environmental movement

By n382022

  • Population Hit 1 Billion

  • Population Hit 2 Billion

  • Founding of IUCN

    Established in Fontainbleau, France when governments and civil societies came together to protect the environment.

  • Minamota Outbreak

    A neurological disease that broke out in Japan due to severe mercury poisoning that resulted in 14 environmental laws being passed.

  • Population Hit 3 Billion

  • Rachel Carson's Silent Spring Published

    Rachel Carson's book called attention to chemical agriculture and the negative effects on the environment. After turning to conservation Carson spurred a reversal in pesticide policies, a nationwide ban on DDT, and inspired the movement that created the U.S. EPA.

  • The Clean Air Act Adopted

    A set of federal laws that regulates air quality and emissions of hazardous pollutants.

  • Whaling (Save the Whales)

    A group of activists put their lives on the line by being between a whaling charter and whales they were trying to kill. This movement helped secure an international ban on whaling.

  • The Club of Rome

    A diverse group of 100 scientists, economists, business leaders, and former politicians formed to find solutions to the complex challenges of the world that humanity and the planet face.

  • First Earth Day

    Earth Day was created by a senator in Wisconsin to increase public awareness of environmental problems that would later help establish the EPA and several environmental acts.

  • Gaia Hypothesis

    This hypothesis describes how the interaction between abiotic and biotic factors create feedback loops that help to sustain life on Earth.

  • Population Hit 4 Billion

  • Bhopal Disaster

    After more than 30 tons of toxic gases were released from a chemical plant exposing 600,000 people to deadly toxins. This resulted in many deaths and birth defects.Since India has industrialized, some changes have taken place to avoid future accidents.

  • Antarctic Ozone Hole/ Vienna Convention

    By 1985 science had seen depletion in ozone resulting in the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer to be adopted to combat activities responsible for depletion. Seven months later the Antarctic Ozone Hole was found and more action was taken.

  • Chernobyl

    An accident occurred at a nuclear site in 1986. This event is the only nuclear radiation event to cause fatalities. After this event, the area was improperly cared for causing cattle in the region to become infected leading to increases in thyroid cancer. Years later the area is better contained deemed a tourist attraction and the ecosystems in the area have now adapted and flourish without human interaction.

  • Population Hit 5 Billion

  • Agenda 21

    An action plan of the United Nations that is meant to guide global, national, and local governments to achieve sustainable development.

  • Prius Changes the World

    When introduced gas prices were high so with the new non-gas guzzler Prius became very popular and the only hybrid with mass availability.

  • Kyoto Protocol Adopted

    The UN's Kyoto Protocol committed industrialized countries to reducing and limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Since MEDCs emit most of these gases they are held more responsible for bringing down the levels. The protocol also set tracking standards that are carefully upheld.

  • Population Hit 6 Billion

  • The Documentary An Inconvenient Truth Released

    The release of An Inconvenient Truth opened up many conversations amongst common people that left them asking "what can we do?" as Al Gore described the danger humans actions are to Earth and how to fix it.

  • Population Hit 7 Billion

  • The New Rainbow Warrior

    After the original Rainbow Warrior was bombed in 1985, Greenpeace replaced the vessel with a new Rainbow Warrior that was the world's first ship built solely for environmental campaigning.

  • Mapping the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

    30 ships crossed the Great Pacific Garbage Patch mapping it as three times the size of France and containing 80 million kilograms of floating trash.

  • The Paris Agreement is Adopted

    The agreement set long-term goals for nations to reduce greenhouse emissions and work towards being a net-zero emissions world. Also began a commitment to LEDCs for funding to work towards mitigating climate change.

  • Greta Thurnberg Creates a New Generation of Activism

    A 16-year-old girl goes on a solo strike from school to demand Swedish Parliament and other officials to act on climate change making her a household name and sparking a new conversation about what everyone can do about climate change.