20世纪初美国与加拿大对尼亚加拉瀑布的开发与保护

The Development and Conservation of Niagara Falls between the United States and Canada in the Early 20th Century

19世纪末“电气革命”与水电技术的发展,使尼亚加拉瀑布成为美国与加拿大重要的电力来源。与此同时,工业化进程中瀑布水电开发的快速发展带来了经济与环境问题,引起两国的共同关注。围绕尼亚加拉瀑布的开发与保护问题,美国和加拿大两国都进行了治理改革。由于两国社会经济发展程度不同,在此问题上的侧重点也存在差异:美国关注尼亚加拉瀑布的景观保护,而加拿大呼吁由政府主导大瀑布的水力开发,反对私人垄断。围绕尼亚加拉瀑布的诸多社会运动,推动了美加两国政府调整其环境与资源政策,并最终促使两国就整个边界水域的管理进行合作谈判,促成了美国和加拿大《边界水域条约》的签订,同时有助于打破先前较为僵化的美加关系,为两国关系的回暖创造了契机。

At the end of the 19th century,the“Electrical Revolution”and the development of hydropower technology made Niagara Falls an important power source for the United States and Canada.The rapid development of hydropower development in the process of industrialization has caused environmental and economic problems,which attracted the joint attention of the two countries.Thus,the United States and Canada have conducted governance reforms of the conservation and development of Niagara Falls.The United States focused on landscape protection of Niagara Falls,while Canada called for government-led hydropower development of Niagara Falls and opposed monopoly.These reformations helped to change the environmental policies of both governments,and eventually facilitated the negotiation between the governments of the United States and Canada on the management of the entire boundary waters.This negotiation led to the signing of the“Boundary Waters Treaty”and helped to improve US-Canada relationship,creating an opportunity for the reconciliation of the US-Canada relationship.