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Period: 4000 BCE to
Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
Humans went from being savage hunters to being civilized gatherers and eventually developed methods of sustaining resources -
100 BCE
Roman aqueducts were invented!
The Romans constructed numerous aqueducts throughout the Empire to bring water into cities and towns—often from distant sources. The water supplied public baths, latrines, fountains, and private households. Aqueducts also provided water for mining operations, milling, farms, and gardens.
Roman communities took care to allocate shared water resources according to need. -
Period: to
Industrial Revolution
Huge boom in burning of fuels, particularly coal and trees. Cities became crowded and smoky. -
First commercially successful steamboat
In the early 1800s, American Robert Fulton (1765-1815) built the first commercially successful steamboat, and by the mid-19th century, steamships were carrying freight across the Atlantic. -
Period: to
Green Revolution
Resource use and waste production increased. Most industry was mechanized -
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stage of World War II, the United States detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively. -
Period: to
Modern Environmental Movement
NGOs for environmental awareness were made. More politicians took part in environmental campaigns. More research done. -
Biosphere 2
Biosphere 2 was only used twice for its original intended purposes as a closed-system experiment: once from 1991 to 1993, and the second time from March to September 1994. Both attempts, though heavily publicized, ran into problems including low amounts of food and oxygen, die-offs of many animals and plants included in the experiment. -
Period: to
Environmentalism today
More research done about loss of biodiversity and climate change. Many people now know about climate change. -
United States withdrawal from the Paris Agreement
On June 1, 2017, United States President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would cease all participation in the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation. Trump stated that "The Paris accord will undermine (the U.S.) economy," and "puts (the U.S.) at a permanent disadvantage."
