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Founding of IUCN
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) was established in the French town of Fontainebleau. It was the first global environmental union, that brought together governments and civil society with a shared goal to protect nature which significantly improved the modern environmental movement. -
Minamata
This disease originated in Minamata City, Japan and occurred in humans that ingested methylmercury poisoned species such as fish and shellfish. This is significant to the modern environmental movement because scientists are taking a closer look at marine life before allowing people to ingest harmful or contaminated species. -
WWF founded
The World Wildlife Fund is an international, non-governmental organization committed to the international protection of species, the sustainable use of natural resources, the conservation of biodiversity, and the reduction of humanity’s ecological footprint. WWF, United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), have since developed a global strategy for environmental conservation. -
Rachel Carson's Silent Spring Published
Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring shed light on the damage that man-made pesticides inflict on the environment. Silent Spring created the wave of environmental activism in which the the environment needed to be taken care of as humanity progressed. In the early 1970s, the use of DDT and other pesticides like it were banned in the United States and Canada due to the influence of her. -
UN Biosphere Conference
First international conference on biosphere protection and represented the turning point of international environmental politics. Significant to the modern environmental movement because it provided a gateway into protecting the environment and a step into the right direction. -
Gaia Hypothesis
A theory developed by a British chemist outlining the idea that all living things have a regulatory effect on the Earth's environment that promotes life overall. Although the theory is highly controversial, it is significant to the modern environmental movement because it explores possible explanations toward the environment around us. -
CITES started
The purpose of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species is to ensure international trade in wild plants and animals is legal, traceable, and most importantly biologically sustainable. The treaty reaches to control global over-exploitation of wildlife and the conservation of species. -
The World Conservation Strategy
The first international document on living resource conservation. The document targets to protect, support, and conserve ecosystems so with that it laid the foundations of sustainable development. -
Bhopal Disaster
In Bhopal, India more than 40 tons of methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a pesticide plant in immediately killing at least 2,800 people. Following those events, environmental awareness and activism in India increased significantly. The Environment Protection Act was passed in 1986, creating the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and strengthening India's commitment to the environment. -
Chernobyl
The Chernobyl accident in 1986 was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel. The resulting steam explosion and fires released at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the environment. In result, the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) convened a conference that led to the adoption of the Convention on Nuclear Safety to promote the safety of nuclear power reactors around the world. -
The Brundtland Report on Environment and Development
Also known as the, "Our Common Future", the report produces a new standpoint on the international awareness on the importance of global sustainable development. A new milestone for the future. -
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. With the Montreal Protocol, the ozone layer is projected to recover by the middle of this century. Without this treaty, ozone depletion would have increased tenfold by 2050. -
The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro
The Earth Summit conference resulted in the Rio Declaration and its 27 universal principles, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Declaration on the principles of forest management . It led to the creation of the Commission on Sustainable Development, the holding of first world conference on small islands developing States in 1994, and negotiations for the establishment of the agreement on straddling stocks and highly migratory fish stocks. -
Kyoto Protocol
To summarize, the Kyoto Protocol introduced a convention on climate change that outlined a basis for countries and economies to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The protocol was one of the first to adopt policies or regulations to protect the environment. It has been amended since then and the reason it is so significant is because in reduced emission up to 5% in a little more than 10 years. -
Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth
A film narrated by former US vice president Al Gore, where he travels through the science behind global warming with elements from personal experiences. He uses the presentation format to reinforce the importance of global warming. This is significant to the modern environment movement because it gained a lot of support and helpful tips for viewers with suggestions on how to fight against global warming in their communities.