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The Love Canal
Love Canal is a canal from the Niagara River. From 1942 to 1953, the Hooker Chemical Company, supported by the government, used the canal as a chemical waste dump. In 1953, there were around 22,000 tons of 200 different kinds of chemicals found within the canal and it has heavily affected the locals in that area. The locals were found with lung disease as well as traces of cancer within the people affected. This is on my timeline due to the fact that this company had the support of the governmen -
"London's Killer Fog" / "Great Smog of London"
At the end of the year of 1952, the streets of London was covered with a thick yellow fog that, once breathed in, made the citizens cough and later lead to bronchitis and pneumonia which killed around 12,000 lives during its existence.
I felt that this was an important event due to the fact that this was one of the earlier signs of the effects of human progress and what could happen if things went wrong.
Information : http://www.history.com/news/the-killer-fog-that-blanketed-london-60-years-ago -
The Seveso Disaster
An explosion at a chemical manufacturing plant north of Milan, Italy released a toxin (TCDD) into the air adversely affecting the nearby town. Shortly thereafter 3,300 animals died and many were killed in order to prevent the spread the toxin. Children were hospitalized with skin inflammation and nearly 500 people were found to have skin lesions. Even after 10 years the effects of the toxin still remains. This is important because even after 10 years we could still see the effects of the toxin. -
The Three Mile Island Nuclear Explosion
The three mile island accident was a partial nuclear meltdown which occurred in one of the two United States nuclear reactors on March 28, 1979 . Located on the three mile island in Pennsylvania. it was the worst accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history with the partial meltdown resulting in the release of small amounts of radioactive gases and radioactive iodine into the environment, the people affected were affected with cancer due to the radiation. Why is it important? -
Kuwaiti oil fires
The Kuwaiti oil fires were caused by Iraqi military forces setting fire to a reported 605 to 732 oil wells while retreating from Kuwait in 1991 due to the advances of military forces in the Persian Gulf War. The fires were started in January and February 1991, and were all extinguished in November 6, 1991.
Why is this important to me?I feel like this day and age oil and other fossil fuels are very important and should be used only when there is no other alternative
