worksheet based on the example above. Remember to be thorough in your answers and write in complete sentences. a. Water Management 1) Describe Water Management and Use a) Freshwater...
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...Environmental Science and Human Population Worksheet Using the textbooks, the University Library, or other resources, answer each of the following questions in 100 to 200 words. 1. What would you include in a brief summary on the history of the modern environmental movement, from the 1960s to the present? In a brief summary the history of the modern environmental movement, from the 1960s to the present, with the help of environmentalists and environmentalism resulted in keeping the air in our cities and the water in our lakes and rivers are far cleaner than they were in the late 1960s. Without a doubt, absent the environmental movement, our air and water would now be a toxic brew. By almost any measure, the environmental movement has been successful, at least in solving some pollution problems. That with sustainability, stewardship, and sound science are three vital concepts or ideals that can move societies toward a sustainable future if they are applied to public policies and private environmental actions. 2. Explain the primary concern over exponential population growth. What promotes exponential population growth? What constrains exponential population growth? The primary concern over exponential population growth is the shortage of food and possible famine. The reason for possible famine and food crisis could be from the when the population over exceeds the certain environmental resources. There are several changes that promotes and constrains...
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...Environmental Determinism – A Concept Note Environmental determinism was described by Semple (1911, p.620) as ‘the influence of climate upon race temperament’. It formed a notion that sparked debate in the 19th and 20th century, as to whether human society and activities are controlled by the physical environment in which they take place (Goodwin et al 2005). Scientific thinkers of the 19th century, Larmarck and Darwin looked at the environmental impacts on organisms’ biology and their subsequent behavior. In Lamarck's (1914 ed.) theory, he outlines how an organisms’ shape and organisation is caused by environmentally induced habits – ‘the giraffe actively stretched its neck reaching for the upper leaves of trees in semiarid regions’ (Peet, 1985, p.312). Fredrich Ratzel, although still “convinced of the importance of the idea of evolution” (Wanklyn, 1961, p.19), saw development of societies as dependent on what the land provides. To some extent there are modern day examples of where this is true, the UAE is a country located on land containing vast amounts of valuable oil, in 2009 it exported 2.395 million bbl/day (CIA World Factbook, 2012) – one the highest amounts of any country. Subsequently its GNP per capita in 2009 hit $48,900 (CIA World Factbook, 2012). It could be argued therefore, a society’s development is determined by the quality of the land that it resides on. Debatably there is more to environmental determinism then this. Ellen Semple (1911) looked...
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... INTRODCTION Environmental management predates to 1972, where a conference regarding the Human Environment was held by the United Nations in Stockholm, Sweden. This conference won the attention of many countries and other international organizations who recognised the importance of environmental challenges faced, both nationally and internationally, on all levels (United Nations Environment Programme; International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2000). Since then environmental management has broadened its horizons to include important standards such as ISO 14001, ISO 15001 and ISO 500001 to name but a few (Anon., 2015). With such laws and standards in place, one can speculate the nature and purpose of environmental management in...
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