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10,000 BCE
Neolithic agricultural revolution
The Neolithic revolution lay the foundation for all future environmental movements. It commenced in the middle east, a region called the fertile crescent. People established new agricultural methods and started the domestication of animals and crops. This resulted in increased food production and thanks to the food increase, the population grew. The revolution also impacted the environment transforming forests into farmland, destroying habitats and releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. -
The Industrial revolution in Europe
The main trigger that started the Industrial revolution was the rapid increase of the population that led to a gigantic reservoir of workers. It was marked by new farming techniques and inventions that led to a massive increase in food production. With a rise of living standards more natural resources were exhausted and the use of chemicals and fuels in factories introduced an increase in air and water pollution -
Green Revolution
A name many people connect with the Green Revolution is Norman Borlaug. This American scientist began managing research in Mexico and developed new disease resistant varieties of wheat. By combining that and new technologies, Mexico produced more wheat than the country could consume. By 1960 it became an exporter of wheat. The Green Revolution also introduced irrigation, which meant that more places were used for planting crops, so larger parts of previously undisturbed areas were destroyed. -
UK's ten National Parks are established
A turning point in environmental history came with the ten National Parks established in the United Kingdom. It became a decade of new national parks for the nation starting with the Peak District in 1951. People finally started to recognise the importance of protecting our environment. National parks not only helped protect biodiversity, but they also provide a home for native animals and plants with addition to keeping the air and water clean. -
Minamata Bay disaster
The most horrific mercury poisoning disaster the world has seen happened in Minamata, a city situated on the coast of Japan. Due to improper handling of industrial wastes, Minamata disease is one of many diseases caused by environmental pollution. People also started to grow aware of other environmental problems that Chisso, the company that caused the Minamata disaster, was causing. These included dumping of discharge in the city's harbour, smoke, dust, noise, and vibrations. -
WWF, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth are formed
Three of the most prominent NGOs today have had a long and turbulent history. The establishment of NGOs played a major role in raising public awareness about many ecological problems. The also helped pave the way for more NGOs to be created, which meant non-governmental organisations gained a greater following. They introduced new ecological solutions to environmental problems. It was a major turning point in history signifying the point when people started caring for the environment. -
Bhopal Disaster
At the time considered the worst industrial accident in history, Bhopal disaster was caused by 45 tons of methyl isocyanate that escaped from an insecticide plant. After the gas leak, the leaves on the trees yellowed and fell off the branches. Around 2,000 animals, mostly livestock, were killed by the gas leak. The estimated death toll of people was around 17,000 and around half a million people suffered severe respiratory problems, eye irritation or even blindness. -
Chernobyl nuclear disaster
The worst disaster in the history of nuclear power generation happened in Ukraine in Pry'pyat. The disaster was caused by a chain reaction of explosions, which triggered a large fireball. The explosion released a huge amount of radioactivity into the air affecting the people and the environment. The animals, plants and humans living in the area of around 30 km of the explosion were affected. The radioactivity created anomalies and mutations in plants, animals and humans. -
First Earth Summit
The very first Earth Summit held place in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. It was created as a twenty-year follow up to the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. Even though more economically developed countries already started to protect the environment, other countries saw the importance, but didn't act on it. As a result of the summit, the conferees agreed on the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and the Forest Principles, which both helped protect the environment. -
Kyoto protocol becomes a legal requirement
The Kyoto protocol was another document signed at the Earth Summit. It's main aim was to reduce greenhouse-gas and limit emissions of carbon. That treaty was finalised in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, after years of negotiations, and it went into force in 2005. The change it has made on the environment isn't that significant, but it gets us a bit closer to dealing with global warming.
