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1 Billion People
The world population reached 1 billion. -
Chernobyl Meltdown
The disaster began from a poorly executed and designed experiment. The power regulation system of the reactor was shut off, and several control rods were removed. At 1:23 am on April 26th the chain reaction started, causing the reactors lid to blow, and radioactive material was released into the atmosphere. The core had been melted and a lot of the area around the reactor destroyed. An evacuation of the area came soon after. -
2 Billion people
The world population hit 2 billion. -
The Dust Bowl
The dust bowl was a continuous drought throughout the plains. It resulted in a ton of damaged crops due to lack of rainfall. -
Acid Rain Crisis
It began in the 1950s when Midwest coal plants spewed sulfur and nitrogen into the air turning the clouds and rainfall acidic. It started killing plants all around the Midwest. -
The Minamata Disaster
This disease was caused by mercury pollution of fish and shellfish and would cause pregnant women’s children to have birth defects and give, the person who consumed them, illness or sometimes death. -
3 Billion people
The world population reached 3 billion -
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring Published
The book was put into the new yorker magazine. It re introduced the ideas that manmade pesticides are harmful to the environment. It led to a lot of people’s eyes being opened, and an eventual partial ban on DDT. -
US River fires
Railroad bridges near the republic steel trapped debris inside the river, when oil was added to the mix it became worse. A flare had been tossed from a passing train car and ignited the fire. -
The Stockholm Conference
The Stockholm declaration had 26 principles that put environmental concern first. They were assessed and split into different categories. -
The Endangered Species Act
It is a program that helps and conserves threatened or endangered species of plants and animals and helps the species conserve their habitat. -
4 Billion People
The world population reached 4 billion people. -
Love Canal
It became a dumping ground for all types of toxic chemicals. It wound up having 22,000 tons of chemical waste dumped into it. Eventually the place got approved for being able to house people, but later when people went in their basements and they saw the chemicals leaked in through the ground. It caused the homeowners to have chromosomal damage because of the long-term exposure to the chemicals. -
Bhopal Disater
A pesticide plant in India released several tons of methyl isocyanate and other chemicals into the air. The gasses stayed low to the ground and killed many people, and if you weren’t killed the gas would burn your eyes and throat. -
Montreal Protocol
It’s a global agreement to protect the ozone by slowly reducing and eventually removing the use of ozone harming substances. Things like aerosols and things that were also commonly used in things like refrigerators and air conditioners. -
5 Billion people
The population reached 5 billion. -
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Its 2 collections of debris in the North Pacific. Separated by the North pacific tropical Gyre. Most of the patch is made from plastics coming off the land. -
The Kyoto Protocol
International treaty named after the city in Japan. It was made to reduce the emission of gases contributing to global warming. -
6 Billion people
The world reached 6 billion people. -
Documentary film An Inconvenient Truth released
The documentary showed a presentation by former vice president Al Gore. It lectured on the rising issues of climate change and global warming. -
Deep Water Horizon oil spill
On the night of April 20 a surge of gasses tore through a concrete core recently installed by a contractor to sea the well for use later. -
7 Billion people
The world reached 7 billion people. -
8 Billion People
The world reached 8 billion.