Timeline of Environmental Science

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Timeline of Environmental Science
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Environmental issues have surfaced throughout
human history.
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60,000 years ago-today

• Earliest evidence of fire to clear land in
  Tanzania
• Deforestation continues to devastate

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7,000 years ago

• Land, air and water pollution common
• Rome was notorious for sewage in the streets

Ancient sewer system
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500 BC forward

• Soil conservation practiced except in China in
  ancient times
• Lead poisoning by Romans who prepared their wine
  with lead sweetened sugar (lead acetate)

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Middle Ages and Renaissance1200-1750

• Plague devastates Europe but leads to the
  beginnings of a public health system.
• Still deforestation, soil erosion, water
  pollution
• Picture is woodcut of outhouse opening directly
  into water supply

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Era of Enlightenment 1750-1830

• Thomas Malthus predicts that as populations soar,
  resources will become scarce or run out entirely.
• Movement to clean up waterways.
• New technologies create new pollutions
• Woodcut of victims of typhus

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Industrial Revolution 1830-1890

• Living conditions in urban areas horrible
• Smog episodes begin killing residents of large
  cities like London.
• Conservation of wilderness areas begins
• Giant Sequoia Mother of the Forest tree cut
  down started national forest preservation

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Progressive Era 1890-1920

• Reform was the common concern. Reform of working
  conditions, slum housing, food adulteration,
  sanitation, drinking water, polluting industries
  and more.
• Social activism, womens clubs, Sierra Club begin
• Young Teddy Roosevelt leads the way in conserving
  large tracts of land for wise use

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Roaring 20s and depression 1920-1940

• Leaded gasoline becomes standard for vehicles
  despite fight against
• Civilian Conservation Corps founded by FDR

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World War II and the 50s

• Only the government can secure the long-term
  public interest. Private industry can not
• Increasing C02 buildup
• Deadly smog episodes in London

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The Sixties 1960-1970

• Rachel Carsons book Silent Spring
• The tragedy of the commons (as unrestricted
  grazing could turn a common pasture into a
  wasteland, unregulated industry could do the same
  to the planet. )

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The Seventies 1970-1980

• A decade of awakening and cleanup begins with the
  birth of the Environmental Protection Agency
• Air pollution is cut back dramatically through
  use of catalytic converters on new cars
• Water pollution is greatly decreased through a
  massive sewage treatment expansion program

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1970-1980s

• Toxic chemicals become more troubling
• Nuclear power safety is increasingly suspect
  after the Three Mile Island accident.
• Energy crisis in oil supply leads to reversals of
  some restrictions on refinery and oil pollution
• Greenpeace protecting whales

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The Eighties 1980-1990

• Disasters -the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster
  in Ukraine and the Challenger shuttle and Exxon
  Valdez oil spills in the U.S.
• Ozone depletion from fluorocarbons

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The Nineties 1990-2000

• Persian Gulf War creates environmental disaster
  with thousands of burning oil wells.
• Political standoff - A Gallup poll finds 76
  percent of Americans call themselves
  "environmentalists."

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2000 til now

• Global climate change becomes a pressing priority
  
• Coal mine disasters continue to haunt the US and
  China.
• Toxic Waste dumping in developing nations
  continues to be an urgent problem.
• Tsunami and earthquake almost destroys nuclear
  power plant in Japan

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The Future