Exercise #3: Connecting Past and Present
Instructions
For Exercise #3, you will make connections between what you have learned in the course about the past and what is happening today through contemporary media.
- Find two recent media items thematically connected in some way to two of the three topics covered in Unit 3: conservation, parks, and urbanization. For each of these, post a paragraph of three to five sentences, connecting the media story to what you learned, or were challenged to consider, from the resources in Unit 3. Provide the web link to the article in each post.
- These postings may be informal but should be grammatically correct. You should be respectful of other students’ opinions, but that does not mean you must agree with their ideas.
- Post your response by clicking ‘Add Submission’ below.
- Then post two separate comments responding to any other student’s posts.
- Please note, you should write and edit your submission in a separate file then copy and paste it into the submission box. Once submitted to the HIST 3991 trubox site, you will not be able to edit your post.
Are you a student of HIST 3991? Click here to add a submission to this assignment.
Submissions
Connecting Past and Present
June 29, 2022 By: YANLEZI
Article: Climate change drives new proposed rule for experimental population https://wildlife.org/climate-change-drives-new-proposed-rule-for-experimental-populations/ In Unit 3, we learn that some people advocate the conservation movements, which are of great significance for the harmonious development of man and nature. The article shows that we consider the conversation of Californians being successful, with a new Endangered Species Act rule proposed by the U.S. Department of the Interior to speed up the experimental population before adverse effects from climate change and invasive species. Article: Urbanization and Water Quality https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/urbanization-and-water-quality Urbanization is also a hot topic of ongoing concern, which affects land use and water systems. There are more roads, houses, and commercial and industrial buildings, so some wells may run dry,…
Connecting Past and Present
June 26, 2022 By: Tina Ihas
Steinberg’s chapter Conservation Reconsidered suggested capitalism is often at play within the conservation movement. For example, Yellowstone National Park’s wolves were exterminated so elk populations would thrive through lack of predation. This was desirable as a significant tourist population (including big-game hunters) came to the park to experience the elk. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned, and once the wolves were gone, the park’s ecosystem changed dramatically, becoming unbalanced and unable to sustain the now large elk population. I have long been a big fan of the 1995 project undertaken by the scientists to return wolves to Yellowstone and…
Connecting Past and Present
June 19, 2022 By: Brett Mathews
This article describes how National Parks may have lost their purpose. As seen in chapter 9 of Steinberg’s textbook, the parks were designed with the intent to conserve nature. Well with over 330 million visitors to national parks a year, and some parks having over 5000 a day, is the land really being conserved? Is this helpful for the environment or is it helpful for the “American dream” and capitalism? One thing is clear, this many people in these relatively small areas will not be good for the conservation of that land. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/20/national-parks-america-overcrowding-crisis-tourism-visitation-solutions This article makes it clear that…
Connecting Past and Present
May 25, 2022 By: XUECHUN YAN
First Article: Long-term Statistics Canada research shows cities across country losing green space: https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/long-term-statistics-canada-research-shows-cities-across-country-losing-green-space-1.5763081 The source by Bob Waber of CTV News on February 1, 2022, expresses the concern that urbanization is reducing parks countrywide. The writer warns that the Canadian government is favoring cities over environmental conservation.[1] Such aspects relate to the course materials’ insights that humans contribute to environmental destruction and should adjust accordingly to rectify the issue[2]. As a result, it is essential to control urbanization to conserve nature. Second Article: Study Links Urbanization to Poor Ecological Knowledge, Less Environmental Action: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2022/05/study-links-urbanization-poor-ecological-knowledge-less-environmental. The National Institute of Standards…
Connecting Past and Present
May 17, 2022 By: Melissa Harding
Plovers and friends: Sauble Beach town’s $100,000 fine for bulldozing bird habitat stands https://thenarwhal.ca/sauble-beach-piping-plovers-ruling/ Throughout history humans have altered their environment to suit their own needs with little regard for the other species that may be affected. Sauble Beach is yet another example of this, where the beach was ploughed and grated to enhance its aesthetic value. This grooming significantly damaged resources and nesting habitat for the endangered piping plover. As history continues to repeat itself the cycle goes: humans modify their environment for their own needs and desires, another species is disturbed, the species faces extinction, humans may or…