People and Nature: An Introduction to Human Ecological Relations (Primers in Anthropology Book 1)

This book provides a lively and thoughtful introduction to ecological anthropology by examining the evolving relations between human communities and nature. Written by a noted anthropologist, geographer, and environmental scientist. Reviews the evolution of human interactions with the natural world—-drawing from anthropology and geography. Explores those aspects of human ecological relations that seem to account for the greater connectedness of certain societies to their physical environment. Offers a vision for improved relations between humans and nature. Evidence Of Climate Change, Loss Of Biological Diversity, Tropical Deforestation, And An Impending Crisis In Potable Water Prompt The Question: How Have We Created A Situation Where Our Planet - Our Very Future - Is At Risk? In People And Nature: An Introduction To Human Ecological Relations, Noted Environmental Scientist Emilio Moran Provides A Lively Introduction To Ecological Anthropology, Environmental Geography, And Human Ecology. He Examines The Evolving Relations Between Human Communities And Nature, And, By Thoughtful Analysis, Offers A Vision Of What We Must Do To Have A Future Worth Living.--jacket. Introduction -- Can One Conceive Of Ecosystems Without Human Agents? -- Human Agency : Individuals Making A Difference -- Overwhelming Evidence For Concern With The Condition Of The Earth System -- Looking Back And Looking Forward -- The Study Of Human Ecological Relations -- The Contemporary Study Of Environmental Issues -- The Evolution Of Human-environment Interactions -- Hunter-gatherers : Setting Our Preferences -- How Did We Decide To Become Farmers? -- Herding And Farming : An Uneasy Relationship -- More Food For The Masses -- Earth Transformations In Prehistory -- The Archeology Of Environmental Change -- The Urban-industrial Revolution And The Unleashing Of Prometheus -- The Contemporary Situation : Human-dominated Ecosystems -- The Web Of Life And Trophic Relations : Thinking Ecologically -- Ecosystem Productivity And Net Primary Production -- Land Use And Long Term Disturbance -- Learning, Adaptation, And Information -- Mitigation And The Cautionary Principle -- Transforming The Face Of The Earth : Making Better Decisions -- Population And The Environment -- Community In Human Evolution -- What Is Sacred In Human Evolution? -- Tragedies Of The Commons -- Institutions And Self-organization -- Bioregionalism, Deep Ecology, And Embedding People In Nature -- Material Boys And Material Girls -- Patterns Of Consumption In Developed Countries -- Patterns Of Consumption In Developing Countries -- A Feeding Frenzy And A Crisis In Public Health -- Burning Fossils Fuels Instead Of Calories -- Do We Have Enough Material Goods Now? -- Resource Abundance Versus Resource Scarcity -- When Less Is More -- The Scale Of The Problem And The Scale Of The Solution -- Restoring Our Balance : Valuing Community And Trust, Rather Than More Stuff -- Are We Happier When We Have More? Emilio F. Moran. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [178]-205) And Index. Contents......Page 8 Figures......Page 10 Preface......Page 12 Introduction......Page 16 Can one Conceive of Ecosystems Without Human Agents?......Page 24 Human Agency: Individuals Making a Difference......Page 28 Overwhelming Evidence for Concern with the Condition of the Earth System......Page 31 Looking Back and Looking Forward......Page 38 The Study of Human Ecological Relations......Page 41 The Contemporary Study of Environmental Issues: The Rise of Cross-Disciplinary Team-Based Approaches......Page 47 The Evolution of Human–Environment Interactions......Page 54 Hunter-Gatherers: Setting our Preferences......Page 59 How Did We Decide To Become Farmers?......Page 63 Herding and Farming: An Uneasy Relationship......Page 66 More Food for The Masses......Page 68 Earth Transformations in Prehistory......Page 72 The Archaeology of Environmental Change......Page 80 The Urban–Industrial Revolution and the Unleashing of Prometheus......Page 83 The Contemporary Situation: Human-dominated ecosystems......Page 86 The Web of Life and Trophic Relations: Thinking Ecologically......Page 89 Ecosystem Productivity and Net Primary Production......Page 95 Land Use and Long Term Disturbance......Page 98 Learning, Adaptation, and Information......Page 108 Mitigation and the Cautionary Principle......Page 117 Transforming the Face of the Earth: Making Better Decisions......Page 118 Population and the Environment......Page 121 Community in Human Evolution......Page 131 What is Sacred in Human Evolution?......Page 133 Tragedies of the Commons......Page 136 Institutions and Self-Organization......Page 140 Bioregionalism, Deep Ecology, and Embedding People In Nature......Page 144 Material Boys and Material Girls......Page 146 Patterns of Consumption in Developed Countries......Page 147 Patterns of Consumption in Developing Countries......Page 153 A Feeding Frenzy and a Crisis in Public Health......Page 157 Burning Fossil Fuels instead of Calories......Page 160 Do We Have Enough Material Goods Now?......Page 162 Resource Abundance versus Resource Scarcity......Page 165 When Less Is More......Page 173 The Scale of the Problem and the Scale of the Solution......Page 181 Restoring Our Balance: Valuing Community and Trust, Rather Than More “Stuff”......Page 185 Are We Happier When We Have More?......Page 190 References......Page 193 Index......Page 221 Contents 8 Figures 10 Preface 12 1 Human Agency and the State of the Earth 16 Introduction 16 Can one Conceive of Ecosystems Without Human Agents? 24 Human Agency: Individuals Making a Difference 28 Overwhelming Evidence for Concern with the Condition of the Earth System 31 Looking Back and Looking Forward 38 2 A Reminder: How Things Were. . . . 41 The Study of Human Ecological Relations 41 The Contemporary Study of Environmental Issues: The Rise of Cross-Disciplinary Team-Based Approaches 47 The Evolution of Human–Environment Interactions 54 Hunter-Gatherers: Setting our Preferences 59 How Did We Decide To Become Farmers? 63 Herding and Farming: An Uneasy Relationship 66 More Food for The Masses 68 3 The Great Forgetting 72 Earth Transformations in Prehistory 72 The Archaeology of Environmental Change 80 The Urban–Industrial Revolution and the Unleashing of Prometheus 83 The Contemporary Situation: Human-dominated ecosystems 86 4 The Web of Life: Are We In It? 89 The Web of Life and Trophic Relations: Thinking Ecologically 89 Ecosystem Productivity and Net Primary Production 95 Land Use and Long Term Disturbance 98 5 What Makes People Do That? 108 Learning, Adaptation, and Information 108 Mitigation and the Cautionary Principle 117 Transforming the Face of the Earth: Making Better Decisions 118 Population and the Environment 121 6 Rebuilding Communities and Institutions 131 Community in Human Evolution 131 What is Sacred in Human Evolution? 133 Tragedies of the Commons 136 Institutions and Self-Organization 140 Bioregionalism, Deep Ecology, and Embedding People In Nature 144 7 Can We Learn When We Have Enough? 146 Material Boys and Material Girls 146 Patterns of Consumption in Developed Countries 147 Patterns of Consumption in Developing Countries 153 A Feeding Frenzy and a Crisis in Public Health 157 Burning Fossil Fuels instead of Calories 160 Do We Have Enough Material Goods Now? 162 8 Quality of Life: When Less Is More 165 Resource Abundance versus Resource Scarcity 165 When Less Is More 173 The Scale of the Problem and the Scale of the Solution 181 Restoring Our Balance: Valuing Community and Trust, Rather Than More “Stuff” 185 Are We Happier When We Have More? 190 References 193 Index 221 Introduction Can one conceive of ecosystems without human agents? Human agency : individuals making a difference Overwhelming evidence for concern with the condition of the earth system Looking back and looking forward The study of human ecological relations The contemporary study of environmental issues The evolution of human-environment interactions Hunter-gatherers : setting our preferences How did we decide to become farmers? Herding and farming : an uneasy relationship More food for the masses Earth transformations in prehistory The archeology of environmental change The urban-industrial revolution and the unleashing of Prometheus The contemporary situation : human-dominated ecosystems The web of life and trophic relations : thinking ecologically Ecosystem productivity and net primary production Land use and long-term disturbance Learning, adaptation, and information Mitigation and the cautionary principle Transforming the face of the earth through making better decisions Population and the environment Community in human evolution What is sacred in human evolution? Tragedies of the commons Institutions and self-organization Bioregionalism, deep ecology and embedding people in nature Material boys and material girls Patterns of consumption in developed countries Patterns of consumption in developing countries A feeding frenzy and a crisis in public health Burning fossils fuels instead of calories Do we have enough material goods now? Resource abundance vs resource scarcity When less is more The scale of the problem and the scale of the solutions Restoring our balance : valuing community, and trust, rather than more "stuff" Are we happier when we have more?