Environmental law.

For most of human history, the environment was to all intents and purposes unprotected by law. In Anglo-American law, the near-absolute dominion that was accorded to owners of property put little restraint on the right to consume, exhaust, or pollute resources at will. A nuisance lawsuit could be pursued if a neighbor deprived a property owner of the ability to enjoy such essentials as light, air, and water. The public trust doctrine restrained landowners from monopolizing access to navigable waters. Other than these impediments, American law left the environment open to even the most rapacious use. The preservationist movement of John Muir and Gifford Pinchot focused on conserving public lands and parks; it had little effect on private uses of land.