-
Population hit one billion
-
Abestos Outbreak
Toxic asbestos dusts swept out from the vermiculite mines that the town relied on for generations, killed hundreds of the town’s own residents and left many more sick. -
Population hit two billion
-
The Dust Bowl
An ignorance of intense over-plowing and farming over the land turned virgin top soil into dust, creating dust storms. Ruined miles of farmland. -
Trinity Test Site
Worlds first atomic bomb testing and site. Paved the way for future atomic bomb testing and radiation that damaged ecosystems. -
The Founding of IUCN
Was established on October 5th, 1948 in the town of Fontainebleau, France. Is known as the first global union. -
The Great Smog of London
Sulfur likely mixed with the fumes of burning coal, creating the thick yellow smog that killed thousands of humans and animals and hospitalized hundreds more. -
Minimata
Thousands dies when local fish supply in Minimata, Japan became contaminated by bacteria. A factory on the bay was at fault for dumping mercury. -
Population hit 3 billion
-
Rachel Carson’s "Silent Spring"
Her book helped create the idea of environmental activism, she paved the way for the environmental protection agency. -
The Original Earth Day
Millions of people took to the streets to protest environmental destruction. The protest had educated more people about how we were negatively affecting the earth. -
Gaia Hypothesis
This hypothesis observes how the evolution of life and biological system behaves as one single entity. -
Chipko Movement
Forest conservation movement started in India, influenced other to start their own environment movements. -
Population hit four billion
-
Whaling (save the whales)
The first save the whale movement was launched, it secured an international ban on commercial whaling. -
Love Canal
The abandoned Canal in New York became a dumping ground for toxic waste and chemicals. In 1978, the waste began to leak into basements and backyards, the people living in those homes were exposed to the toxins. -
Bhopal
More than 40 tons of methyl isocyanate leaked from a pesticide plant and caused significant morbidity and premature death. -
Chernobyl
The resulting steam explosion and fires from the disaster released at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the environment. -
Population hit five billion
-
The Exxon Valdez oil spill
Eleven million gallons of oil spilled into Alaska’s Prince William Sound. Covered 1,300 miles of water, and killed thousands of marine organisms. -
Kyoto
A treaty made by Japan, that aimed to reduce the emission of gases that contribute to global warming. -
Population hit six billion
-
Jilin chemical plant explosion
This explosion severely polluted the Songhua River, 100 tons of toxic chemicals spilled into the river. Human exposure to the river is linked to Leukemia. -
Documentary film An Inconvenient Truth released
The documentary raised international public awareness of global warming and re-energizing the environmental movement. -
Tennessee coal ash spill
The coal ash spill released large amounts of arsenic, lead, mercury and other contaminants into the area’s natural resources. Damaging natural ecosystems and homes. -
Population hit seven billion
-
The Camp Fire
Is known as California’s deadliest wild fire, killed 85 people, and was proven to be caused by man made power lines.