History of the Environmental Movement

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History of the Environmental Movement
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Earliest Accounts of Environmental Concerns

• Air and water pollution was not a much of a
  concern, though places like the Roman Empire were
  known to have sewage in the streets.
• The cutting of timber for building was an early
  concern in places such as Babylon, Greece, Italy,
  Phoenicia.
• Soil conservation was practiced by civilizations
  in China, India, and Peru.

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Earliest Accounts of Environmental Concerns
continued

• As countries became more developed, sanitation
  became a problem. The best example is Europe
  during the Middle Ages and the outbreak of the
  Bubonic Plague.
• Forests were also disappearing more and more as
  the need for timber increased.

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1700s

• Ben Franklin began noting water pollution issues
  and pushed for a solution.
• A correlation between population and resources
  was made and brought to light that as one
  increases, the other decreases.
• The use of more coal led to more air pollution.

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1800s 1900s

• The impact of water born diseases became a big
  concern as well as working conditions in
  factories and industry.
• A push was also made to start preserving
  wilderness areas. Teddy Roosevelt Gifford
  Pinchot suggested forests be used wisely.
• The Sierra Club formed during this time.

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Sierra Club

• To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of
  the earth To practice and promote the
  responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and
  resources To educate and enlist humanity to
  protect and restore the quality of the natural
  and human environment and to use all lawful
  means to carry out these objectives.

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1900s

• Impacts of the burning of chemicals and
  processing of synthetic materials is publicized.
• Air pollution is seen as a problem. In 1957,
  increased levels of CO2 was documented and was a
  concern.

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1960s 1970s

• The harmful effects of leaded gasoline is
  presented before Congress.
• Silent Spring -1966-book by Rachel Carson-stated
  that uncontrolled pesticide use (DDT) led to the
  deaths of animals and especially birds, but also
  humans. Its title was meant to evoke a spring
  season in which no bird songs could be heard,
  because they had all died from pesticides.
• Cuyahoga River -1969-oil chemicals burn in
  Ohio, sparking a big environmental movement.

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1970s-1980s

• EPA is established and major environmental laws
  are passed such as the Clean Air Act Clean
  Water Act.
• Catalytic converters are put on cars.
• The effects of toxic dumps comes to light after
  the Love Canal incident. (1978)
• Nuclear power is questioned after a minor
  accident at Three Mile Island. (1979)
• First major energy crisis over supply of oil.
  (1973)

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Love Canal Incident

• Love Canal is a neighborhood in New York which
  became the subject of national and international
  attention and controversy following the discovery
  of 21,000 tons of toxic waste buried beneath the
  neighborhood.

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Three Mile Island Incident

• Three Mile Island is an island in the Susquehanna
  River near Harrisburg Pennsylvania.
• The Three Mile Island accident of 1979 was the
  most significant accident in the history of the
  American commercial nuclear power generating
  industry. It resulted in the release of a
  significant amount of radioactivity, an estimated
  43,000 curies of radioactive krypton

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1980s 1990s

• 1980s Major Disasters
• Chernobyl
• Exxon Valdez- Largest oil spill to date.
  Happened in the Prince William Sound in the Gulf
  of Alaska
• Bhopal poisoning - 27 tons of lethal gases leaked
  from Union Carbide Corporation's pesticide
  factory in Bhopal, India. It was the worst
  chemical disaster in history.
• Ozone depletion taken seriously in 1987.
• Global Climate change becomes more of a concern.

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Chernobyl

• Chernobyl WAS a city in northern Ukraine
• The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear reactor
  accident in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It
  was the worst nuclear power plant accident in
  history resulting in a severe release of
  radioactivity into the environment following a
  massive power excursion which destroyed the
  reactor.
• Two people died in the initial steam explosion,
  but most deaths from the accident were attributed
  to fallout

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1990s to Present

• Debates continue in our government and around the
  world about environmental issues.
• United Nations begins addressing global climate
  change and suggests solutions, but many countries
  do not want to comply.
• Clinton sets aside 58 million acres of forest
  wilderness to be protected or managed.
• Support grows for alternative energy sources such
  as wind energy.
• In 1997 the Kyoto Protocol was drafted.
• An agreement made under the United Nations
  Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
  Countries that ratify this protocol commit to
  reducing their emissions of carbon dioxide and
  five other greenhouse gasses, or engaging in
  emissions trading if they maintain or increase
  emissions of these green house gases.

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Development of Alternative Energy

• Deemed more important due to rise of fossil fuel
  costs.
• Automotive companies spending more money to
  develop gas saving cars.
• More efforts being made to develop solar, wind,
  biofuel, and hydrogen fuels.
• Wind power is the fastest growing energy source.