It seems that in ancient times, not much thought was given to exploiting the environment to serve humans because resources were plentiful. The population on earth and within communities was small enough that the state of nature could replenish itself before much damage was done. Nomadic people could simply pack up their things and move to another location when game became scarce and agricultural fields became arid. It was not until the rapid growth of world populations, the formation of cities, and the improvement of technological and industrial processes that degradation and abuse of the environment became an issue.
The first environmental policy probably transpired from a spiritual perspective. Ancient peoples often held to a set of principles that revered the natural beauty of the environment and the species that resided on earth. This reverence may have developed from belief in gods (or a fear in gods’ wrath displayed in natural phenomena) or in a sacred value present in all living things. Early humans may have taken up the belief in animism as a way to explain the mysteries of the world. Nevertheless, this framework guided people to make decisions about how to properly manage environmental issues based on their culture- protecting certain species and prohibiting the defilement of certain lands. Trees and other plants were worshiped and crops were honored in the hopes of high yield. This was often expressed through mythology, rituals, and artwork.
For example, as noted in our book, an Aboriginal community in Australia protested the expansion of gold mining because they claimed that these lands were sacred and that the gold was visual proof of God’s presence. If to be disturbed, a catastrophe would occur.
I believe that the oldest environmental policy stemmed from a less anthropocentric perspective and more of a value in the environment for its own sake. It wasn’t until humans became tainted by the desire to increase one’s well-being at the extreme expense of the environment did the focus shift to using environmental services to meet human needs.
