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10,000 BCE
Agricultural Revolution
a period of improvement in technology and an increase of crop efficiency
sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_revolution
https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-agricultural-revolution-timeline-causes-inventions-effects.html
https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-agricultural-revolution-timeline-causes-inventions-effects.html -
1969 BCE
NEPA
A law that encourages the people to take care of the environment.
https://www.energy.gov/nepa/downloads/national-environmental-policy-act-1969
http://conservefish.org/2015/11/02/americas-fish-need-nepa/ -
Industrial Revolution
When agricultural societies became more urban. Inventions such as the transcontinental railroad, the cotton gin, and electricity changed society permanently.
https://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution/industrial-revolution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution -
Walden by Thoreau
This book was written by Henry David Thoreau and it was about him spending more than two years in a cabin near Walden Pond in Massachusetts to ignore world interactions and find the tree meaning of life.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/henry-david-thoreaus-walden-summary-and-analysis.html
http://www.loyalbooks.com/book/walden-by-henry-david-thoreau -
Homestead Act
Gave citizens over the age of 21 citizens 160 acres of land as long as they paid the minimal fee and cared for the land for at least 5 years
https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=31
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/cliven-bundy-homestead-act-history -
Gifford Pinchot
Pinchot helped with the shaping of the definition of conservation and had similar ideas as President Theodore Roosevelt. They both led a national conservation movement. He died on October 4, 1946.
https://www.doi.gov/blog/gifford-pinchot-legacy-conservation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gifford_Pinchot
https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2015/08/on_his_150th_birthday_why_are.html -
Yellowstone Park Founded
Some explorers were trying to save Yellowstone from private development. They promoted a bill around 1871 and artists advertised pictures of Yellowstone and reports were being made. All of that caught Congress attention and President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Act making it a law
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/yellowstoneestablishment.htm
https://www.groupon.com/articles/things-to-do-in-yellowstone -
Aldo Leopold
He was considered the “Father of Wildlife Ecology”. He was interested in the natural world at a young age and then graduated from the Yale Forest School, then immediately joined the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona and New Mexico. He dies on Arpil 21, 1948
https://www.aldoleopold.org/about/aldo-leopold/
https://www.biography.com/people/aldo-leopold-9379702
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/aldo-leopold-643.php -
General Revision Act
This reversed the Timber Culture Act of 1873, caused land reforms, and allowed the president to put forest reserves on federal land.
https://envirotimeline.wordpress.com/1891/01/01/general-revision-act/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Revision_Act -
John Muir Birth and What he founded
John Muir proposed for the government to establish a forest conservation policy. He was the co-founder of the Sierra Club, an environmental-advocacy organization, and he also helped with the establishment of Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks.
https://www.biography.com/people/john-muir-9417625
http://userhome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/anthro/jbeatty/Scotia/issue40/issue40a.html -
Sierra Club Founded
Sierra Club was a club that was an environmental advocacy organization. In their first campaigned they suggested Yosemite Park boundary reductions.
http://vault.sierraclub.org/history/timeline.aspx
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/555350197770485974/ -
Lacey Act
This was the first federal law to protect wildlife. It had to include a larger variety of plants in 2008
https://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/lacey-act.html
http://marcellohardwood.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/logo_lacey.jpg -
Golden Age of Conservation
The Golden Age of Conservation was during President Theodore Roosevelt's presidency. His goal was to protect nature and wildlife. He created some conservation laws and spoke publicly about his goal during the Golden Age of Conservation. This came to an end in 1909
https://www.nps.gov/mabi/learn/historyculture/conservation-timeline-1901-2000.htm
https://www.alibris.com/Theodore-Roosevelt-Hunter-Conservationist-R-L-Wilson/book/23909608 -
First National Wildlife Refuge Established
It all started with Paul Kroegel wanting to protect the pelicans and put them on a federal reserve. Then having President Theodore Roosevelt place Paul as the manager of Pelican Island National Wildlife was when the first national wildlife refuge was in place.
https://www.fws.gov/refuges/friends/history.html
https://trophyexpress.com/government/natwildliferef.html -
Audubon Society Founded
This society;s purpose is to save birds based in New York
https://www.audubon.org/about/history-audubon-and-waterbird-conservation
http://www.wikiwand.com/en/National_Audubon_Society -
US Forest Service Founded
This was started by the Forest Reserve Act, establishing forest reserves. Then the US Forest Service was established in the Department of Agriculture. Their goal was to keep up with the environment for future generations
https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1602.html
https://www.fs.fed.us/managing-land/trails -
Antiquities Act
It is the first law to establish that public archaeological sites on lands are important public resources.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/legal/american-antiquities-act-of-1906.htm -
National Park Service
an agency that manages all national parks, numerous national monuments, and other conversation and historical properties part of the United States federal government.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Park_Service
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/US-NationalParkService-ShadedLogo.svg -
Dust Bowl
A drought in the Midwest and Southern Great Plains that lasted for about a decade. What caused the drought was federal land policies, changes in weather, farm economics, etc.
https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/dust-bowl
https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2012/11/13/dust-bowl-drought/1691507/ -
Civilian Conservation Corps Founded
a work relief program that gave millions of young men employment having to do with the environment during the Great Depression era http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/logo/civilian-conservation-corps
https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/civilian-conservation-corps -
Taylor Grazing Act
The first act to regulate federal public lands.
https://definitions.uslegal.com/t/taylor-grazing-act/
https://thesouthwestjournal.com/tag/taylor-grazing-act/ -
Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act
Every waterfowl hunter 16 years old and older must have a valid Federal hunting stamp.
https://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/mighunt.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Duck_Stamp -
Soil Conservation Founded
The Soil Conservation raises awareness for soil erosion problems. Thanks to Hugh Hammond Bennett, the Father of Soil Conservation, word got out about the erosion problem having an impact on agricultural productivity and sustainability of the environment.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/about/history/?cid=nrcs143_021392 -
FIFRA
This Act was made to regulate the amount of pesticides used. The pesticides regulations have been established with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
https://environmentallaw.uslegal.com/federal-laws/federal-insecticide-fungicide-and-rodenticide-act/
https://www.hazardouswasteexperts.com/fifra-primer-pesticide-regulation-and-compliance/ -
Clean Water Act
This Act was established to reduce the amount of pollution in water and was the first law to ever recognize water pollution.
https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/history-clean-water-act
https://us130urbansustainability.wordpress.com/2017/04/14/clean-water-act-3/ -
OPEC
OPEC stands for The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, which is an intergovernmental organization including 15 nations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPEC
https://www.myjoyonline.com/business/2018/July-24th/imagine-a-world-without-opec.php -
Silent Spring/Rachel Carson
This book is about the effect of pesticides to the environment and her attacking public officials and the chemistry industry about industry marketing claims without eagerness to ask more on the topic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Spring -
Clean Air Act
This Act was passed to reduce the amount of air pollution being released.
https://environmentallaw.uslegal.com/federal-laws/clean-air-act/
https://www.wri.org/blog/2010/11/what-are-limits-epa-clean-air-act-holds-answers -
Wilderness Act
This Act led to our National Wilderness Preservation System which consist of a total of 109 million acres.
https://www.wilderness.net/nwps/legisact
https://wilderness.org/article/wilderness-act -
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
This Act preserves specific rivers and river management, which is making sure the river is being utilized properly
https://www.rivers.gov/wsr-act.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Wild_and_Scenic_Rivers_System -
Cuyahoga River in Cleveland Ohio Catching Fire
The Cuyahoga River caught on fire due to an oil slick. That ended up causing $100,000 worth of damage to railroad bridges.
https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/63
https://www.alleghenyfront.org/how-a-burning-river-helped-create-the-clean-water-act/ -
Environmental Protection Agency Established
President Nixon was the one in charge of establishing EPA. This Agency was mainly created because of the amount of concern rising up about environmental pollution. EPA’s job is to strive in different ways to be sure of a protected environment.
https://www.epa.gov/history
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/57420963969476960/ -
First Earth Day
Earth Day received support from all kinds of people from different backgrounds. It also led to the come up of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
https://www.earthday.org/about/the-history-of-earth-day/
https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/earth-day-turns-45and-dpl-conservation-collection-turns-55 -
Clean Water Act
This Act was established to reduce the amount of pollution in water and was the first law to ever recognize water pollution.
https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/history-clean-water-act
https://us130urbansustainability.wordpress.com/2017/04/14/clean-water-act-3/ -
Endangered Species Act
This Act goes for domestic and international species that are endangered and so are their homes.
https://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/endangered-species-act.html
https://www.abqjournal.com/504765/new-proposed-changes-to-endangered-species-act-could-affect-new-mexico.html -
RCRA
This Act was created for how to manage the hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste.
https://www.epa.gov/rcra
https://www.convergencetraining.com/blog/what-is-rcra -
CFCs Depleting Ozone
CFC is a compound of carbon, fluorine, and chlorine. These gases are gradually destroying the ozone which would result with more beaming of the ultraviolet radiation.
http://www.theozonehole.com/cfc.htm
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/cfcs-ozone.html -
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
This Act prohibits surface coal mining within any boundaries of the National Park System.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/energyminerals/smcra.htm -
Love Canal, New York
A landfill that was 70 acres that created pollution in he atmosphere and harmed the health of very many people
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Canal
https://buffalonews.com/2018/06/01/new-lawsuit-claims-love-canal-chemicals-still-causing-health-problems/ -
3 Mile Island Nuclear Accident
This was a three mile nuclear accident in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, the biggest accident in US Nuclear Power Plant history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident
https://www.thebalance.com/three-mile-island-nuclear-accident-facts-impact-today-3306337 -
CERCLA
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act was enacted by Congress in response to an unacceptable hazardous waste practice in the 1970s.
https://www.hazardouswasteexperts.com/what-is-cercla-and-why-is-it-important-2/ -
Alaskan Lands Act
This Act was signed by President Jimmy Carter and it provided over 43,00,000 acres of national parklands in Alaska and 9.8 million acres to the National Wildlife Refuge System. The act was passed November 12, 1980, but it wasn't enacted until December 2, 1980.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_National_Interest_Lands_Conservation_Act -
Bhopal Chemical Toxic Cloud
A gas leak at the UCIL pesticide plant in India, which was the world's worst industrial disaster in 2010.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster -
American Forestry Association Founded
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Chernobyl
This was a nuclear accident that resulted in 31 deaths. It was an uncontrolled reaction condition.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster -
Montreal Protocol
This is an international treaty that aimed to regulate the use of chemicals that contribute to the consumption of Earth's ozone layer -
Exxon Valdez
A disaster occurring when an oil tanker, Exxon Valdez, owned by Exxon Shipping Company, spilled 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound
https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/exxon-valdez-oil-spill
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez -
California Desert Protection Act of 1994
This is a federal law signed by Bill Clinton and passed by the United States Congress. The law exhibited the Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks and the Mojave National Preserve in the California Desert. The Bill was introduced on January 21, 1993, it passed on October 8, 1994, and it was signed into law on October 31, 1994.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Desert_Protection_Act_of_1994
http://treehuggersintl.com/2010/mojave-desert-protection-act/ -
Kyoto Protocol
An international treaty with industrialized nations that regulates limits on greenhouse gas releases.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol -
world population hits 6 billion
the world's human population estimated to reach the approximate number of 6 billion
http://earthsky.org/human-world/this-date-in-science-6-billion-humans-and-counting
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/06/22/08/41A0F0F500000578-4626334-image-a-2_1498115258569.jpg -
Energy Policy Act
addresses energy production in America such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, oil and gas, coal, tribal energy, nuclear matters and security, vehicles and motor fuels, hydrogen, energy tax incentives, and climate change. It was passed by Congress July 29, 2005 by Bill Clinton and signed into law on August 8, 2005
https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-energy-policy-act
https://www.californiageo.org/media-productions/energy-101-geothermal-heat-pumps/
