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William Penn
Pennsylvania governor, William Penn ordered the colonist to conserve one tree after every five cut down.
We feel that this was the very first thing that changed the world forever. Without William Penn, it could have taken longer for people to understand the effects on nature. -
Yellowstone Act
Youtube VideoCongress passed the Yellowstone Act, that made Yellowstone the first national park for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. Also for the preservation of the natural condition.
The Yellow Stone act is very important to the Enviormental Movement. The actual preservation of a park brought attention to the whole idea of conserving and being one with nature. -
Burton Act
The Burton Act preserved Niagara Falls from hydroelectic power facilities.
The Burton Act was a act that helped perserve Niagara Falls. It was a alternate energy source and showed people all around the world that water could also be a power source. -
Raker Act
After a debate between enviromentalists and Californians seeking water rights. Congress flooded Hetch Hetchy Valley and the building of O'Shaughnessy Dam.
The Raker Act was important because it specified that the source because of the source of water and power was not on private land, but public there could be no profit. This act was one of the first to be fought between two groups. The construction of the dam was finished in 1923, leaving John Muir happy. -
Sewerage Commissioners
New York sued New Jersey because of their sewage dumping in the New York harbor. The U.S. Supreme Court however still ruled in New Jersey's favor.
One of the very first cases in history with oppossing cities. This was important because you see the battle between two major states, fighting for what they think is enviormentally right, -
Survey of Air Pollution
The first U.S. city to conduct a large scale survey of air pollution was Salt Lake City.
An important part of the enviormental movement. This was a big step for a city towards protecting Earth. Conducting this survey had the intent that they would see the results and change accordingly, for the better. -
Emergency Conservation Work Act
Franklin Roosevelt asked congress to pass the Emergency Conservation Work Act. Thousands of unemployed men were recuited into the C.C.C. Their job was to protect against erosion and the destruction of natural resources.
A huge step towards a better enviorment! Now we start to see the population getting involved with protecting the enviroment, not just the government. -
Bald Eagle Act
The Act was passed to prevent the extinction of the national symbol. The Bald Eagle was removed from the endangered species list in 2007.
A nation wide warning that our own national symbol would be gone if we didn't help. This brought people together to fight for what was right. The Bald Eagle was saved in 2007, due to the work of the population. -
Antartic Treaty
Protected Antartica from the dumping of nuclear waste. 46 countries have signed the treaty.
An act that changed the way of thinking. So many people thought it didn't matter if they dumped waste in an area that no one lived in. However as we had more evidence that it was effecting the enviorment as a whole, countries started to care. -
Silent Spring
Rachel Carson published Silent Spring to warn the population about the dangers of pesticides. The govertnment outlawed the use of pesticedes several years later.
One of the first powerful books created to protect the enviorment. This was huge because millions of people read this book and finally understood what they could do to help protect Earth. -
Clean Air Act
The first Clean Air Act regulated air pollution and emmisions. Another act that brought the protection of Earth to everyone's attention. People learned for the first time that it was important to have clean air. They learned the negative effects that the population causes on the air. -
Blue Marble
NASA released the "Blue Marble" which was the first picture of Earth from space. Giving an overall picture about our enviroment and the importantance of saving Earth. Finally people saw the BIGGER PICTURE, a way to fully grasp what we are trying to save. Knowing what Earth looks like as a whole, made it easier for people to understand the importance of conserving and protecting the enviorment. -
National Enviornmental Policy Act
The first laws to establish the framework for protecting the enviornment. The act demanded that all branches of government consider the enviornment prior to building structures.
For the first time in history there was laws against building in certain areas. Before anything happened, the government had to think about how this would impact the enviroment. With collecting these ideas, the enviorment was protect in many ways that never would have before. -
First Earth Day
Celebrated by twenty million people organized by Gaylord and Dennis Hayes.
The first Earth Day marked the beginning of something great. This day is a reminder to everyone what we need to conserve. It has brought new ideas to communties throughout America. -
Enviornmental Protection Agency
Create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in harmony.
Harmony, a way of living together and not effecting each other but supporting each other. Conditions that were set to follow this idea, changed the population as a whole. People started to think of ways they could help. -
Endangered Species Act
Congress passed the Endangered Species Act that protects endangered species.
A list that will forever have a big effect on the population. This was a brilliant idea because without this people wouldn't understand how we are effecting ecosystems in a negative way. -
Safe Drinking Water Act
This act was administrated by the EPA to protect Americans from drinking contaminated water.
One of the first acts that protected Americans from the enviroment. This was important because to live in perfect harmony, Americans had to be aware of the dangers the enviorment could hold. -
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
Congressed past the act designating over 100,000,000 acres of parks and wilderness areas.
Just like the Yellowstone Act, this was also important. Many years later this brought the same idea to the table. Without this act, millions of people would have never been introduced to the idea of conserving. -
Montreal Protocal
Signed to eliminate ozone depleting hydrocarbons from the enviornment. Since the Montreal Protocal came into effect ozone depleting hydrocarbon production has decreased.
The first MAJOR concept that blew the popultion away. No one would have ever thought that air pollution would have this great of an effect on Earth. -
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Dumped 11,000,000 gallons of oil, devastating Prince William Sound off the coast of Alsaka.
An oil spill that angered millions of people. The population started to care when they saw the ecosystems dying. This was important because people saw a manmade mistake that would effect the enviorment in a negative way. -
Oil Pollution Act
Streamlined the EPA's ability to prevent and clean up catastrophic oil spills.
An act created to help clean up our mistakes. The population as a whole saw what happened to Exxon and felt the need to help clean the enviorment that was effected. -
David Chain
This man was killed by a tree in protest to protect the Red Wood trees.
A man that was willing to give up his life to protect our enviorment. This was such an ironic way for one to die but it sent a message to Americans that the state of our enviorment is at stake. -
An Inconvinient Truth
To raise awareness about global warming written Al Gore.
Another book that took America by storm, like Silent Spring. This brought new ideas to the table about global warming. It convienced millions of people that global warming was real and that we are the cause of it. -
Massachusetts v. EPA
Massachusettes files against EPA for not establishing greenhouse gas requirements in the states. The U.S supreme court ruled in favor of Massachusetts stating the EPA may regulate greenhouse gasses.
Another fight between two parties. These cases would bring the idea of protecting our enviorment back into the news. It was a reminder to Americans that we need to change our way of life into a way that helps the enviorment. -
San Fransisco Oil Spill
Youtube Video 58,000 gallons of oil in the San Franisco bay. Killed off wildlife. Another oil spill that killed off ecosystem after ecosystem. The sad commecials that were produced covienced Americans to give money or volenteer to help clean up the San Fransisco Bay.
