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Love Canal
A company dumped tons of dangerous chemicals into the Love Canal, contaminating soil and groundwater which later rose to the surface in the 70s. It was discovered that the chemicals made their way into nearby creeks and homes, forcing residents to relocate. A federal legislation was created, the Superfund law, to control the disposal of dangerous chemicals across the country. -
Minamata disease
A nearby chemical factory in Minamata Bay, Japan dumped mercury into the waters, contaminating fish and eventually people. Over two thousand died from the contamination, specifically fetuses and children, teaching us that the placenta doesn’t protect fetuses from environmental contaminants, and that fetuses are sensitive to mercury. This event sparked the creation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, to prevent further misuse of mercury. -
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring Published
DDT was sold to civilians starting in 1945, a pesticide capable of killing hundreds of insects, threatening nature. Rachel Carson noticed the impacts of DDT and despite its controversy, published Silent Spring, addressing DDT and how it enters the food chain causing long term health problems to both animals and humans. Her book gained attention, resulting in government supervision and eventual ban of DDT. -
Stockholm Conference
The United Nations held their first conference concerning environmental issues. A manifesto was created along with the United Nations Environment Programme to protect the environment and encourage sustainability. -
Endangered Species Act
Multiple species of plants and animals started to decline in population from hunting, destruction of habitats, and much more. By creating the Endangered Species Act endangered species are protected through actions such as restrictions on hunting and conserved ecosystems. Through this act, many species such as the bald eagle have been saved from extinction. -
Bhopal disaster
Methyl gas escaped from an insecticide plantation, killing thousands of people in nearby neighborhoods. The Indian Supreme Court eventually supplied clean water to the community, and workers of the plantation were convicted of negligence. -
Chernobyl Meltdown
An experiment at Chernobyl, Ukraine’s nuclear power station resulted in radioactive material escaping into the surrounding environment. Workers on the power station were killed from the radiation, and an exclusion zone was created afterwards for citizens to avoid. The atmosphere and nature within the zone are radiated and destroyed. -
Montreal Protocol
It was discovered in the 70s that CFCs were being used in everyday household items, and they were damaging the ozone layer and worsening ultraviolet radiation. An international treaty was created in order to protect the ozone layer of the earth by controlling the consumption and production of ODS. The protocol’s efforts have been successful, and it’s the first treaty to have universal ratification. -
Kyoto Protocol
An international treaty created to reduce greenhouse gases that escape into the earth’s atmosphere. This protocol was the first international effort that slowed down climate change. The protocol hasn’t fully succeeded in its mission, but it has instead been a symbol of being the first step towards fighting climate change. -
Documentary film An Inconvenient Truth released
The movie was created by Davis Guggenheim about Al Gore’s campaign on global warming. The producers of the movie were inspired to create the movie after seeing Al Gore’s presentation. The movie won two academy awards and succeeded in raising awareness about global warming.