Nature and the Environment in Twentieth-Century American Life - Hardcover

by Brian C. Black (Author)

Americans during the twentieth-century became more disconnected from the environment and nature than ever before. More Americans lived in cities rather than on farms; they became ever more reliant on technology to interact with the world around them and with each other. Perhaps paradoxically, the twentieth-century also became the period in which environmental issues played an ever-increasing role in politics and public policy. Why is this so? Perhaps because, despite what many people believe, nature and the environment remains central to everyone's daily life. Pollution, environmental degradation, urban sprawl, loss of wildlife and biodiversity - all of these issues directly impact how everyone - even city dwellers - live their lives.

Author Biography

Brian Black is is associate professor in the departments of history and environmental studies at Penn State University, Altoona. He is the author of PETROLIA: The Landscape of America's First Oil Boom.