全球环境史在美国的兴起及其意义

全球环境史探讨生态环境因素在洲际、甚至全球范围内对人类历史的影响.全球环境史研究的兴起,与环境问题的全球化有密切关系,是全球史和环境史两个领域相互融合的结果,它还受到近年来兴起的“大历史”这一新兴研究领域的推动.自20世纪70年代以来,全球环境史研究在克罗斯比和约翰·麦克尼尔等学者的努力下,取得了明显进展.全球环境史有助于从整体上揭示环境对人类的影响,为史学研究提供了一种新的视角,扩展了史学的研究范围,有助于克服西欧中心论和人类中心论,深化对历史的认识.与此同时,全球环境史的发展又面临着多方面的挑战.     

西辽河流域环境史研究的现状、局限与取径

环境史以人与自然的互动关系为研究对象,中国北方西辽河流域自然环境与历史文化的特点决定了该地是开展区域环境史研究的典型地区。对于西辽河流域人类历史与自然环境的关系,学界做了不少研究。这些研究涉及的主题较广泛,包括自然环境的特点及其历史变迁,环境与文化及文明,经济形态、农业垦殖与环境变迁,聚落与环境,科尔沁沙地及其历史变迁,灾害史等,取得了较大的成果。下面分几个方面进行介绍。     

马克思主义环境史学论纲

环境史学在西方兴起于 2 0世纪晚期 ,在中国也许起步更早些 ,但其受到国内史学从业者兴趣日增的关注 ,则是近年来的事 :一方面是缘于西方环境史学发展的促动 ,一方面是因人与自然之间的关系日趋紧张等现实因素的推动。但环境史究竟是历史学的一门分支学科 ,还是一种新的考察人类社会发展历程的视角或方法 ,或者一种新的史学范式和新的通史观念 ,国内外环境史研究者均未形成共识。这组“笔谈”的发表 ,无疑将有助于人们深化对这一新的历史研究领域的认识。“笔谈”的作者包括老中青三代史学从业者 ,虽来自不同的史学领域 ,但都较早涉足环境史研究 :或早在 1973年就开始涉足沙漠研究 ,并多次深入我国北方沙漠地区进行实地考察 ,提出了著名的“沙漠化二重性”论断 ;或长期致力于美国环境史著作的译介 ;或率先在国内高校历史系开设《环境史研究导论》课程 ,培养环境史研究新人 ;或较早运用自然与社会互动关系理论 ,系统地对自然灾害与民国乡村社会变迁问题进行全方位的研究 ,从而拓宽了乡村社会史畛域。因此 ,这组“笔谈”在一定程度上反映了目前国内环境史研究者对于环境史的思想认识及其所达到的水平。“笔谈”的组织 ,得到了北京师范大学历史系梅雪芹副教授的热情支持和全力协助 ,本刊谨此致谢。     

论环境史对人的存在的认识及其意义

人及其活动依然是环境史研究的主题,不过,环境史对人的存在及其活动的认识,不是排斥或远离自然而是融入或回归自然而产生的。环境史的创见主要在于更新了认识人及其活动的视角,因而突破了“人类惟一”的狭隘意识以及“精英主义”的英雄史观。环境史不仅不反人类,相反,它倡导和实践的是一种更宽泛、更真实的人道主义,因为它既关注抽象的人类,也关注具体的人群和个人,还关注与人的生存息息相关的环境。环境史作为解读人类文明的新范式,其研究将直接影响着人们对待自然和他人的态度与行为,有助于人们反思“我们应该怎样生活?我们应该为什么生活?”,以便挖掘人存在的丰富意义,从而使史学在新时代更好地发挥其社会功能。     

史学关注荒野——环境史的兴起及启示

环境史的兴起和发展,是自然对人类警示的结果,是人对自身历史反思的结果,是历史学科的又一大发展。环境史为史学观念提供了一种新的思考范式,即抛弃人类中心主义,从环境中心主义去思考世界史,从自然的整体思考人类历史,思考整体史,并试图以此构建一种新的全球史。     

关于环境史分层研究的构想

环境史作为一门年轻的学科,自出现伊始,就引起了人们的广泛关注。(参见包茂宏：《环境史：历史、理论与方法》,《史学理论研究》2000年第4期)它不仅拓宽了传统史学研究的领域,提供了一种审视人类社会发展历程的全新视角．同时也开创了一种新的史学研究范式。尽管不同学者对环境史的定义和研究内容有不同理解,但无论哪一种看     

英国的环境史研究

英国的环境史研究的起源与美国不同,它是英国深厚的环境研究基础和英帝国多元学术文化交流相结合的产物。在英国的环境史研究发展进程中表现出了三个突出的特点:农业生态史与城市环境史研究并重;强烈的南方环境史研究取向;优秀的基础设施和平台建设。另外,对西蒙斯教授和娃岑博士的访谈也会有助于我们弄清楚英美环境史研究的联系与区别,有助于打破美国在国际环境史研究领域的话语霸权。     

什么是环境史?——对唐纳德·休斯的环境史理论的探讨

唐纳德·休斯是美国丹佛大学约翰.埃文斯历史学杰出教授,环境史的开创者之一,从环境史诞生伊始到现在,一直活跃于环境史研究领域,发表了大量的相关成果。休斯对环境史的贡献,不仅在于他取得的丰硕成果,更在于他所作的理论思考。这突出地表现在如下方面:1)对生态及其在历史中的作用的论述;2)对"什么是环境史"及其与其他学科之关联的分析;3)对环境史与其他历史门类之区别和联系的阐述;4)对环境史的丰富意义的揭示。通过对休斯环境史著述中的理论思考的梳理,我们既可以从总体上把握他对环境史的一般理论问题的认识,也可以在一定程度上领略他从事环境史研究的个性特征。而休斯对环境史的意义的揭示,还使我们更深刻地体会到,历史学家在研究和叙述历史的同时也在创造历史。     

历史语境中的环境与文明--读《绿色世界史--环境与伟大文明的衰落》

环境和生态危机是当今世界最引人关注的突出问题之一,它不但促成了席卷全球的环保运动,还引起了各个学科的广泛兴趣,历史学也不例外。20世纪70年代,环境史应运而生,逐渐成为了国际史学界的一个新领域。尤其在美国,环境史研究非常热门。但是,目前国外的环境史研究呈现一种“过度的碎化”趋势,即过度地强调专业化、多元化和区域化,而忽视了对环境与人类历史的关系、对全球环境史等一系列全局性重大问题综合性的研究。     

从“境地研究”到环境史

热纳维耶芙教授认为 ,年鉴年派并非法国环境史研究的先驱 ,年鉴派研究的是“境地”而非环境史中的“环境”,但这并不是说法国没有环境史研究 ,只是因为学科分野导致分散罢了。法国环境史研究急需相关学科的整和     

World Heritage Cultural Landscapes

The concept of cultural landscapes has a long and varied lineage, including antecedents in geography and ecomuseums, and can be applied at all scales. In the 1990s, the World Heritage Committee adopted cultural landscapes as an additional category of property as part of its strategy to broaden the scope of World Heritage listings. By July 2006, there were 53 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List and officially recognised as being cultural landscapes. Such recognition is an acknowledgement of the importance of human–environment interactions, especially those of a more traditional type. Not surprisingly, cultural landscapes have their own particular management issues, as well as sharing others with World Heritage properties in general. These properties, however, also present many opportunities to increase people’s understanding of both cultural and environmental values important to the future of humankind on a global level.     

孙中山环境思想探析

孙中山的环境思想渗透于他的革命理论和实践中,是一个较为系统的思想体系,包括治理和改善环境、将环境因素纳入发展规划之中以及创建林业机构、发展林业教育和树立环境意识等三个层面的内容。孙中山的环境思想传承了中国传统的生态环境思想,也吸取了西方近代先进的知识体系和经验。立足于三民主义,主张国家主导环境建设,着眼于国家的整体和长远发展是孙中山环境思想的基本特点。     

The state of environmental protection in the Russian Federation: a review of the post-Soviet era

Abstract

In the 25 years since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, sweeping political, economic, and social changes have profoundly influenced environmental protection in Russia, the world’s largest country and one of global importance with respect to natural resources, biodiversity conservation, wilderness preservation, and climate change mitigation. This paper reviews the state of the environment by assessing post-Soviet era changes to legislation, government regulatory institutions, and civil society. A gulf exists between Russia’s formal environmental laws and state agency capacity and interest in enforcing them. This stems, in part, from repeated bureaucratic reorganizations that have progressively eroded environmental institutions. The Russian environmental movement, which blossomed during Gorbachev’s reforms in the late 1980s, struggled in the 1990s to mobilize the broader public due to economic hardship and political instability. Since then, the Putin administration has labeled many environmental groups “anti-Russian” and used aggressive tactics such as raiding NGO offices, intimidating journalists, and instituting severe legislative measures to quash advocacy and dissent. Post-Soviet environmental successes have been relatively few, with expansion of the protected area system and forest certification notable exceptions. These successes can partially be attributed to efforts by large environmental organizations, but expansion of certification and corporate social responsibility is also tied to Russian business interests dependent on natural resource export to global markets increasingly sensitive to environmental concerns. The paper concludes by illustrating how corruption, poor enforcement, and the muzzling of civil society render the state incapable of resolving arguably its most significant environmental challenge: illegal and unregulated resource use.     

City, region, and in between: New York City's water supply and the insights of regional history

Urban historians have greatly expanded their geographical purview in recent years, incorporating suburbs and hinterlands into their analysis of social and environmental change. Urban environmental historians and suburban historians have played a critical role in the regionalization of urban history over the last decade. This case study of the development of New York City’s water supply reveals the benefits of taking a regional approach to urban history. From the New York Public Library to Central Park’s Great Lawn to neighborhood parks, the New York City landscape bears the traces of the continuous development of the city’s water network. Expansion of the water system in rural hinterlands enabled municipal officials to put urban reservoirs to new uses, creating some of the city’s most beloved public spaces. The rehabilitation of urban infrastructure underscores the intimate linkages between rural development and the urban built environment.     

Tianshui’s three treasures: water and soil conservation in wartime northwest China

ABSTRACT

In addition to examining how wartime imperatives shaped the agricultural research, demonstration, and extension programs undertaken by the Nationalist government’s Tianshui Water and Soil Conservation Experiment Area (the Experiment Area) after its founding in 1942, this article assesses the rural populace’s responses to these conservation measures. While the Experiment Area’s plans to construct terraces and ditches were not well suited to the socioeconomic and environmental conditions that existed in rural Gansu during the 1940s, its introduction of non-native tree and grass species to check water and soil loss met with an enthusiastic response from Tianshui’s populace. Water and soil conservation specialists aspired to rationalize human interactions with the environment as part of wartime efforts to develop the northwest, but to realize these goals they had to take socioecological realities in the region and the needs of rural residents into account. Wartime conservation’s environmental legacies, the article also shows, extended into the period after 1949.     

‘Too old a country … too long accustomed to regard her life as one and indivisible’: England and the Speaker’s Conference on Devolution

The Conference on Devolution, 1919–1920 has been a little studied event in Britain’s constitutional history. However, recent analysis has shed new light on this little studied moment in British constitutional history. Building on Evans (2015), this article focuses on the Conference’s deliberations on the units that would be represented by devolution (i.e. whether devolution would be on national or regional lines) to provide further evidence that the division between intra-parliamentary and directly elected devolution was a cleavage that cut through the entirety of the Conference’s work, as opposed to simply being a source of disagreement at the end of its proceedings. As this debate essentially focused on how England should be governed post-devolution, this article also sheds further light on the history of ‘the English Question’.     

THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF A. E. NORDENSKIÖLD’S (1832–1901) CONSERVATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

One of the founding texts within the history of Nordic conservation is ‘Förslag till inrättandet af Riksparker i de nordiska länderna’ (A Proposal for Establishing Nation’s Parks in the Nordic Countries), written by the Finnish-Swedish scientist and explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld (1832–1901) in 1880. It is comparable to influential texts of US environmental history, such as George Catlin’s Illustrations of the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians (1845–1848) and George Perkins Marsh’s Man and Nature (1864). The ideas developed in the essay are expressions of an environmentally literate person. Nordenskiöld perceived destructive developments taking place in the environment and set down proposals to prevent or remedy this undesirable situation. This article will discuss the historical roots of Nordenskiöld’s conservational philosophy, such as the modernization process, patriotic ideas from the Romantic era, and, above all, the influence of US thinkers, most notably George Catlin, who proposed the opening of ‘nation’s Parks […] on the great plains of the West’. The influence of Nordenskiöld on the subsequent conservation movement in Finland and in Sweden will be examined in detail. The first national parks in Europe were established in Sweden in 1909.     

Development and the environment: Perception and opinion in St Andrews,Scotland

In 2003, three proposals were being mediated through the planning system in the peri‐urban environment of St Andrews, Fife: a large housing development, a rail link, and a Green Belt. Using questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews with key stakeholders, we investigate the ways in which diverse conceptions of ‘the environment’ shaped public reactions to these proposals, and evaluate the fit between these and the respondents’ stated environmental perceptions. 98% of local residents surveyed describe themselves as ‘concerned about the environment’. However, large majorities conceive of the environment as a local rather than a global phenomenon, and regard it primarily in terms of personal benefits (such as landscape aesthetics or traffic considerations). By exploring the environmental perceptions in the light of the planning proposals, the study supports the contention that the ‘local environment’ is a socially constructed phenomenon which can be fashioned and re‐fashioned according to local perceptions of threats and opportunities.     

瘟疫何以肆虐?——一项医疗环境史的研究

"瘟疫何以肆虐"的问题,既与环境史相关,亦与医疗社会史不可分,但并不能用其中任何一者涵盖之;由此,我们提出"医疗环境史"的概念,以黑死病为个案,围绕瘟疫本身进行环境分析。在14世纪英国的聚落环境中,传染源普遍存在,鼠、蚤、人紧密共存,便于瘟疫的传播;交通运输的便利,利于瘟疫的跨聚落和跨地区流传;落后的医疗防治水平不能阻止瘟疫的肆虐,甚至会因不合理的举措而适得其反。上述病发、流传和应对环境还存在地区性的差异,从而导致瘟疫肆虐程度之不同。