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10,000 BCE
Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic Revolution)
It was a transition of many human cultures from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural societies. The agricultural revolution was important because it allowed the human population to grow exponentially due to the increase in food available to them. -
Industrial Revolution
The industrial revolution was the shift from an agrarian society to one that is dominated by industry and mechanization. It is important because it marks an increase in the production of greenhouse gases and an increase in population. It also leads to an increase in the standard of living in many areas. -
John Muir
John Muir was an American naturalist and the founder of Sierra Club. He petitioned for the National Park bill that created Yosemite National Park. -
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
A book written by transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau about his experience living in a cabin built near Walden Pond. It was important because it raised awareness for environmental issues and the need for conservation. -
Homestead Act
It was an act that gave settlers 160 acres of land in exchange for a small fee and five years of continuous residence before gaining ownership of the land. It was important because it expanded the influence of settlers into the west and many settlers made farms on their new land. -
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the United States. It is important because it was the first major effort for conservation in the United States and it protects 3471 square miles. -
American Forestry Association
The American Forestry Association is a nonprofit organization focused on protecting and restoring forests and it also advocates for the restoration of urban and rural forests through policy changes. It is important because it focuses on the preservation of forests and it advocated for the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps. -
Sequoia National Park
It is a national park known for its giant sequoia trees. It is important because the national park protects the giant sequoia trees which are some of the world's largest and oldest living things. -
Yosemite National Park
A national park known for its waterfalls, sequoia trees, and valleys. It is important because John Muir lobbied for the Act that created the park and he also helped persuade local officials to reduce the amount of grazing in the area. -
Sierra Club
It was an environmentalist group founded by John Muir who became its first president. It is now one of the largest grassroots environmentalist organizations. -
Lacey Act
Thee Lacey Act of 1900 makes it illegal to buy, sell, or transport plants or animals in violation of US, state, foreign, or Native American law. It is important because when it was passed it was the first federal law that protected wildlife. -
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Golden Age of Conservation
Theodore Roosevelt's presidency is called the Golden Age of Conservation because preserving nature and wildlife was one Theodore Roosevelt's personal goals. It was important because he worked for new conservation laws and publicly spoke about the importance of conservation. -
First National Wildlife Refuge
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge was the first national wildlife refuge. It was the first federal bird reservation and it was established by Theodore Roosevelt. -
Gifford Pinchot
The first chief of the US forest service in 1905. He reformed the management and development of forests in the US. -
Aldo Leopold
Aldo Leopold attended Sheffield Scientific School at Yale in 1905. He is known for his book A Sand County Almanac and he is considered to be the father of wildlife ecology. -
Audubon Society Founded
It's a nonprofit organization that focuses on conservation. The society lobbied for the Endangered Species and Clean Air acts as well as other laws. -
US Forest Service
The US Forest Service manages and protects national forests and grassland in the United States. It manages about one fourth of federal land. -
Antiquities Act
This law allows the president to create national monuments from federal lands. It allows the president to preserve areas of natural, cultural, or scientific importance. -
US National Park Service founded
The National Park Service manages US national parks, national monuments, and other conservation areas. -
Period: to
Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that damaged the ecology and agriculture in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico. Severe drought and wind erosion caused the violent dust storms. -
Civilian Conservation Corps Founded
It was a public work relief program for unemployed, unmarried men. The CCC was responsible for more than half of the reforestation done in the United Sates. -
Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act
It requires a person to purchase an adhesive stamp before hunting migratory birds such as ducks or geese. The money raised from the sale of the stamps goes toward conservation efforts such as the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. -
Taylor Grazing Act
It regulates grazing on public lands by requiring a permit to be purchased. It preserves range land by reducing the amount of grazing. -
Fish plus Wildlife Service Founded
It manages fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. It also enforces wildlife laws, protects endangered species, conserves and restores natural habitats, and restores important fisheries. -
Silent Spring published by Rachel Carson
It is a book that documents the detrimental effects of DDT, an insecticide, on the environment. It raised awareness for the overuse of pesticides and led to the banning of DDT from use in many countries. -
Wilderness Act
It created the National Wilderness Preservation System that defines wilderness areas. It protects locations that are designated as wilderness areas. -
"The Population Bomb"
A book by Paul R. Ehrlich that warned about overpopulation. It warned about the importance of environmental issues and the impact that a large human population could have on our environment. -
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
It's a law created to preserve certain rivers that have natural, cultural, and recreational values. It protects rivers by classifying them as wild, scenic, or recreational. -
Cuyahoga River in Ohio caught fire
The river was so polluted that an oil slick caught fire 1969 it caused $100,000 worth of damage to two railroad bridges. The fire helped the environmentalist movement gain traction. -
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
It established the Council on Environmental Quality and it requires all federal agencies to provide environmental impact statements to determine the impact that agency's actions will have on the environment. -
Clean Air Act
It regulates air emissions and authorizes the EPA to establish air quality standards. It protects air quality in the United States. -
First Earth Day
Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day while he was a Senator from Wisconsin. Earth Day inspired many people to protest about the deterioration of the environment. -
Environmental Protection Agency founded
The EPA was made protect human health and the environment. It makes sure that our environmental resources are protected and it strives towards sustainability. -
FIFRA: Federal, Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Control Act
It regulates pesticides to protect people and the environment from the overuse of the toxic chemicals. -
OPEC and Oil Embargo
The 12 members of OPEC decided to stop exporting oil to the United States. It caused oil and gas prices in the US to skyrocket and the embargo ended in March 1974. OPEC still continues to use their influence to control oil exports. -
Endangered Species Act
It protects species that are classified as endangered or threatened and conserves the ecosystems that they depend on. It tries to prevent the extinction of several species. -
Roland and Molina announce that CFCs are depleting the Ozone Layer
They discovered that CFCs can cause the depletion of the ozone layer. Their discovery eventually led to CFCs being banned in many countries. -
RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)
The RCRA allows the EPA to control waste form "cradle-to-grave." The purpose is to reduce the amount of waste produced during the object's lifetime. -
Clean Water Act
Regulates pollution of water systems in the United States. It prevents the deterioration of the nations waters. -
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
It tries to minimize the environmental effects of coal mining in the United States. It also provides for the reclamation of abandoned mines. -
Love Canal, NY
The area is so polluted that it affected hundreds of residents when it was bought by a local school district. It attracted the attention to the health problems caused by toxic waste. -
Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident
One of the reactors partially melted down because of a failure in the water pumps from delivering water to the reactor to cool it. Even though the accident didn't cause any detectable harmful effects, it did cause the NRC to tighten regulations. -
Bhopal
A pesticide plant in Bhopal, India leaked toxic gas into the surrounding area. The leak caused concern among environmentalists and many wanted better security measures to be implemented. -
Chernobyl
A steam explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant launched radioactive material into the atmosphere and coated the surrounding area. It raised concerns about the safety of nuclear energy. -
CERCLA (Superfund)
It identifies and provides for the clean up of sites where hazardous waste threatens the environment or public health. It also reclaims abandoned sites that are heavily contaminated. -
Montreal Protocol
It is an international treaty to reduce and eventually stop all production of many substances that deplete the ozone layer. It´s purpose is to protect the ozone layer from further destruction. -
Exxon Valdez Disaster
An Exxon oil tanker struck a coral reef and ruptured its hull. The tanker spilled 11 million gallons of oil into the surrounding water killing many animals and marine life. Because of the oil spill, many Alaskan beaches are still polluted today. -
Energy Policy Act
It created goals and regulations to reduce the US' dependence on petroleum and fossil fuels. It also attempted to improve overall energy efficiency in the US. -
Desert Protection Act
It created the Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve. It was passed to protect areas in the California desert. -
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Kyoto Protocol
It was an international agreement between industrialized nations to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions. By reducing greenhouse gas emissions the hope was that global warming would also slow down. -
World Population hits 6 Billion people
In October of 1999 the UN estimated that the world population had hit six billion people. -
Mississippi River (Black Coal Sludge Spill)
A coal slurry pond broke into an abandoned mine and about 300 million gallons of coal sludge flooded the surrounding area. Some of the sludge made its way into nearby creeks and rivers and killed many aquatic organisms. -
IPCC Report on Climate Change
The 2007 climate report showed that global temperatures and sea levels were on the rise. The IPCC said that the changes were "very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations." -
BP oil spill in the Gulf
The oil drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon, exploded and sank causing the largest spill in marine oil drilling history. It was eventually capped on July 15, 2010. -
Tsunami hits Japan
The Great Sendai Earthquake caused a 33 ft high wave that hit Sendai, Japan. The tsunami also affected many of Japan's prefectures including Iwate, Fukushima, Ibaraki, and Chiba. -
Fukushima Power Plant Meltdown
The tsunami that hit the Fukushima prefecture disabled the power and cooling of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors. The lack of cooling resulted in damage to the three cores and a hydrogen explosion that released radioactive material into the surrounding area. -
World Population hits 7 Billion people
Only 12 years after the world reached six billion, the world population rose again to seven billion people. The prediction is that the world population will reach 11.2 billion by the end of the century.
