In the last 50 years, societies everywhere have undergone rapid change in all aspects of life. New technology and globalization have accelerated use of natural resources, led to abandonment of customs and adoption of new lifestyles, and brought about changes in political systems and the roles of governments. This dynamism has produced closer ties among nations, placed nations in competition, and magnified the discrepancies in material well-being between developed and underdeveloped nations. Similarly, within nations, subcultures have drawn apart, each reacting to the challenge of meeting its own needs and perceived threats to its own values and beliefs in rapidly changing social environments. Even within the Pacific Northwestern United States, there are substantial subcultural differences that are displayed vividly in public arenas and in interactions with governments at various levels. Here, and elsewhere, differences are played out in disputes over disposition and conservation of natural resources.