The history of the tropical forests of Latin America and the Caribbean goes well beyond the much discussed deforestation that gathered such momentum starting in the 1960s and 70s. The extraction of timber and other resources, such as rubber, has altered the structure of some forests by depleting the species of precious woods and multiplying rubber trees. But despite efforts to nationalize these vast forested domains, their incorporation remains elusive.
Examines the development of woodland ownership in Denmark from the Middle Ages to the first half of the nineteenth century.
A history of the role of American society in shaping the policies of the United States Forest Service.
Jan Oosthoek explores the fascinating history of the afforestation of the Scottish uplands over the course of the twentieth century.
Finland first mad the switch from indigenous energy sources—fuel wood, wood refuse, and hydropower—to imported fossil fuels in the 1960s, during a hightened phase of industrialization. This article is an analysis of developments leading up to this change.
American “Founding Father” and inventor Benjamin Franklin creates an advanced heating system.
The author argues that the analysis of historical energy systems can provide an explanation for the basic patterns of different social formations.
Donald Worster, Carson Fellow from February to July 2011, talks about his research concerning the impact of the discovery of the New World and its resources, both on Western Europe, and the American way of life.
This study argues that when farmers raised concerns about miners’ activities, ‘precautionary stewardship’ of the environment designed to stop entrepreneurial practices harmful to the environment was not a concern. This was a struggle over the ownership of the means of production by two competing forms of capitalism—a characteristic intra-class as well as intra-racial conflict.
