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Silent Spring is published
Rachel Carson publishes her book Silent Spring, revealing the damage caused by pesticides. Rachel Carson faced backlash from the chemical industry but her informative book became a best seller. Rachel Carson's book made a large impact worldwide and many people were now influenced to stand up for nature. Speaking out for the environment was now common and it's believed that the environmental movement kicked off in 1962 after the publishing of Silent Spring. -
Clean Air Act of 1963
In 1963 the first federal legislation focused on air pollution control was made. It was one of the first major wins for the Environmental Movement as many people were starting to notice the effects of air pollution that was growing due to urban living. This was when many began to join the Environmental Movement and started advocating for a cleaner atmosphere. The Clean Air Act of 1963 banned the testing of nuclear weapons in certain areas worth protecting like the atmosphere. -
Rachel Carson Passes Away
Rachel Carson was a key individual for the Environmental Movement. She was an environmental biologist and writer. She wrote several books about pollution and encouraged/influenced many to join the Environmental Movement. Her passing was devastating but eye opening. Rachel Carson impacted the Environmental movement so greatly that she is remembered as the person who started it. Without Rachel Carson, the Environmental movement wouldn't be the Environmental movement. -
1969 Santa Barbara oil spill
An oil rig in Santa Barbara unexpectedly blows out. Around 800 miles of oil spread through the U.S. killing thousands of birds, fish, and sea mammals. Those in the Environmental Movement were devastated and not only began advocating for keeping our oceans clean, but also keeping animals safe. -
The Clean Water Act, the Marine Mammal Act, and the Ocean Dumping Act
The Ocean was being advocated for for years by the Environmental Movement. Awareness for the deteriorating ocean began to spread and soon the government became aware of the issue. The Clean Water Act, the Marine Mammal Act, and the Ocean Dumping Act were all created in 1972. Outlawing waste dumping in our oceans as well as unnecessary extraction of marine mammals from their homes. This was a monumental occasion for the Environmental Movement and was a key event for making our planet healthier. -
James Lovelock publishes the Gaia Hypothesis
As the Environmental Movement grew stronger, more people began rising up and making a large impact on the movement and what they were fighting for. James Lovelock was one of the many people who made a large impact on the Environmental Movement. James published a book and created a new theory known as the Gaia theory (or Gaia Hypothesis). A theory that depicts Earth as a living system we are apart of. His book advocated for cleaning the planet and his beliefs impacted the movement greatly. -
Moratorium of Whaling is Ignored by Norway and Japan
After a 10 year campaign by activists, The International Whaling Commission approves a moratorium on whaling. This moratorium was meant to take effect in 1985. This was huge progress for the Environmental movement. Japan and Norway defied the ban and continued to whale anyway. This caused an uproar by the Environmental Movement. The 10 years spent trying to save our planet were ignored. This became a key event in the Environmental Movement because it pushed those advocating for it to fight back. -
Elon Musk Makes a Large Impact on the Environmental Movement
Elon Musk is a key individual for the Environmental Movement. This is because of this attempts at preventing air pollution by founding an entire company meant to prevent pollution: Tesla. Elon's goal with Tesla is to make electric cars easy to use and affordable. Elon has also spoken out about pollution and why its dangerous, because of Elon's popularity and fame, this message on pollution was heard by many. Elon Musk continues to invent new ways to battle pollution to this day. -
Saving Endangered Animals
Those advocating in the Environmental Movement were not only advocating for protection of the ocean and atmosphere, but for all living things too. Many rallies take place to help promote saving endangered animals. Corporations and Charities are made with hopes of making a difference in the animal populations. Critically endangered species like the Amur Tiger are being focused on my advocates trying to save the species. Some species, like the Manatee in 2017, are saved and no longer endangered. -
40 Tons of Trash Removed From the Ocean
Activists have made a huge difference in ocean pollution. The efforts of cleaning the ocean had a large and good outcome. Ocean activists ended up removing 80,000 pounds of trash (or 40 tons) from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The activism for our ocean and its protection wouldn't be as strong without the Environmental Movement.
