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10,000 BCE
Neolithic agricultural revolution
Settlements, population increase, local recourse management began. -
Industrial revolution in Europe
Increased urbanisation, resource usage and pollution -
Influential individuals such as Thoreau and Muir write books on conservation
First conservation groups form and nature reserves established -
Dustbowl in North America
1930s and 1940s. Recognition that agricultural practices may affect soils and climate -
Green Revolution - intensive technological agriculture
Recourse use (especially fossil fuel use) and pollution increased. Human population increased sharply -
Minamata Bay Disaster
1956 --> 1958 Emphasizes the ability of food chains to accumulate toxins into higher trophic levels, including into humans -
Rachel Carson publishes "Silent Spring"
General acceptance of dangers of chemical toxins affecting humans. The pesticide DDT is banned. -
The Montreal Protocol
Summary: The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was designed to reduce the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances to reduce abundance in the atmosphere. --> protect the earth’s fragile ozone Layer. The Protocol was agreed on 16 September 1987 and started on 1 January 1989.
Implications: Parties to the Protocol meet annually and take a variety of decisions aimed at enabling effective implementation of this important legal instrument. -
Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET)!
EANET started in 1998 as an intergovernmental initiative to create a common understanding on the state of acid deposition problems in East Asia, provide useful inputs for decision making at various levels with the aim of preventing or reducing the adverse impacts on the environment, and promote cooperation among countries. Thirteen countries in East Asia are participating in EANET at present
http://www.eanet.asia/ -
West Virginia Fights Acid Rain by Dumping Limestone Into Streams
In March, fisheries officials in West Virginia took action against the effects of acid rain by dumping 24 tons of limestone sand into Laurel Creek, near Fenwick in Nicholas County.
The scheme shows how simple technology can be used to help restore ecosystems damaged by human activity. It is also one more reminder of how fragile our freshwater ecosystems are
http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/04/10/west-virginia-fights-acid-rain-by-dumping-limestone-into-streams/
