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Geschichte unserer Umwelt - Sechzig Reisen durch die Zeit
Zwischen Anbetung und Ausbeutung: Das sind die beiden Pole, zwischen denen das Verhältnis von Mensch und Natur seit jeher geschwankt hat. Denn schon seit frühester Zeit haben wir unsere Umwelt beeinflusst, geformt und verändert. Von den frühen Gesellschaften als Jäger und Sammler über den ersten Ackerbau bis hin zur Industrialisierung, zu Atomkraftwerken und zur Abholzung des Regenwaldes hat der Mensch in den natürlichen Kreislauf eingegriffen. Aber natürlich hat auch die Umwelt Einfluss auf unsere Entwicklung, unser Verhalten und unsere Geschichte gehabt. Anhand von 60 exemplarischen Beispielen berichten Verena Winiwarter und Hans-Rudolf Bork in diesem einzigartigen Text-Bildband von den Wechselwirkungen zwischen Mensch und Natur. Anschaulich und reich illustriert erläutern sie die Beweggründe des Menschen und zeigen ihre Folgen für Natur und Umwelt. Das Buch ist prämiert als 'Wissenschaftsbuch des Jahres 2015' und wurde von der Deutschen Umweltstiftung zum 'Umweltbuch des Jahres 2015' gekürt.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2014
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January 3, 2021
This is a perfect introduction to environmental history for people of any background and age. It is not a textbook but a compendium of 60 (66 in the 3rd edition) anecdotes across time and continents that can be read independently (I initially picked up the book thinking I am going to read like 3 to 5. Eventually I ended up reading almost all of them since I was hooked). It is written in a very clear, simple, and nontechnical way, yet it has the scientific rigor of an academic publication. This of course is due to the fact that the two authors are renowned experts in their fields.
Humans always heavily affected their surroundings. The first pinnacle of this development was hit in the middle of the 14th century. Europe was overpopulated and practically deforested. After the Black Death hit in the 1340ies this development was temporarily reversed and forests recovered substantially.
You will read about (part of) the massive environmental changes that European colonialism caused (For instance, for 1kg Silver from Central America, around 6.000 squaremetres of local forests had to be cleared due to energy needs), while at the same time the authors (partly) clear the old myth that indigenous societies lived in harmony with nature.
Diseases of both humans and animals are a recurring theme. Monoculture was already a very serious problem in the past. All in all we got better and better over time in both dealing with and respecting nature. Even though issues like overfishing were only properly understood a few decades ago. The air got cleaner and forests recovered.
The latest grim episodes of crimes against the environment were mostly due to socialist regimes. The Soviet Union destroyed rivers and seas with her megalomaniac industrial ambitions. Maoist policy managed to throw nature out of equilibrium within just a few years after Chinese peasants managed to cultivate their soils sustainable for more than 3.500 years.
Humans always heavily affected their surroundings. The first pinnacle of this development was hit in the middle of the 14th century. Europe was overpopulated and practically deforested. After the Black Death hit in the 1340ies this development was temporarily reversed and forests recovered substantially.
You will read about (part of) the massive environmental changes that European colonialism caused (For instance, for 1kg Silver from Central America, around 6.000 squaremetres of local forests had to be cleared due to energy needs), while at the same time the authors (partly) clear the old myth that indigenous societies lived in harmony with nature.
Diseases of both humans and animals are a recurring theme. Monoculture was already a very serious problem in the past. All in all we got better and better over time in both dealing with and respecting nature. Even though issues like overfishing were only properly understood a few decades ago. The air got cleaner and forests recovered.
The latest grim episodes of crimes against the environment were mostly due to socialist regimes. The Soviet Union destroyed rivers and seas with her megalomaniac industrial ambitions. Maoist policy managed to throw nature out of equilibrium within just a few years after Chinese peasants managed to cultivate their soils sustainable for more than 3.500 years.
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