|
|
|
Reviews
| Public History and the Environment. Ed. by Martin V. Melosi and Philip Scarpino. Malabar, Fl.: Krieger Publ. Co., 2004. xiv+291pp., illus., maps, notes, index. $38.50 hb (ISBN 1-57524-071-8).
|
This collection of original essays is an excellent reference. With 17 experienced, qualified contributors, it covers the multiple aspects of environmental awareness and regulation that are part of more recent and current United States history. By education and experience, the authors have been exposed to much of the country and have been involved with projects from the local to federal level. A considerable part of the book deals with the practical application of historical research and analysis in furthering management of environmental problems and clarifying some of the complex environmental questions society faces. The writing is fundamentally good, and the extensive use of notes provides more valuable information, especially for students.
|
1
|
In addition to essentials such as definitions and historical summaries of public environmental consciousness and federal regulatory progression, some writers explore several lines of controversy. Among them are environmental justice and production of nonfiction films on the environment, a key and influential method of communicating with the public but sometimes contested among environmental, historical, and production camps. Several of the authors advocate the use of the environment itself as the material culture base for interpretive exhibits because it is, after all, a human artifact. They also discuss the pitfalls of such an approach, such as superimposing modern judgments on the past acts of people or the people themselves. Probing these topics makes readers aware of the multiple components that contribute to public exchange on the environment, something that will continue for their lifetimes at least.
|
2
|
The book is divided into six parts: Landscape; Cultural Resources Management; Litigation Support and Environmental Remediation; Museums, Media, and Historical Societies; Policy Analysis; and Environment at the Grassroots. The two papers comprising the Landscape section establish definitions and provide historical context for human interaction with the planet in the U.S. They recognize the importance of historical perception to future decisions concerning current natural and previously affected landscapes, primarily as a means of linking historical and environmental interests for cooperative action.
|
3
|
The part on Cultural Resources Management includes three papers that provide examples of the application of historical methods to specific environmental fields: analysis of endangered species records or wildlife management practices, the evolving role of the National Park Service, and the developing field of cultural tourism. Each of these papers includes a bit of historical background to anchor discussion on how to merge public and environmental history.
|
4
|
The section on Litigation Support and Environmental Remediation covers the obligations and perils of expert status. It mentions the restraints and expectations associated with the courtroom but emphasizes the opportunity to provide a previously unavailable comprehensive view to an environmental question and helps resolve management and land-use conflicts.
|
5
|
Concerning remediation, the volume provides a concise summary of handling dangerous and hazardous materials since World War II. This section calls for a historical assessment of the federal regulatory program as well as the entire environmental era.
|
6
|
The section on Museums, Media, and Historical Societies provides suggestions on potential areas of development and expansion for environmental concepts in realms previously considered historical. Museums provide an existing forum for the discussion of the environmental consequences of human actions; their existing cultural material contents when presented/viewed differently can further understanding of the complexity and longevity of environmental impacts. New information shown in historical and environmental contexts simultaneously can stir public interest and enhance participation in multiple political debates. Museums already devoted to nature can involve aspects of commercial exploitation and the resulting environmental effects. The paper on environmental documentaries finds value in historical, flawed films as teaching tools to convey lessons on bias and the importance of identifying and considering it. A strong argument on the value of historical organizations to communities links them to the self-analysis of change over time by which cities and towns maintain and restore themselves. The author finds the groups especially valuable in a dispersed, contemporary condition where the sense of place is so diminished.
|
7
|
In the section on Policy Analysis, the contributors find value in the application of historical techniques to better understand the evolution of environmental policy in the United States. An introductory paper provides a good summary of the development of American environmental policy with a general outline of the unwieldy process, involving a gargantuan bureaucracy equipped with baffles and dead ends. The author offers suggestions for approaching the history of environmental policy using government archives, files, and agency data as well as technical experts with experience in addition to public historians. The second paper provides examples of the historian's role in examining trends in urban environmental changes, providing valuable insight for ongoing planning and required decisions. It challenges historians to participate in the application of environmental analyses to create connections, identify trends, and provide context in order to improve the quality of decisions.
|
8
|
The last section provides two examples of environmental history reports: the first, a good, objective treatise on the environmental justice movement; the second, a case study of the long-term joining of historical and environmental values and resources. The environmental justice paper provides context on a national scale, while the case study addresses a state situation. However, both papers document connections made and growing cooperation between the historical and environmental communities in management decisions.
|
9
|
| Public History and the Environment is ideal for students of history and the environment but would be helpful to anyone interested in improving public discussions on the environment. With its combination of clear writing, useful contributions covering a diversity of topics, numerous references, practical suggestions for study and research, and a handy index, this volume makes an excellent contribution to both fields. |
10
|
|
|
Content in the History Cooperative database is intended for personal, noncommercial use only. You may not reproduce, publish, distribute, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale of, modify, create derivative works from, display, or in any way exploit the History Cooperative database in whole or in part without the written permission of the copyright holder.
|