ABSTRACT
Between 1918 and 1939, extractive industries and processes impacted the physical environment more dramatically than they had at any time in the past. This chapter explores three interrelated trends and emphasizes the close ties between the environment and the global relationships of dependence and hierarchy that characterized the interwar period. First, the commercialization of raw materials (crops, minerals, fish, and other primary products) across the Global South led to widespread habitat destruction, soil exhaustion, and disruption of water regimes. Second, new production-enhancing technologies and practices including phytosanitary chemicals, agricultural machinery, and large-scale irrigation schemes created novel problems of pollution, land use, and water management. Finally, the creation of parks and preserves across the world and particularly in the Global South displaced local populations and fundamentally altered the spaces’ relationships with their surroundings.
