US Environmental History Inviting Doomsday

by Wills, John

• ISBN13: 9780748622641
• ISBN10: 0748622640
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-11-28
• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Summary

In environmental terms the US has been mythologised as a nation forged by pioneers taming the wilderness, with enlightened individuals preserving the wilderness tracts and transforming them into the world's first national parks. The US experience is offered as unique and decisive. In contrast, Canada strangely lacks such a monumental narrative. The story of the Canadian environment is often taken as insignificant compared to the greater US experience.This book will be unique in exploring both US and Canadian relationships with the land. It will argue that, despite political and economic differences, the two countries share a startlingly common environmental history marked by colonial conquest, fervent nation building and ecological renaissance. While acknowledging some keen differences, the book will promote a new way of seeing the North American experience as one without boundaries or borders.This textbook introduction to US and Canadian environmental history will allow readers to develop a basic understanding of land exploration, natural resources, conservation efforts and environmental catastrophes. A broad range of environmental issues will be presented as case studies to illustrate the history.

Author Biography

John Wills is Senior Lecturer in American History and American Studies at the University of Kent