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23. Bishnoi Movement
Started around the 1730s located in Rajasthan. It created a conservation of biodiversity to protect eco-friendly social life for the community. As a result, the maharaja gave a strong decree for preventing the cutting of trees in all Bishnoi villages. -
Human Population Hits 1 Billion
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The Founding of Yellowstone National Park
In March of 1872 President Ulysses Grant created the first national park. He signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act which ensured that 3,500 miles of land is protected from urbanization. Starting with one national park, it is now on to 423 parks and continues to grow every day. -
Release of the Electric Car
The first release of an electric car was in 1890, by William Morrison a chemist in Iowa. Even though the car had a weak engine, only reaching 14 miles an hour it kickstarted the electric car revolution. Leading to now where in 2021 statistics, 8.6% of cars sold were electric. Leading to the installation of “chargers” at gas stations, and in the home chargers for these electric cars. Electric Cars now make up 1% of all automobiles. -
Human Population Hits 2 Billion
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Founding Of IUCN
Stands for the International Union for Conservation of nature and was established on October 5, 1948, in Fontainebleau. The goal was to examine the impact that humans have on nature, specific activities. IUCN focused on the damaging effects of pesticides and encouraged the use of environmental impact assessments. -
Air Pollution Control Act
In the early 1940s there was smog in California Air which affect many people's eyes and there was no visibility for about 3 blocks. After years of trying to do something about the air pollution President Dwight Eisenhower signed an act which was the first act to talk about air pollution. The Air Pollution Control Act was signed in July of 1955 and the government helped fund research to try to stop air pollution, -
Minamata Disaster
In 1956 Japan announced that there was a unknown disease traveling around the effects the central nervous system. In Minamata Bay many people became contaminated with mercury from a factory in the area. It started with animals specifically fish which then people ate and then consumed mercury. Many people died due to this disease so anti- pollution campaigns were created which drew attention from others. -
Human Population Hits 3 Billion
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Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" Published
Silent Spring is a novel, published on June 30, 1962, exposing chemical companies for the use of pesticides and their effect on wildlife, focusing on birds. She is accusing the government and chemical companies of ignoring the effects of pesticides on the environment. The publishing of this book led to an environmental movement against the use of pesticides and chemical agriculture. -
Environmental Protection Agency
In the 1960s many people were starting to notice the effects that pollution was having on the Earth. In 1969 President Nixon started doing something about the pollution he made the Environmental Quality Council. After the council the Environment policy act was created. The act was created to restore the land, water, and air of America -
Fire on the Cuyahoga River
The Cuyoga River caught on fire in 1969. This fire was caused because of the extensive pollution in the river led to the humongous fire.This fire led to tons of Acts and Agreements, such as the Clean Water Act and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and led to the founding of The Environmental Protection Agency, both federal and the local Ohio branch. -
Start of Earth Day
The first Earth Day was established in 1970, making it a 52-year event. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 annually. Pre-Earth Day the American population was oblivious to the terrible impact of their everyday choices until the first Earth Day when everyone was shown the full effects of their choices. Earth Day was majorly influenced by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. -
Gaia Hypothesis
The Gaia hypothesis, also known as the Gaia theory or principle, states that all organisms and their inorganic surroundings on Earth are close enough to create a complex system that maintains conditions for life on the planet. Created by the chemist James Lovelock. His investigation of the hypothesis sets on looking at how the biosphere and time period of life contributes to the balance of ocean salinity, oxygen, and temperature in the atmosphere. -
The Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act was enacted on December 28, 1973, and is concerned about protection for plants, fish, and other animals that are considered on the endangered species list. This was intended to protect these endangered species from extinction by creating laws to protect these animals and wildlife. The goal is to make it where we don’t have any wildlife on the endangered species list, and that all species are alive and thriving, that is the ultimate goal of the act. -
Chipko Movement
The Chipko movement was a non-violent distress area for the protection and conservation of trees. It was best remembered for the preparation of women for maintaining the forests. Starting in 1973, in Uttar Pradesh’s Chamoli district and soon moved onto other states in North India, social activist Chandi Prasad Bhatt founded the organization to foster small industries for rural villages in return to saving the trees. -
Save Silent Valley Movement
A movement against the state to protect Silent valley. Silent valley was tropical forest located in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India. The movement began in 1973 to save the forest from flooding by a hydroelectric project. Local people got the word around and were able to publish a report on the silent valley hydroelectric project. As a result, the government of Kerala passed legislation -
Human Population Hits 4 Billion
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Recycling Going Curbside
Woodbury, New Jersey was the first city to implement a curbside recycling program and route. This kickstarted the recycling revolution, leading to now where nearly all Americans composte or recycle some of their waste. This Curbside Recycling Program is spread to nearly every city and every state. Leading to HOA rules prohibiting residents to not recycle, requiring they set out recycle bins weekly, for set pick up days. This jumpstarted the movement of Recycling at home. -
Bhopal Disaster
The Bhopal disaster was a chemical leak in Bhopal, India in 1984. The Union Carbide Corporation accidentally spilled 45 tons of methyl isocyanate, a gas that was released into the air. The gas leaked killed 15 to 20 thousand people and caused about 500,000 cases of respiratory issues. The owners of the company later convicted of negligence because they ignored safety precautions. This led to awareness of the importance of chemical control and proved the horrible effects of gas leakage. -
Discovery of the Ozone Hole
Chemicals in the atmosphere and ended up tearing a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. Chlorine and Bromine in the atmosphere led to reactions with the Sunlight and destroy and 1percent of the layer per day. Resulting as the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which was aimed at lowering the emissions of these gases into the atmosphere, and its working! -
Narmada Bachao Andolon
A mass movement beginning in 1985. It was to protest against the shortness of rehabilitation and resettlement on policy for 250,000 people and more who went through the submergence during the building of big dams along the Narmada River. The Narmada Valley project plan was to construct 3,000 small dams, 135 medium dams, and 30 large dams from the Narmada all the way to Gujarat -
Save the Whales Movement
Over the last thousands of years people have been hunting whales, with that the whales decreased rapidly. In 1986, a ban had been set to stop commercial whale hunting. But there are still multiple countries ignoring the ban and continue to hunt whales. -
Chernobyl Disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was one the worst nuclear accidents in history. On April 26, 1986, a severe explosion broke Chernobyl’s Reactor 4, sending fifty tons of radioactive dust into the air. As a result of the accident, 31 people died and around 5 million people were exposed to radiation, which had a huge impact on health. Days later, wind and rain carried the fallout from Chernobyl. Since the breakout, Chernobyl has been representing the anti-nuclear movement for years now. -
Human Population Hits 5 Billion
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The Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol was accepted on December 11, 1997, and enforced on February 16, 2005. This had countries adopt policies to restrict mitigation and then require a periodic report of Green House Gas emissions. The strictness of the law is depending on how developed your country and the extent at which they are restricted. Resulted in a 5% decrease in emission with the 37 countries involved. -
Human Population Hits 6 Billion
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Documentary Film "An Inconvienent Truth" Released
The film An Inconvenient Truth was released on May 24, 2006, in hopes of encouraging those to reduce emissions of gases into the atmosphere and raise awareness to the problems they are creating. The purpose of the film was to explain the background of global warming and push those to act against greenhouse emissions. This film is often described as a wake up call for those who weren’t aware of the effects of their actions. -
Human Population Hits 7 Billion
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President Obama formally joins Paris Agreement
On September 3, 2016, the president at the time signed an agreement saying that the United States will join the Pairs agreement at the same time and date China did. The agreement to help climate change and to lower the temperature by 2 degrees. -
Australian Wildfires
The wildfires in Australia started in October 2019 and lasted into January 2020. Displacing 3 billion animals in the Australian continent. Emitting tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Burning 18 million Hectares of land on the continent. -
Human Population Projected to Hit 8 Billion