The observations made in the video in relation to the environmental and biological effects of the Columbian exchange are consistent with the assertions made by Crosby (2003). According to Crosby (2003), the arrival of the Europeans in the colonial America decimated the local populations of humans and animals and flourishing ecosystems. Examination of the Columbian exchange from the global perspective leads to the conclusion that it generated an avalanche of developments and events that caused irreversible impacts. Colonization diminished ecosystems, eliminated some organisms, and introduced others. The arrival of Europeans led to a new perception of the world, a discourse that had significant and diverse implications that continue to be felt today.
The environmental and biological impacts of the Columbian exchange can be deciphered from its definition as “the exchange of diseases, ideas, food crops, and populations between the New World and the Old World across the Atlantic” (Nunn and Qian, 2010, p. 163). The developments occurred after the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus, ushering in a new era of a connected world. In a 2015 article by Khan Academy, the environmental impacts of the Columbian exchange are attributed to the concept of mercantilism. The philosophy refers to the perception of wealth dominant in the European culture from the 1500s to the 1700s, which held that the world had only a limited amount of wealth measured in gold and silver bullion. Therefore, amassing wealth and power could be realized by mining these precious raw materials. The backdrop was extensive degradation of the environment through mining activities, a phenomenon that continues to date because mercantilists did not believe in free trade. Another aspect of environmental impact can be looked at from the commercial angle. The arrival of European in the New World led to the clamor for fertile land resources which were exploited through industrial farming. The system required large tracts of land, meaning existing ecosystems of forests and their inhabitants were destroyed.
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On the biological scale, Crosby (2003) observed that Columbus introduced plants and animals such a horses and sugar to the New World, while commodities from the new world such as sugar, potatoes, and tobacco were introduced to the Old World. The trend led to singularity in the biological population of the two worlds, and continued to the present. Only animals and plants perceived to be of commercial value were bred for continuity as other species were decimated. Perhaps the most influential factor in shaping of the biological composition of the world was the introduction of diseases. Crosby (2003) contended that the European came to the New World as hosts of diseases the locals had no immunity against. The consequences for the indigenous population of humans and animals were devastating, almost wiping some populations off the face of the planet. Given that the Columbian Exchange set the stage for exploration of other new worlds, where these environmental and biological impacts were introduced in a similar fashion, it can be contended that it led to reshaping of the world environment and biological populations.
References
Crosby, A. W. (2003). The Columbian exchange: biological and cultural consequences of 1492 (Vol. 2). Greenwood Publishing Group.
Khan Academy. (2015). Environmental and health effects of European contact with the New World. Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/precontact-and-early-colonial-era/old-and-new-worlds-collide/a/environmental-and-health-effects-of-contact
Nunn, N., & Qian, N. (2010). The Columbian exchange: A history of disease, food, and ideas Journal of Economic Perspectives , 24 (2), 163-88.
