The American Dream

When the topic is global environmental change, I thought it might be a good idea this week to turn my attention from Europe to somewhere new: America.

While I have already shown how the crusades had an important impact environmentally on the Baltic States, in the late 15^th century Spanish explorers were doing the same across Eastern America and the Caribbean. 

Through the migration of people from Europe to the Americas, environments were permanently changed. Frazier (2001) describe clearly the way in which by 1517 native populations had been reduced to  only 10% of their pre invasion level, the Caribbean had been turned into “one big plantation”, and how mines had ripped though a once “idyllic environment”.

These views are echoed by Moore et. al (1996) and while the descriptions of the environmental impacts are tied up in reviews of Columbus’ expeditions, they still make interesting reading, and clearly state the multiple ways in which relatively untouched natural environments were irreparably altered.

It is interesting therefore that it was not only travelling to the Baltic States that impacted upon the environment, as European explorers to the Americas had similar impacts. It is also worth mentioning that although not at exactly at the same time, these events, the crusades and explorations, happened during a similar period. Perhaps it was from the end of the 15^th Century that travel begun to have a real impact on the global environment.

Also check out the video below of the main study location and methods used in Brown and Pluskowsi's work in the Baltics. Probably should have posted it last week, but better late than never.