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10,000 BCE
neolithic agricultural revolution
Settlements, populations increase, local resource management began -
Influential individuals such as Thoreau and Muir write books on conservations
Firts conservation groups form and natures reserves established -
Industrial revolution in Europe
Agricultural societies became more industrialized and urban. The transcontinental railroad, the cotton gin, electricity and other inventions permanently changed society. -
once the most prolific bird, the passenger pigeon becomes extinct
The very last one, named Martha, was found dead on the floor of her cage in the Cincinnati Zoo -
Period: to
Dust Bowl North America
The region’s exposed topsoil, robbed of the anchoring water-retaining roots of its native grasses, was carried off by heavy spring winds. “Black blizzards” of windblown soil blocked out the sun and piled the dirt in drifts. Occasionally the dust storms swept completely across the country to the East Coast -
Green revolution
Great increase in production of food grains (especially wheat and rice) that resulted in large part from the introduction into developing countries of new, high-yielding varieties, beginning in the mid-20th century. -
Leopold writes "A sandy Country Almanac"
Written with an unparalleled understanding of the ways of nature. Includes a section on the monthly changes of the Wisconsin countryside -
UKs ten National Parks are stablished
The first 10 national parks are designated starting with the Peak District in 1951. By the end of the decade the Lake District, Snowdonia, Dartmoor, Pembrokeshire Coast, North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, Exmoor, Northumberland and Brecon Beacons National Parks have been established. -
Period: to
Minamata Bay Disaster
Mercury was in the waste product dumped into Minamata Bay on a massive scale by a chemical plant. The mercury contaminated fish living in Minamata Bay. People ate the fish, were themselves contaminated, and became ill. Local bird life as well as domesticate animals also perished. In all, 900 people died and 2,265 people were certified as having directly suffered from mercury poisoning - now known as Minamata disease. -
Period: to
NGOs gain greater following
Non-govermental organizations gain public awarness grows.
WWFN, Greenpeace, Friends of the earth all formed -
Rachel Carson publishes "silent spring"
A true story using a composite of examples drawn from many real communities where the use of DDT had caused damage to wildlife, birds, bees, agricultural animals, domestic pets, and even humans -
Enviromental philosophy established
branch of philosophy that is concerned with the natural environment and humans' place within it.[1] It asks crucial questions about human environmental relations such as "What do we mean when we talk about nature?" "What is the value of the natural, that is non-human environment to us, or in itself?" , etc -
First earth summit
Was held in Stockholm, Sweden from June 5–16 in 1972 at the initiative of the Government of Sweden to host it, UN Secretary-General U Thant invited Maurice Strong to lead it as Secretary-General of the Conference, as the Canadian diplomat (under Pierre Trudeau) had initiated and already worked for over two years on the project -
C.I.T.E.S formed by IUCN
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, international agreement adopted in March 1973 to regulate worldwide commercial trade in wild animal and plant species. The goal of CITES is to ensure that international trade does not threaten the survival of any species. Since 1973 the number of state parties to the convention has grown to more than 170. -
James Lovelock publishes "Gaia -A new look at life on Earth" and presents the "Gaia Hypothesis"
The book discusses the effect human activity is having on the planet and what (if anything) can be done to halt the damage we have already caused. -
British Antartic Survey Team detects ice sheets thinning and ozone zone
Public awareness of ozone depletion and risks of climate change -
Green political parties from around the world
Political preassure of ecological problems placed on goverments -
Nairobi Earth Summit
Powerful force in increasing public awareness and understanding of the fragility of the human environment. The years since then have witnessed significant progress in environmental sciences; education, information dissemination and training have expanded considerably -
UN World Commission on Enviroment and Development publishes the Brundlapt Report
Sustainability established as the way foward -
Bhopal disaster
On about 45 tons of the dangerous gas methyl isocyanate escaped from an insecticide plant that was owned by the Indian subsidiary of the American firm Union Carbide Corporation. The gas drifted over the densely populated neighbourhoods around the plant, killing thousands of people immediately and creating a panic as tens of thousands of others attempted to flee Bhopal. The final death toll was estimated to be between 15,000 and 20,000. -
Chernobyl Disaster
Accident in 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet Union, the worst disaster in the history of nuclear power generation. -
Montreal Protocol
International environmental agreement with universal ratification to protect the earth’s ozone layer by eliminating use of ozone depleting substances (ODS), which would otherwise allow increased UV radiation to reach the earth, resulting in higher incidence of skin cancers and eye cataracts, more-compromised immune systems, and negative effects on watersheds, agricultural lands and forests. -
IPCC formed by UNEP
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the leading international body for the assessment of climate change. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) -
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Shortly after midnight on March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez, a mile off-course in an attempt to avoid icebergs, ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, gashing its hull and releasing oil into the Pacific Ocean. -
Green awareness strengthens
Enviromental friendly products , recycling and ecoturism become popular -
Kuwait oil fires
Were caused by Iraqi military forces setting fire to a reported 605 to 732 oil wells along with an unspecified number of oil filled low-lying areas, such as oil lakes and fire trenches, as part of a scorched earth policy while retreating from Kuwait in 1991 due to the advances of Coalition military forces in the Persian Gulf War. The fires were started in January and February 1991, and the first well fires were extinguished in early April 1991, with the last well capped on November 6, 1991. -
Rio Earth Summit and Kyoto protocol
Agreement to reduce carbon emissions to counter enhanced greenhouse effect and global warning. Agenda 21. -
Johannesburg Earth Summit
Plans to globally improve: water and sanitation, energy supply issues, health, agricultural abuse, biodiversity reduction -
Kyoto protocols becomes a legal requirement
174 countries signed and are expected to reduce carbon emissions to some 15% below expected emissions in 2008. it expires in 2010 -
Film "An Inconvenient Truth"
Documentary by Al Gore, former US vice-president, describing global warning -
nobel peace prize
Awarded in 2007 to Al Gore an the IPCC for their work on climate change -
IPCC release 4th assesment report
Report states that "Warning of the climate system is unequivocal" and "Most of the observed increased in globally averaged temperatures since the miod-20th century is very likely due to the observed to increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations" -
UN bali meeting
187 countries meet and agree to open negotiations on an international climate change deal -
Rio +20
Paper "the future we want" published
[https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/futurewewant.html]
