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7984 BCE
Agricultural Revolution
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Industrial Revolution
(No Specific date) -
John Muir
He was a Scottish American naturalist author, Enviornmental philiosopher and early advocate for preservation of the wilderness in the United States. -
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
The text is a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings and is an important theology within Enviornmental science. -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act encouraged Western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land. In exchange, homesteaders paid a small filing fee and were required to complete five years of continuous residence before receiving ownership. -
Yellow Stone National Park Founded
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American Forestry Association Founded
(Just September 1875) -
Yosemite plus Sequoia Natonal Park Founded
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Sierra Club Founded
The Sierra Club is the nation's largest and most influential grassroots Enviornmental organization. It has more than two million members and is still growing. -
Lacey Act
The Lacey Act is a conservation law in the United States that prohibits trade in wildlife, fish and plants that have been illegally taken, possessed, transported, or sold. -
Period: to
Golden Age of Conservation (Theodore Roosevelt)
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First national wildlife refuge established
Pelican Island was the first national wildlife refuge established in the United States. It was created to protect egrets and other birds from extinction through plume hunting. -
National Audubon Society founded
The National Audubon Society was founded in 1905. It is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. It is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world. -
Gifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot was an American forester and politican. He served as the fourth chief of the division of forestry from 1898 to 1905 and first chief of the US forest serve from 1905 until he was fired in 1910. (Just generally 1905) -
US Forest Service founded
The U.S Forest service was founded in order to help the country sustain healthy, diverse and productive forests and grasslands for present and futures generations. -
Aldo Leopold
Aldo Leopold is most widely known for his book "A Sand County Almanac". He was one of the first conversationalists that developed ethics when facing the environment. (Not exact date- just generally 1905) -
Antiquities Act
The Antiquities Act is the first law to establish that archeological sites on public lands are important public lands are important public resources. It was the first US law to provide general protection for any general kind of cultural or natural resource signed into law by Theodore Roosevelt. -
Congress became upset because Roosevelt was waving so much forest land so they banned further withdrawals
(No Specific date) -
National Park Service Founded
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Dust Bowl
Summer of the 1931 to the Fall of 1939 (No exact dates) -
Civilian Conservation Corps Founded
The Civilian Conservation corps was in response to the Great Depression by FDR, part of the New Deal. Young men were given jobs working and preserving our nations land. It was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942. -
Soil Conservation Service founded
The Soil Conservation service primarily focused on agricultural land and worked to help farmers. It provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners and managers. -
Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act
The Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act is a stamp that allows people to hunt migratory birds. It also allows admittance to wildlife refuges. It was passed by congress on March 16, 1934. -
Taylor Grazing Act
The Taylor Grazing Act was signed by Theodore Roosevelt in order to stop the destruction of grazing lands. It also was enacted in order to help livestock. -
Fish Plus Wildlife Service Founded
It was formed to protect wildlife, specifically seafaring animals. It has the power to enforce laws when they are broken. -
Silent Spring published by Rachel Carson
Silent Spring published by Rachel Carson on September 27, 1961. "Silent Spring" is the foundation of the American Conservation movement. It prompted the public to make a change in the way they dealt with pesticides and pollution. -
Wilderness Act
The Wilderness Act was passed by the senate on April 9, 1963, passed the House July 30, 1964, and signed by President Johnson September 3, 1964. The Wilderness Act properly defined what qualified as wilderness. -
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act suggested that people take care of rivers from urbanization. This was to prevent the destruction of natural beauty. -
Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio caught fire
The Cuyahoga River caught fire helping to kick start the environmental movement. The fire occurred because of such high quantities of oozing pollution in the water. -
National Environmental Policy Act
The NEPA is often referred to as the "environmental Magna Carta" because it required all government agencies to set up environment assessments. It was passed by the senate on July 10, 1969, passed by the house on September 22, 1969, and signed into law by Richard Nixon on January 1, 1970. -
First Earth Day
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Environmental Protection Agency Established
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Clear Air Act Established
The comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Authorizes EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards to protect public health and public welfare and to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants. -
FIFRA- Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodentide Control Act
The FIFRA was put in place by the EPA to protect consumers and the environment from pesticides. It was revised in 1972, 1975, 1978, and 1988. -
OPEC and Oil Embargo
The OPEC oil embargo was in response to the US and European support of Yom Kippur War. Gas prices soared to upwards $12, forcing Americans to begin purchasing more fuel efficient cars. -
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act provides for the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of their range. It also provides for the conservation of the ecosystems on which the endangered species depend. -
Roland and Molina (UCI)- CFC's and ozone announcement
Sherwood Roland and Molina Announce that CFC's are depleting the ozone layer. CFC's allow more harmful UVB's pass through the atmosphere. -
RCRAC (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)
The RCRAC specifically outlines the proper disposal for hazardous waste. This is to protect the health of humans and nature. -
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act attempts to eliminate water in water. It also sets up laws to protect our natural waterways. All waterways must meet a certain standard. -
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
This act was created in response to the harsh effects of coal mining on our environment. It sets up a clear set of standards that all states must abide by. -
Love Canal, NY (toxic waste leeks into residential houses)
Lois Gibbs discovered that her son's school rested on a toxic dump in Love Canal NY. Through years of work, all the families were evacuated and the site was cleaned. She became a household name for all her work. -
Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident
It was a partial nuclear meltdown. It was the most significant accident in the US commercial nuclear power plant history. The EPA as a response enacted stricter Nuclear Plant regulations. -
Alaskan Lands Act
It gave Alaska over 40 million acres of new land. The act has positively impacted the state economy and tourism industry. -
CERCLA- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act [Super- Fund]
CERCLA is known as super fund and held people responsible. It also supplied a trust fund in case of hazardous waste release. (1980-1990) -
Bhopal, India (chemical toxic cloud)
It was one of the worst disasters caused by urbanization was the Bhopal India toxic cloud killed thousands after issues as a pesticide factory occurred. Participants were heavily persecuted. -
Chernobyl
The chernobyl nuclear accident is by far the most disastrous in history. The clean up was costly and chernobyl is still unlivable. An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere. -
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol is a treaty that has been signed around the world to stop the onset of ozone depletion. Countries have agreed to work together to stop ozone depleting substances. -
Exxon Valdez
The Exxon Valdez oil spill took a devastating toll on the environment. The marine population temporarily declined, but the area has yet to recover. -
Energy Policy Act of 1992
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 was formed to address the drive need of energy reform. The act caused an increase in clean energy use. -
Desert Protection Act
The Desert Protection Act was signed by President Clinton and formed Death Valley. It also formed Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave preserve in California. -
Period: to
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol forest countries to lower greenhouse admissions. However, the US never ratified it. -
World Population hits 6 billion
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IPCC Report on Climate Change
The report is the largest and most detailed summary of the climate change situation ever undertaken. It discusses the human and natural drives of climate change. The report covered the entire year of 2007. (No specific dates are given for publication) -
Gulf Oil Spill
The Gulf Oil Spill killed 11 people and unleashed the worst environmental disaster in US history. More than 200 million gallons of oil polluted the ocean and Gulf coastlines. -
Nuclear Disaster in Japan
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World Population hits Seven Billion
