Brianna Sutara

2 December 2021

Stephen Fonash

ENGL 137H

Environmental conservation through history: A Paradigm Shift

Would you prefer a dazzling city with skyscrapers that reach the clouds and a bustling

swarm of people, or a sparkling waterfall surrounded by mountains and a magnificent sunset? 

Depending on the time and manner you were raised, you may have a different answer to this

question.  In the early-mid 1900s, when cities were continuing to grow in popularity and size,

tremendous excitement was felt by the vast majority.  New jobs, places to live, and all sorts of

other opportunities positioned the American dream within grasp.  Flash forward to today.  The

average citizen still takes great pride in landing a challenging job offer or visiting one of the

nation’s greatest cities, but a new picture enters the playing field: the country’s natural splendor. 

Now exists a newfound appreciation for the beauty which the North American continent has had

all along, as well as strong efforts to preserve it.  The bridge to the 21 century placed importance
st

on the natural American landscape through a new understanding of technology and society’s

effects on the environment, leaders enacting legislation aiming to cultivate conservation, and an

increase in the National Park Service’s presence through the rising number of national parks.

This shift occurs in stark contrast to the materialistic mindset of the early 20 century which
th

instilled pride in growth and progress.

The late 1800s and early 1900s brought a great push towards moving west, along with a

slew of questions: How will I get to my new home? Where will I find my favorite foods? What

can I do for work?  Contractors of the 1920s found a simple answer to these inquiries: destroy
the barren landscape and create anew.  With migrating populations and a heightened demand for

jobs, the desire for growth far outweighed environmental concerns.  Midwestern cities, including

Chicago, required new roads that could support a westward population, “… the city’s growth has

overruled the original intentions of the forest preserve act.  Heavy traffic cannot be choked by an

unbroken fringe of woods around the city” (“New Highways”).  Newspaper articles, like this,

depicted the impressive rate of change, as well as the country’s struggle to keep up.  With nearly

every citizen thinking “progressive,” there wasn’t time to slow down and acknowledge what was

being destroyed in the process, nor was there a concern for the cause.

The “onward and upward” mindset was especially prominent when it came to the

workforce.  Mining, drilling, factory work, and other similar dangerous jobs could lead a man to

uproot his entire family and move across the nation.  Even with horrific stories of collapsing

mine shafts and long factory hours, money was a motivator like no other, not only to the

workers, but to the corporate side of the operations as well.  As one mine would be drained or

one factory hit capacity of workers, a new structure would be almost instantly constructed as the

plea for jobs still lingered.  The process moved rapidly, and any scent of wealth could spur great

change and destruction in fields, bodies of water, and even mountainsides. Oil drilling, a

profitable industry then and now, led drillers all over American soil, “since the Moffat Field has

shown that petroleum can lie even in the mountains, the old theories that led the oil operators to

pass up structures close to the ranges are being thrown in the discard…” (“Oil Companies”). 

Mountains in the some of the country’s arguably most beautiful states: Wyoming, Colorado, and

New Mexico are targeted in this newspaper article, not for their natural beauty, but for their

ability to be profitable.  Americans needed jobs and people of the time felt that nothing could

stand in the way of this pursuit.

 The turn of the 21 century redefined progressivism, where society is still improving, but
st

in a way that conservation is a key aspect of progress.  While new jobs still procreated in

advancing technological industries and cities and homes became more modern, the process had

become much more cautious than that of the 1920s.  Citizens began to slow down and recognize

the magnificence of what the American continent has had all along.  An article from the Yale

University press claims, “Our nation’s identity, history, and national character are unique and are

shaped in part by North America’s natural heritage, (Soukup and Machlis)” a far different

viewpoint than the previous newspaper articles.  Rather than progress and development being

America’s primary character trait, this statement instead highlights the role of natural heritage in

forming our identity.  A plethora of cultures and identities have long found their homes in the

natural landscape of the United States, without any of the smog and destruction of the early 20 th

century.  Even after the disruptions caused by the progressive movement, “Our natural heritage

has helped forge our nation’s character, just as it has fueled its extraordinary achievements and

its flawed but inexorable pursuit of high moral ground” (Soukup and Machlis).  The identified

‘pursuit of high moral ground’ refers to the previously discussed push for greatness in the

progressive movement. This article argues that our natural heritage holds equal, if not more,

importance than that movement, another sizable shift from previous opinion.

America’s shift from focusing on progress to questioning it entirely has first and foremost

been guided by an advancement in science.  By utilizing various forms of testing, it has been

determined that “Global climate is changing, and this change is apparent across a wide range of

observations.  The global warming of the past 50 years is primarily due to human activities”

(“Climate Change”).  Reports, such as this, have made it widely understood that automobiles,

factories, and other heavy-polluting machines are beginning to have a negative impact on the
temperature, weather, and ocean levels.  In the late 1900s, as new technologies have been created

and scientists have recorded data solidifying these claims, the public’s gaze has shifted.  Society

has begun to care about the air they breathe and how their generations to come will survive.

Climate Action Network, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, The US Environmental

Protection Agency, and many others have all been created as a result of the increased concern for

protecting our planet’s health.  Information on climate change didn’t even exist in the early

1900s. So, as this is a new study, it makes sense that a paradigm shift to a more sustainable

future has occurred in a post-industrialization era.

Through the larger body of climate change research, and its growing acceptance,

biodiversity has emerged as a concern while society embraces the reality that we (as humans)

have a direct impact upon our planet’s health.  Instead of plowing down forests and preserves as

previous generations have done, technological advancements have been able to prove that there

are “significant positive ecological effects associated with them (protected areas)” (Ma et. al),

and therefore, a need for conservation.  The planet’s biodiversity is decreasing, meaning species

of plants, animals, and other organisms are on the decline.  Because of the food chain that is

standard in nearly all ecosystems, as one species population size declines, it will affect the status

of those who prey on it or are predated by it, vastly altering standard population sizes, and

discarding the balance that occurs in nature.  Albeit shocking, mankind too, is impacted by a

decrease in biodiversity.  Society has realized that like the past, we may again find ourselves

asking, “Where will I find my favorite foods?” However, they may no longer be there at all. 

This change in mindset has brought upon increased numbers in veganism and vegetarianism

recently, in lieu of wanting to save the animal populations (“Sentient Media”).  As nature lovers
increase with technology that concludes these negative biodiversity findings, realizations that

couldn’t have been made in the past are becoming general societal thought.

In raising awareness for a cause, having the proper resources and power can be a huge

lender to success.  In the paradigm shift towards conservation, Theodore Roosevelt was the

American leader who used the power he was given to bring awareness to the necessity of

protecting the environment.  His conservation legacy includes 230 million acres of public land

(150 million acres set aside as national forests), 51 Federal Bird Reserves, 23 wildlife reserves, 6

national parks, and many more national monuments (“Theodore Roosevelt”).  He even created

the Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities, which allowed him to “declare by public

proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic

and scientific interests… to be National Monuments” (“Visitation Numbers”).  By establishing

these protected lands, Roosevelt was setting an example for the country he governed.  American

citizens have never seen their president take such a strong stand for the environment, so Teddy

provided a new perspective that wasn’t all “progress, expansion, and money.”

Various other less-known American figures have used their platforms to set an example

for change as well, including Henry David Thoreau, Wallace Stegner, and many others.  Thoreau

was one of the original advocates for the environment, dating even before Theodore Roosevelt’s

term in the mid-1800s.  As an early backer of the movement, he encouraged, “setting aside tracts

of land to remain forever wild for the benefit of future generations. He urged federal ownership

of outstanding mountain ranges, waterfalls, and wilderness” (“Conservation Hall of Fame”).  For

Thoreau’s time, this was a completely new idea as “his contemporaries thought only of

exploiting our natural resources commercially” (“Conservation Hall of Fame”).  Although Henry

didn’t necessarily get to see the conservation he advocated for, it would come at a time much
later in history.  Stegner, on the other hand, found great passion and heritage in the wilderness,

and he wanted to protect this for future generations.  His legacy proclaimed that, “The

involvement of people from all walks of life starts with the inspiration to protect the places they

know and love, and to preserve its heritage for future generations (“Conservation Hall of

Fame”).  Stegner lived almost to see the turn of the 21 century, meaning that a far greater crowd
st

of people could relate to his vision.  Nature lovers looked to him for guidance, and he did not

disappoint with the publications of many books that won him various awards including the

Pulitzer Prize.

As political viewpoints and topics of interest have shifted and become more informed,

there has been more respect given to minority groups.  Women have worked tirelessly to acquire

voting rights, slavery has been abolished, and Indigenous Peoples have finally, “gained new

international visibility and recognition” (Stevens 15).  In other words, these governmental and

societal advancements have brought respect for the cultures that have inhabited the continent for

centuries, and it is respect that is well-deserved.  The structures that were erected, the

mountainside paintings and carvings that have become art trapped in time, and all the other

landmarks left behind from ancient civilizations are now becoming national monuments. 

Although these wonders may not be a part of the natural American landscape, they are

nonetheless fundamental in the country’s history.  Through protection and preservation,

generations to come will be able to value them.  This is in part due to the work that these

populations put in at the time. In fact, there is a lot we can learn from Indigenous populations as

we move into the future of conservation as “there is also much evidence of Indigenous peoples’

deliberate protection and sustainable use of natural resources, species, and ecosystems… based

on attitudes and values that foster care and respect for their territories and for other forms of life”
(Stevens 24).  Moving into the future, based on America’s current increase in sustainability, it is

likely that the idea of conscious conservation will grow to become more widespread.

Indigenous peoples are especially receiving heritage protection through the

implementation of national parks around their structures that have existed for centuries.  A few

examples include Mesa Verde National Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Park, and Organ

Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.  Although the lands have initially belonged to the

Indigenous peoples, the National Park Service (NPS) has played a huge role in helping them to

protect ancient artifacts, as well as limit access to the general public.  While there is a history of

exploitation of native groups, “the U.S. National Park Service began to change its relationships

and interactions with Indigenous peoples in positive ways in the 1970s” (Stevens).  Time and

education have helped large organizations like the NPS to recognize the relationship changes that

were a necessity to preserving the natural world.  Now, respect runs deep in communication with

these groups and has been essential to survival of America’s history.

The National Park Service has been a catalyst for change, in giving respect to not only

Indigenous peoples, but to all the natural beauty that has long existed on the North American

Continent.  At the founding of the National Park Service in 1916, altogether, the American parks

garnered 326,506 visitors.  At the NPS’s peak in 2019, this number increased to 327,516,619,

almost the size of the entire American population (NPS).  The National Park Service has held a

huge role in conservation throughout the country, from creating new parks and monuments, to

raising money for restoration and protection efforts.  Their creation has not only aided in raising

awareness for environmental conservation, but it has provided individuals and families alike with

the opportunity to see what their efforts are going towards.  A yearly pass to visit almost all the

parks is a mere $40, and the payment goes to further restoration (NPS).  By making trips, citizens
can also leave with an appreciation for America’s natural beauty, which is especially important

in furthering protection in the future.

The National Park Service is also able to complete projects that couldn’t be done by a

small coalition of people, for “present and future perils and opportunities require the NPS to act

in creative, decisive, and effective ways in order to pass America’s covenant on to future

generations” (Soukup and Machlis).  With a large group of people backing the service, more can

be completed, especially in the improvement of science.  Innovation in the future can prevent

problems that have occurred in the past such as, “embarrassing failures in managing Yellowstone

elk and bison herds, including overgrazing followed by massive cullings” (Soukup and

Machlis).  Luckily, the paradigm shift supports moving away from these past mistakes, mistakes

that wouldn’t have even been recognized in the 1900s.  As we’ve seen in the past, most decisions

were made without those making the choices batting an eyelash.  Nowadays, a great deal of

legislation needs to be passed for roadways or cities to be erected, and the idea of one of those

destroying a national park is impractical and highly unlikely.   The National Park Service has

acted as not only a protector for the environment, but an advocate for its future.

As society has advanced technologically and socially, “progressivism” has finally come

to embrace “progress,” and no longer at the expense of America’s natural resources.  Instead, the

natural resources are preserved and valued.  In the early 1900s, a new, exciting world with all

sorts of luxuries inspired the general population to move across the country to better support

their family. The late 1900s into the 21 century created a turn, where society finally began to
st

question if the progressive movement was really progress.  The destruction and devastation

caused by ‘progressivism’ is currently catching up with the environment, and we can only try to

reverse the damage that has been done.  Supporting national parks, raising awareness for climate
change, and voting for leaders and legislation that will help the cause are a few ways that you

can get involved and further the paradigm shift.  It’s essential, as, “the finest hour of our national

parks may be yet to come. It will come when national parks live up to their potential as

classrooms and catalysts that prepare us with understanding and acceptance of the need for

sweeping change in our attitudes and lifestyles” (Soukup and Machlis).

 Works Cited

Bureau, U. S. C. (2021, October 8). Population under age 18 declined last decade. Census.gov.
Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/united-
states-adult-population-grew-faster-than-nations-total-population-from-2010-to-2020.html.

Climate change impacts in the United States. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2021, from
https://www.globalchange.gov/sites/globalchange/files/NCA3-climate-trends-regional-
impacts-brochure.pdf.

Ma, B., Zhang, Y., Hou, Y., & Wen, Y. (2020, October 4). “Do protected areas matter? A
systematic review of the social and ecological impacts of the establishment of Protected
Areas. International journal of environmental research and public health.” Retrieved
December 1, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7579073/?
tool=pmcentrez&report=abstract.

Conservation Hall of Fame. National Wildlife Federation. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2021,
from https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/History/Conservation-Hall-of-Fame.

New Highways To Cut Through Forest Reserve: Many Bridges Planned Over Des Plaines.
(1930, July 20). Chicago Daily Tribune, pp. A7–A7.

Oil Companies Are Active In Rockies: Search for New Structures in Colorado and New Mexico
Continues Since Texas Co. Strike. (1924, June 19). Wall Street Journal, pp. 6–6.

Sentient Media. (2021, October 26). Increase in veganism: Why is veganism on the rise in 2021?
Sentient Media. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://sentientmedia.org/increase-in-
veganism/.

Soukup, M. A., & Machlis, G. E. (2021). American Covenant: National Parks, their promise,
and our nation's future. Yale University Press.
Stevens, S. (2014). Indigenous peoples, National Parks, and protected areas: A new paradigm
linking conservation, culture, and rights. The Univ. of Arizona Press.

U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). Theodore Roosevelt and conservation. National Parks
Service. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from
https://www.nps.gov/thro/learn/historyculture/theodore-roosevelt-and-conservation.htm.

U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). Visitation numbers (U.S. National Park Service).
National Parks Service. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from
https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/visitation-numbers.htm.