Environmental Dynamics of Extraction
Pick an example of extraction from Demuth (whaling, sealing, walrus hunting, fur hunting, caribou/reindeer, or mining) and identify another instance of extraction of the same or similar resource in another geographic and cultural context in a comparable time period (i.e., could be earlier or later time periods but should involve a comparable dynamic, such as the beginnings of extraction, etc.). Compare the two extraction cases using at least two of the course themes (energy, commodity frontiers, resource conservation/stewardship, ecological teleconnections, industrialization/urbanization, capitalism/communism). Be sure to develop a historical argument, not just compare facts.
Environmental Conservation and Conflict
Choose an example of a conservation or preservation effort – see ideas below – and write an essay exploring a conflict that arose between groups of people with differing interests. Be sure you chose a conflict with a specific geographic focus that played out in a defined historical period of time. Explain what each groups’ interest was, suggest who won and why, and draw connections with ideas from secondary sources that help you understand relationships between environments and power.
Ideas
- the creation of a park (local, state, national; either in US or in another country)
- an effort to conserve a species or natural resource (local, national, or international – particular piece of legislation about a species; actions taken to manage reindeer in Beringia; promoting tree planting, etc.)
- setting aside of green space, perhaps in your town or another place
- building a dam
- removing a dam
- promoting a new energy source
- closing down a nuclear power plant
- legislation to control a pollutant or an activity that damages land, health, etc.
Format and submission:
Use at least 4 primary sources and at least 3 secondary sources in your essay.
Primary Sources: You will need to have a particular conflict in mind so that you have keywords to use when searching primary source databases. See hints document in Primary Source Assignment folder. Databases of historical newspapers may be particularly helpful for this assignment.
Secondary Sources: You are encouraged to make use of appropriate secondary sources from course readings but at least two secondary sources should drawn from elsewhere. Appropriate secondary sources are scholarly articles (or book chapters) written by historians and published in history journals. If you find a secondary source from a closely allied field (such as anthropology or geography), you should consult with instructors or your TA as to whether it is appropriate. The use of UConn databases such as JSTOR or Project Muse to find appropriate articles is highly recommended (hint: limit your search to history journals; for more hints, see Hints document in Secondary Source Assignment folder).
Use quotes from at least 4 primary sources and be sure to footnote the quotes and any other specific evidence you use from any or all of the sources (both primary and secondary). Include a bibliography of all sources at the end of your essay. Use Chicago Style for footnotes and bibliography.
Your essay should be in 12-point font, double-spaced, and 5-6 pages long (not including bibliography). To put this in other terms, the paper text should be roughly 2000 words long. Include the word count at the end of your essay.