Events that effected the development of the modern environmental movement

By charrisxx

  • Minamata

    1956- chemical company released toxic methyl mercury into waste water in Japan

  • Rachel Carson's 'silent spring'

    1962- raised awareness for the threat of pesticide DDT to organisms higher up in the food chains

  • Save the whale campaign

    1970's- Greenpeace organised action to prevent whaling

  • Bhopal

    1984- Explosion at Indian union carbide plant released toxic gases into the atmosphere, killing almost 10,000 people in 72 hours

  • Chernobyl

    1986- Nuclear power plant meltdown reinforced negative opinions on nuclear power

  • UN Rio Earth summit

    1992- focus on sustainable development, impact likely to be felt globally, stated that nothing less than a complete transformation of our attitudes and behaviour would bring about necessary changes

  • an inconvenient truth

    2006- Global warming knowledge becomes widespread, mainstream political figure championed environmental issues for the first time, global warming information was made accessible to a wider audience via the film, film changed attitudes and raised awareness about climate change