important dates in U.S history

2021

2021 BCE

U.S. announces it will rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation

2017

2017 BCE

U.S. announces it will cease participation in the Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation

2001

2001 BCE

U.S. rejects the Kyoto Protocol

1997

1997 BCE

The Kyoto Protocol was negotiated in Kyoto, Japan in December. Countries commit to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide

1989

1989 BCE

Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer entered into force

1970

1970 BCE

First Earth Day – April 22. Millions of people gather in the United States for the first Earth Day. US Environmental Protection Agency established

1968

1968 BCE

The Apollo 8 picture of Earthrise

1962

1962 BCE

Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring

1950-1960

1960 BCE

In 1952, BSA released 2 environmental sciences relate merit badges, nature and soil as well as water conservation. nuclear power was first used to generate electricity for civilians in 1954, in the USSR, currently known as Russia. In 1955 the U.S passed the air pollution control act.

1940-1950

1950 BCE

The international Union for the conservation of nature and natural resources, currently known as the world conservation union founded in 1948. A nonprofit organization was also founded in this time called Defenders of Wildlife.

1930-1940

1930 BCE

The dust bowl, a series of dust storms caused due to overuse of the land damaged the ecology of the American and Canadian prairies. The world population reached two billion in 1930.

1920-1930

1920 BCE

Benton MacKaye, a pioneering regional planner created the first plans for the appellation trail a 2000 mile long trail along the east coast of the U.S in 1921

1916

1916 BCE

US Congress created the National Park Service

1900-1910

1910 BCE

The U.S forestry service was founded on February first 1905 by Gifford Pinchot and president Theodore Roosevelt. Both of whom were early advocates of forestry. Boy scouts of America was founded by William D Boyce in 1910

1905

1905 BCE

The term smog is coined by Henry Antoine Des Voeux in a London meeting to express concern over air pollution

1872

1872 BCE

The term acid rain is coined by Robert Angus Smith in the book Air and Rain

1866

1866 BCE

The term ecology is coined in German as Oekologie by Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel.

1854

1854 BCE

Henry David Thoreau publishes Walden

1840-1900

1840 BCE

The U.S department of interior. who took care of conserving and managing most federal lands, which created in 1849. In 1892 John Muir founded the Sierra club, which spread to all fifty states and has now over 750,000 members.

1769

1769 BCE

Philadelphia committee led by Benjamin Franklin attempts to regulate waste disposal and water pollution.

1750-1850

1750 BCE

The industrial revolution gave birth to inventions such as the steam engine, which often required nonrenewable resources such as metal, fossil fuels and coal which in turn increased carbon pollution making the start of a long period of air pollution

1680-1720

1680 BCE

fur trapping and trading gained popularity in the north, while others expanded colonization throughout the west in 1681, William Penn founder of modern day Pennsylvania, passed a decree that one acre of land must remained forested for every five acres that are cut.

1620-1670

1620 BCE

Plymouth was the first colony established by the english in Massachusetts. In 1626 Plymouth leaders began to control the harvesting and sale of timber within the colony.

1600's

1600 BCE

native American tribes moved to the Americans in pursuit of game, and started to use natural resources such as wood, water, land for farming and animals to live sustainably, while providing for there needs. when resources become scarce in an area, or where animals migrated, they would often move elsewhere to let the land replenish its resources.