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1 Billion World Population
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2 Billion World Population
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Founding of IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was founded on October 5, 1948 in Fontainebleau, France It was the first international environmental association. Their goal was to promote global collaboration and supply scientific tools to aid in conservation actions. -
Minamata
The first discovery of the Minamata disease occurred on May 1956 Minamata disease is methyl-mercury poisoning that was caused by contaminated waste water containing high amounts of mercury produced by a chemical plant owned by Chisso Co. in Minamata City, Japan. Symptoms include ataxia, speech and auditory damage, tremors. -
3 Billion World Population
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Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring Published
The book was published September 27, 1962, by the Houghton Mifflin Company. It was written about the effects of DDT (pesticide toxic to the environment) on plants, animals and humans in certain communities and became a very controversial book. -
First Earth Day
The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. Millions of Americans came together through rallies and parades to bring awareness to our planet, the Environmental Movement, and to increase ecological awareness. This event brought widespread unity to the Environmental Movement. -
The Clean Air Act
The Clean Air Act enacted on December 31, 1970. It allow for regulations to be put in place for industries to limit emissions and it also increased enforcement authority to make sure regulations were being followed. -
Gaia Hypothesis
The Gaia Hypothesis was created by James E. Lovelock in 1972. It states that living organisms interact with their non-living environment to create a self-regulating system that maintains the conditions that make living on Earth possible. It became very controversial. -
The Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act was enacted on October 18, 1972, in response to growing public concerns regarding the condition of the United States’ water. The CWA monitors water quality, sets minimums for waste discharge and creates regulations for issues such as oil spills. -
4 Billion World Population
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Whaling (save the whale)
In Vancouver, Canada, on April 27, 1975, Greenpeace started the world’s first anti-whaling campaign. This campaign started an international “Save the Whales” movement which eventually lead to a global ban on commercial whaling. -
Recycling Goes Curbside
In 1980, Woodbury, New Jersey, became the first city to implement a mandatory curbside recycling pickup program for all residents. This led to the creation of beverage container deposit laws which currently exist in 10 states. Curbside recycling pickup can now be found in just about every American city and brings much needed awareness to every neighborhood and its residents. -
Bhopal
On December 3, 1984, in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh state, India, forty-five tons of methyl isocyanate (harmful gas) escaped from an insecticide plant owned by Union Carbide Corporation. The gas spread to nearby neighborhoods and killed 15,000-20,000 people. Those who survived still experience eye irritation, blindness and respiratory issues. -
Antarctic Ozone Hole Discovered
In 1985, researchers discovered a 7.3 million square-mile hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. This hole shows the extensive negative effects that people can have on the Earth’s atmosphere. As a result of this discovery, 46 Nations ended up signing the Montreal Protocol which pledged to phase out substances that were commonly known to cause ozone depletion, a main substance being chlorofluorocarbons, which can be found in air conditioners and aerosol sprays. -
Chernobyl
On April 26, 1986, in Pryp’yat, Ukraine, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded and released significant amounts of radioactive material into the air. Hundreds of thousands of people experienced radiation sickness and cancer deaths, and lots of birth abnormalities in livestock occurred. The explosion was caused due to a failed experiment, where technicians at the reactor shut down emergency systems and power-regulating systems while allowing the reactor to run at seven percent power. -
5 Billion World Population
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Hybrid Cars Gain Ground
The introduction of the Toyota Prius in 1997 to the Japanese people was the first time that a hybrid gas-electric vehicle was made widely available to consumers. This trend continues rapidly today. Not only are hybrid vehicles being sold, but increasing quantities of fully electric vehicles are also being put on the market. These hybrid vehicles emit about half as much carbon dioxide as fully gasoline powered cars do. -
Kyoto
The Kyoto Protocol was approved on December 11, 1997. It aims to commit developed countries and economies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and operates based on the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change. -
6 Billion World Population
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Documentary film An Inconvenient Truth released.
An Inconvenient Truth was released on May 24, 2006. The film documents Al Gore as he presents information on global warming, including its causes (carbon dioxide concentrations and human energy use) and the projected effects (changing conditions of the Arctic and Antarctic) on the planet. -
Bald Eagle No Longer Endangered
The Bald Eagle, a symbol of American patriotism, was taken off the endangered species list in 2007 after decades of conservation efforts. Bald and golden eagles are protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Pact. Despite no longer being an endangered species, these many protection methods stay in effect as we do not want to risk these majestic creatures getting back on the brink. -
The BP Oil Spill
On April 20th, 2010, an explosion on the BP oil rig caused over 130 million gallons of crude oil to spill into the Gulf of Mexico. This was the biggest oil spill to ever occur in U.S. waters, and to this day it is one of the biggest environmental disasters in history. Millions of sea animals were harmed and many of them were killed by this leakage. This spill opened up the eyes of people all over the world to the devastating effects that humans can have on our environment. -
7 Billion World Population
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Great Pacific Garbage Patch Mapped
In August 2015, 30 vessels crossed the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to make up the largest ever ocean research expedition Between California and Hawaii, this patch covers almost double the size of Texas according to some estimates. The majority of garbage found was in larger chunks instead of smaller broken up pieces. This large ocean cleanup was a huge step in the right direction for future expeditions to come. -
Paris Agreement Goes into Effect
The Paris Agreement is an internationally binding treaty that deals with climate change, it went into effect on November 4th, 2016. The goal is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius every year, or to at least keep it below 1.5 degrees, compared to pre industrial levels. The ultimate goal is to obtain a climate-neutral world by mid century.