Environmental Reform!

For environmental and public health activists, The Progressive Era, which spanned about 1890 to 1920, saw a surge in reform attempts in the United States. For a variety of causes, a large number of people took part in a wide range of changes, including women's suffrage, political reform, and prohibition. Progressive reformers pushed for these reforms in response to the growing rate of urbanization and industrialization in late-nineteenth-century America, as well as the issues that came with it. Industry flourished immensely as a result of new technological breakthroughs in transportation, communication, and organization, and immigrants flocked into unprepared cities in search of new jobs. Numerous issues arose as a result of the lack of government monitoring and regulations: housing became overcrowded, dilapidated, and disease-ridden; industries failed to safeguard their employees financially, physically, or health-wise; and pollution grew common.

The Progressive Movement was a high-water mark for environmental and public health reformers. The movement starts with the end of the American frontier and questions about increasing impacts of urbanization. Reform was the common concern – reform of working conditions, slum housing, food adulteration, sanitation, drinking water, polluting industries, hunting laws and mining practices. President Teddy Roosevelt and Sierra Club founder John Muir represent the two major approaches to environmentalism in this period. Roosevelt advocates a “wise use” of natural resources and an approach that takes the future into account while accommodating some present needs. Muir opposes the “wise use” idea and fights for outright preservation of unspoiled wilderness.

Since 1872 the United States National Park System has grown from a single, public reservation called Yellowstone National Park to include 430 natural, historical, recreational, and cultural areas throughout the United States, its territories, and island possessions. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the "Organic Act" creating the National Park Service, a federal bureau in the Department of the Interior responsible for maintaining national parks and monuments that were then managed by the department. The National Park System has since expanded to 423 units (often referred to as parks), more than 150 related areas, and numerous programs that assist in conserving the nation's natural and cultural heritage for the benefit of current and future generations.

John Muir, also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks", was an influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, and early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States of America. Muir’s writings convinced the U.S. government to protect Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon and Mt. Rainier as national parks. John wrote and had published over 300 magazine articles and 12 books. These books and articles bubble over with his love of adventure, nature, wildness and the inter-connectivity of it all. At the time of his death he was working on a book about his travels in Alaska. He had plans and enough material in his notebooks for ten more books.

The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorizes the President to proclaim national monuments on federal lands that contain historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, or other objects of historic or scientific interest.

Why is this movement the most important problem facing our nation?

As the progression era develops, the lack of environmental consciousness confronts society. We work to preserve land as undeveloped wilderness for aesthetic reasons, or to preserve resources such as forests for future human use.

What are your recommendations to fix the problem?

Find cleaner and more environmental solutions, preserve the environment, ect. Conserving the nation's resources, eliminating inefficient raw material usage, and reclaiming vast swaths of unused territory.

Who are the key people/books/etc that influence others to join/support your movement, and why are they so important?

Roosevelt used his authority to create 150 national forests, 51 federal wildlife sanctuaries, 4 national animal sanctuaries, 5 national parks, and 18 national monuments on over 230 million acres of public land. Was established.

What have you done as a movement to make this country a better place?

We have constructed the 1916 congressional bill in order to establish the National Park service, created by our very own Woodrow Wilson to protect 35 national parks and monuments to be protected and managed by said department.
John Muir focused his conservation efforts on the establishment of more national parks by the United States government. There was only one national park in 1890: Yellowstone. Muir, on the other hand, desired the Yosemite region's state park to be turned into a national park.
Gifford Pinchot tripled the nation's forest reserves as the first chief of the US Forest Service, ensuring their long-term health for conservation and recreational purposes.