Gifford Pinchot Protecting The Environment Summary

When looking at the early twentieth-century conservation movement to help preserve the environment. Although Gifford Pinchot laid down some ground-breaking work for environment protection in the early twentieth century, Gifford had good intentions for protecting the environment. His policies he put into practice helped protect the environment for industry and entrepreneurs. Well into the twentieth century American was well into expending westwards with the idea of manifest density. This was both good and bad for the American people and the economy because this meant that resources from across American could be more easily harvested and brought back to the factories and use for industry. In the book “TAKING SIDES” historians Ted Steinberg, and T.H. Watkins talk about this important issue in American history and what became of it.

When Theodore Roosevelt was elected to the Presidency of The United States 1901

He ran as a Conservative progressive. One of the things that Roosevelt was adamant about was the outdoors. Roosevelt was a

Steinberg says the Pinchot had a Conservation view on the environment which was a hands-off type of view also known as Laissez-Faire. Normally you would think that this would be very good for the environment and the eco-systems within. However, this was not the case at all, Pinchot’s believed that the environment should work for the economy. This was demonstrated through “Taylor-made Forests”. One of the downsides to Pinchot’s views as he had somewhat of a short-term view on the environment. As he once wrote in 1910 “the use of the natural resources now existing on this continent for the benefit of the people who live here now”. (Pinchot 165) This would have major repercussion within the future and can still be seen today with our