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Important World Events
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Joseph Kabila taking over
Congo president Laurent Kabila assassinated by bodyguard. Son Joseph Kabila takes over amid continuing civil war. -
Clinton Leaves Presidency
Bill Clinton leaves the presidency after protecting 58 million acres of national forest protected from development and creating eight million acres of land as new national monuments. Clinton's conservation record is better than any president sicne Theodore Roosevelt, whose 230 million acres of land in parks, wilderness, national forests, and wildlife preserves remains unequalled. -
Energy Plan
The George W. Bush energy plan emphasizes oil exploration and new construction of coal and nuclear power plants. Conservation and renewables are also mentioned more or less in passing -- funding cuts for research are requested. The Wilderness Society says the plan is a half century out of date. -
Elected Again
Gilbert Grosvenor, chairman of the National Geographic Society and former editor of National Geographic magazine, is elected to yet another term on the Board of Directors of the Ethyl Corp., manufacturers of dangerous lead additives for gasoline. Meanwhile, the worldwide public health campaign against use of leaded gasoline continues. By 2004 Grosvenor will retire from the board. -
Kyoto Global Warming
European leaders scold US President George W. Bush in a European tour for his stand on the Kyoto global warming treaty. -
EWG
Environmental Working Group reports that sources of drinking water for more than 7 million Californians and millions of others are contaminated with Perchlorate, a chemical that disrupts child development and may cause thyroid cancer. -
Genoa, Italy
G8 Summit in Genoa, Italy sees massive protests over the lack of environmental and labor standards in the push for international free trade. One protester is killed by police, others are beaten and detained under harsh conditions. -
World Trade Center Attack
Flight 11 crashes into the north face of the World Trade Center, between floors 93 and 99United Airlines Flight 175 hits the south tower of the World Trade Center at at about 590 mph. American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon and one of the building's five sides collapses. -
Operaction Anaconda
U.S. and Afghan troops launch Operation Anaconda against remaining al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. -
Ready to Attack
In State of the Union address, Bush announces that he is ready to attack Iraq even without a UN mandate. -
Invasion
Invasion of Iraq by US and British forces leads to widespread oilfield burning and other war-related environmental problems. -
Energy Bill
Energy bill introduced in Congress would include ethanol mandates, nuclear power plant construction, liability exemptions for MTBE users, electrical reliability measures and other items. -
End 20 Year War
The Sudanese government and Southern rebels sign a peace agreement to end a 20-year civil war that has claimed the lives of two million people. -
Hussein Convicted
Saddam Hussein is convicted of crimes against humanity by an Iraqi court, and hanged in Baghdad. A witness videotapes the hanging using a cell phone and captures the chaos that unfolds as Shiite guards taunt Hussein. -
European Union
European Union agrees to cut C02 emissions by 20% by 2020, compared to 1990 levels. Under the Kyoto protocol, the EU was already committed to an 8% decrease. The plan also called for biofuels to make up at least 10% of vehicle fuel by 2020. -
Repeal Taxes
New Democratic House of Representatives votes to repeal about $14 billion in tax breaks and subsidies for oil and gas companies, and put the savings in a fund for developing alternative energy sources. The bill is defeated in the Senate, where Democrats have only a one-vote majority. -
Reward!
UK -- Billionaire businessman and philanthropist Richard Branson of Britain sets a $25 million prize for anyone able to devise a way to reduce the amount of so-called greenhouse gases from the Earth's atmosphere by one billion tons (900 million metric tons) per year. -
Cut Carcinogens
US EPA cuts level of carcinogenic benzene allowed in gasoline to 1.3% This will result in an 80% cut from 1999 toxic emissions levels by 2030, EPA said. The change in rules was the result of a 2004 lawsuit by the U.S. Public Interest Group and the Sierra Club. The groups were not happy with one part of the new regs that allow refineries to trade credits for air toxics. -
Green Zones
China launched the Green Transport and Health week campaign. The campaign ended with a No Car Day Saturday. This Chinese national urban transport campaign was implemented by the Ministry of Construction. During the week of September 22, walking, biking, public transportation, and carpooling are encouraged. On No Car Day they will have special 'green zones' in hundreds of cities. These normally vehicle congested areas will be open only to pedestrians, bicycles, and buses from 7am to 7pm. -
Loggin'
US Forest Service opens 3.4 million acres of Alaska's Tongass National Forest to logging despite protests. -
PU
Scientists at Princeton University and the Nature Consevancy publish findings in Science magazine that more greenhouse gases are created if forests and other natural ecosystems are converted into farmland to produce biofuels crops. -
Thieves in Zurich
Three men wearing ski masks steal four pieces of artwork from the Zurich Museum in one of the largest art robberies in history. In broad daylight, the robbers took a Cezanne, a Degas, a van Gogh, and a Monet, with a combined worth of $163 million. Feb. 18: Two of the paintings, the Monet and the van Gogh, are found in perfect condition in the backseat of an unlocked car in Zurich. -
Wind Day
The inaugural year of Wind Day (it did not become Global Wind Day until 2009) was organised by EWEA. The main idea was to coordinate events organised by national wind energy associations and companies active in the wind energy field. Wind Day in 2007 reached 18 countries in Europe, with a participation of around 35,000 people. -
Hostages Released
After being held for nearly six years by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels in Colombia, 15 hostages, including three U.S. military contractors and French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, are freed by commandos who infiltrated FARC's leadership. -
Airstrike in Azizibad
As many as 90 Afghan civilians, 60 of them children, die in an airstrike by coalition troops in the western village of Azizabad. It is one of the deadliest airstrikes since the war began in 2001, and the deadliest for civilians. The U.S. military refutes the figures, which were confirmed by the UN. -
National Sovereignty Day
As a signal of the United States' diminishing role in Iraq, and in compliance with the status of forces agreement between the U.S. and Iraq, U.S. troops complete their withdrawal from Iraqi cities, including Baghdad, and transfer the responsibility of securing the cities to Iraqi troops. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki names June 30 "National Sovereignty Day" and declares a public holiday. -
Illegal Entry
The government of North Korea pardons two imprisoned American journalists after former President Bill Clinton visits the country and its president, Kim Jong-il. Laura Ling and Euna Lee were arrested in March and sentenced in June to 12 years in prison for "illegal entry" into the country. -
Earthquake
7.0-magnitude earthquake devastates Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It is the region's worst earthquake in 200 years. The quake levels many sections of the city, destroying government buildings, foreign aid offices, and countless slums. -
Haiti
Assessing the scope of the devastation, Prime Minister Préval says, "Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed." He calls the death toll "unimaginable," and expects fatalities to near 100,000. The United Nations mission in Haiti is destroyed, 16 members of the UN peacekeeping force in Haiti are killed, and hundreds of UN employees are missing. The death toll was 200,000 people. -
Trapped!
First of 33 trapped Chilean miners is rescued after spending 68 days trapped in a mine half a mile underground. He is pulled to safety via a capsule made for the rescue mission. The rest of the miners will be carried to safety over the next 24 hours. Oct. 13: All 33 Chilean miners trapped underground for over two months are pulled to safety in what is being hailed as a brilliant rescue mission.
