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The Nature Conservancy
Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy blossomed into one of the most efficient and global environmental organizations in the world. With a staff of over 400 scientists, the impact is felt across 79 countries worldwide. -
Industrial Revolution
In the 1760s, the main features involved in the Industrial Revolution were technological, socioeconomic and cultural. People designed new machines to help quicken their production rate. Thomas Newcomen designed the first modern steam engine which uses the water out of the mine shafts to get power. Although some of the negatives were unsafe working conditions and pollution from coal and gases the industrial revolution help transform the economic, social and culture impact. -
Population Increases
In 1800, the world population increased to 1 billion, during the time of the industrial revolution. The Earth has reached its 2nd billion population increase in 1928; it took approximately 123 years. This caused many environmentalists to write theories about the possibility of overpopulation effects (such as the Malthusian theory). Currently, the population is residing at 7.7 billion and the Malthusian theory has been proven wrong; there is enough food to supply everyone on the planet. -
The Wilderness Society
Founded January 21, 1935, The Wilderness Society is a non-profit land conservation organization. This organization’s goal is to protect the natural areas and lands in the United States. They have 165 employees working for this goal and have over 1 million members. -
Founding of IUCN
Founded on October 5th, 1948 and located in Fontainebleau, France, the International Union for Conservation of Nature works to protect the natural world. They make sure that humans, the economy, and the natural grow and work together and that one thing does not overtake the others. It is the world's largest environmental network and continues to find solutions for the environment consistently. -
Minamata
Summary description: 1956. Minamata disease is an infection in the nervous system caused by ingesting large amounts of fish from Minamata Bay in Japan. The reason for this is the amount of Mercury in the water on the bay. Heavy metals like Mercury were being dumped into the bay from the Chisso plant in Japan which led to the ingestion of this metals by fish that people would catch and eat. -
Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" Published
Published in 1962 Silent Spring was a very impactful book that brought attention to pesticides being used for agriculture in the US. This book is known to have led to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency and to have sparked the beginning of the grassroots movement. She makes it very clear that humans should work to protect the environment because of how much we rely on it. -
Greenpeace USA
Greenpeace USA was founded in 1967 and is an organization that works to expose global environmental issues. These work to force solutions which are needed to a “green” and “peaceful” future for the United States. -
Environmental Defense Fund
Founded in 1967, this nonprofit environmental group aims to work on issues that include ecosystem restoration, global warming, human health, oceans, and much more. This group wants to find long lasting solutions to make serious environmental problems not be a worry. -
Silent Valley Hydroelectric Project
In the 1970’s the Kerala State Electricity Board proposes to create a hydroelectric dam that would run across 8.3 sq. km of untouched evergreen forest. While the government goes ahead with the project, the local protest goes national and international. In January of 1981, Indira Gandhi declares that the Silent Valley will be protected. In November of 1983, the Silent Valley Hydroelectric Project is called off. -
Gaia Hypothesis
Proposed by British chemist James E. Lovelock and U.S. microbiologist Lynn Margulis in 1972. The Gaia hypothesis claims that all living organisms and their surroundings work together under a self-regulating system that maintains the conditions for living things on Earth. Lovelock warns that human activities are inhibiting the Earth’s ability to regulate itself. This idea has led to the research on the interdependence of Earth’s living organisms and the environment. -
Whaling
On April 27, 1975, the first anti-whaling campaign was created by the Greenpeace organization aiming to put a stop to commercial whaling. The activists involved in the campaign confronted whaling ships, documenting every encounter and releasing it to the public. The response from the world caused the International Whaling Commission to establish a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986. This led to a halt on commercial whaling in most countries except for Iceland and Japan. -
Sustainability Movement
In the 1980’s, the sustainability movement was developed to help enhance the overall economy. People who worked with environmental awareness were a key necessity in promoting lasting product in areas. Businesses companies were held accountable for the environmental sustainability. The Global Reporting Initiative was developed to help report levels to which the organizations inspected all their exercises. The sustainability movement is helping the planet be safe and healthy. -
Bhopal
On December 2nd, 1984 30 tons of toxic gas was dumped from a plant in Bhopal, India. Over 600,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate due to this leak. There is not an exact number of deaths from the incident because people are still dying today due to gas poisoning. However, the number is extremely high, between 3,800 to 16,000. To this day, toxic material still remains in the surrounding area of the plant. -
Chernobyl
On April 26, 1986, an explosion occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine destroying a reactor. It led to a leak in radiation causing nuclear fallout to spread towards the surrounding areas. As a result of this disaster, increased awareness of the dangers of nuclear radiation and the establishment of many international organizations aimed at preventing future nuclear meltdowns like the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Association of Nuclear Operators were created. -
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
On March 24, 1989, the oil tank Exxon Valdez spilled more than 11 million gallons of crude oil into Bligh Reef, located in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The accident effected animals such as sea otters, shore birds, whales, and several aquatic lives. The commercial fishing market has not been able to catch wild fishes in the Pacific due to poisoning. It took 25 years to clean up the oil spill and costed the U.S. $2.5 billion. -
Radical Environmentalism and Eco- Terrorism
In 1992, many groups were forming to save the environment. The radical environment is one who roots for slow reform and disenchantment with the systems of government. They have allowed for communities to form around environmentally minded people and are a structure for individuals to align with. Many times, the media and government twist what the organization is trying to do. -
Kyoto
Signed in December 11, 1997, The Kyoto Protocol was an international agreement designed to tax carbon emissions in hope of reducing greenhouse gases. This treaty gives developing countries an opportunity to earn carbon credits that they can trade with developed nations. Between 1990 and 2012 the parties reduced carbon emissions by 12.5%, this is more than their expected goal. -
Documentary film An Inconvenient Truth released
Released on May 26, 2006, this film exposed audiences to the effects of global warming on the environment and the potential consequences that rising temperatures hold in the future. An impactful film that has been used to educate students in various school systems around the world and raise public awareness on climate change. -
Fukushima Daiichi
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was a nuclear disaster caused by an active tsunami on March 11, 2011. This event devastated Japan’s coastal areas: radioactive water is still flowing into the Pacific Ocean to this day. All nuclear power plants were shut down and Japan had to increase their demand for fossil fuels. It is not completely safe to go to the power plants at the moment, it will take years for the nuclear fuel to be removed.