Environmental History

  • World Population Reaches 1 Billion

    The world population hit one billion in the middle of the industrial revolution.
  • Establishment of National Forests

    This was the result of the Forest Reserve Act of 1891, which allowed the president to establish forest reserves.
  • Love Canal Disaster

    The Love Canal Disaster was an event in which the Hooker Chemical Company was dumping highly toxic chemicals into the Love Canal landfill.
  • Lacey Act

    This law prohibits trade in wildlife, fish, and plants that have been illegally obtained.
  • Migratory Bird Act

    This called for the protection of migratory birds.
  • World Population Reaches 2 Billion

    It took 123 years after the world population hit 1 billion to hit two billion.
  • Bald Eagle Protection Act

    Bald Eagle Protection Act
    This act makes it illegal to sell, hunt, or possess a bald eagle.
  • Public Health Service Act

    This gave the United States Public Health Service the responsibility to prevent the spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries into the U.S..
  • Everglades National Park

    This is a 1.5 million acre wetlands preserve in Florida.
  • Antarctic Treaty System

    This was created regulate international relations in Antarctica, which is the only continent without human population.
  • World Population Reaches 3 Billion

    It took only 33 years after the population hit 2 billion to hit 3 billion.
  • Silent Spring Published

    This book was written to draw attention to the effects of pesticides
  • Wilderness Act

    This federally designated 800 new wilderness areas.
  • National Environmental Policy Act

    This law promotes the enhancement of the environment.
  • First Earth Day

    This was created to show support for environmental protection
  • EPA Formed

    Created to commit to environmental protection matters.
  • Clean Air Act

    This act was intended to control and reduce air pollution worldwide
  • DDT Banned

    This was the ban of the insecticide DDT, which is a possible human carcinogen
  • U.N. Environment Programme created

    This was established for coordinating responses to environmental problems in the United Nation.
  • Water Quality Act

    This requires states to issue water quality standards for interstate waters.
  • Clean Water Act

    This was created to maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the U.S.'s water.
  • OPEC oil embargo

    This was an oil embargo launched in relation to the U.S. involvement in the Arab-Israeli War.
  • Endangered Species Act

    This act was created to preserve and protect endangered and threatened species.
  • World Environment Day

    This was established to bring awareness for the protection of the environment.
  • Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITE)

    Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITE)
    This treaty was signed to ensure that the international trade of wild animals and plants would not endanger the species.
  • Toxic Substances Control Act

    This regulates the introduction of new and existing chemicals.
  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

    This act gives the EPA the authority to control hazardous waste.
  • Alternative Energy Institute

    This school was created to provide key research to alternative energy sources.
  • Three Mile Island accident

    This is the most significant in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history, as there was a partial meltdown on the Three Mile Island.
  • Bhopal Disaster

    This was a gas leak at the UCIL factory, which killed a worker who inhaled the gas.
  • Chernobyl Nuclear Explosion

    This was the result of a poor reactor design, which resulted in the worst nuclear disaster in history.
  • World Population Reaches 5 Billion

    27 years after the population hit 3 billion, the world reaches 5 billion.
  • Montreal Protocol

    This treaty was signed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of substances that are responsible for ozone depletion.
  • Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

    Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
    This was a tragedy where a single hulled, Exxon tanker was pierced causing 50 million gallons of oil into the Prince William Sound.
  • Gulf War Oil Spill

    Gulf War Oil Spill
    This was the result of Iraqi forces dumping oil into the waters to prevent a U.S. water landing.
  • First U.N. Earth Summit

    This was a meeting convened to address environment protection.
  • Food Quality Protection Act

    This at directs the Secretary of Agriculture to collect pesticide data on commodities eaten by children.
  • World Food Summit

    This was convened to strategize against world hunger.
  • Kyoto Protocol

    This was international treaty to reduce climate change, and greenhouse emissions.
  • BP Oil Spill (Deep Horizon)

    BP Oil Spill (Deep Horizon)
    This is the largest marine oil spill in history, which was caused by and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.
  • World Population Reaches 7 Billion

    It took only 24 years after the population hit 5 billion for the population to hit 7 billion.