-
National Park
Yellowstone is established as the 1st National Park. Theodore Roosevelt influential. "public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" - How does this fall into economic benefits as referenced in FRQs? Yellowstone Act, 1872 -
Silent Spring
Publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. This book is thought to be the start of the modern environmental movement. Talked about DDT and pesticide implications. PBS Biography Link -
1st Earth Day
April 22, 1970 was the First Earth Day. Earth Day was founded by Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. The first Earth Day had 20 million Americans demonstrating for a sustainable environment. Source -
Clean Air Act
Clean Air Act (1970, 1977, 1990) Established primary and secondary air quality standards. Required states to develop implementation plans. History of Clean Air Act -
Environmental Protection Agency Established
EPA established under President Nixon. EPA's mission is to protect human health by safeguarding the air we breathe, water we drink and land on which we live. EPA History -
Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act (1972) Made it illegal to release a pollutant from a point source without a permit. What is the difference between a point and non point source? Source -
Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act (1973, 1982, 1985, 1988) Established to protect endangered or threatened animals and their habitats. Endangered Species List Source -
CITES
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species lists almost 700 species that cannot be commercially traded as live specimens or wildlife products because they are endangered or threatened. Source -
-
Love Canal
Environmental disaster caused by chemical dumping in up-state New York.
Hooker Company used the canal as a chemical dumping ground and in 1953, covered it with soil and sold it to the state for $1. Homes and a school were built on the ground. The families who lived their suffered from a large number of birth defects and health problems.
Source
Source 2 -
Three Mile Island
Partial meltdown of a nuclear reactor near Middleton, PA. Largest US nuclear accident, but had no discernible health effects. Source -
CERCLA
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as a "Superfund," was designed to identify and clean up abandoned hazardous waste dump sites. Created in part due to the Love Canal disaster. Source -
Environmental Justice Movement
Environmental Justice movement focuses on environmental impacts for the poor and/or people of color. Came out of the recognition that high pollution plants and locations were mostly found in areas that were poor and had a high percentage of POC. Alternately called Environmental Racism. For further reading, read the excerpt from Robert Bullard in Chapter 1 of Miller text. Source -
Chernobyl
Nuclear power plant in the Ukraine had an accident due to a faulty reactor and human error. Caused the largest uncontrolled radioactive release recorded. The accident resulted in massive evacuations and health issues. Source -
Montreal Protocol
Montreal Protocol is an international treaty that aimed to protect that ozone layer by eliminating the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances. Signed by 197 countries. Source -
Exxon Valdez
Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince Williams Sound releasing 42 million liters of crude oil. Caused large scale animal death and habitat destruction. Source -
-
Deep Horizon
Marine well oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, considered to be the largest marine spill in the history of the oil industry. US Government estimated 210 million gallons were lost. Source -
Paris Agreement
Paris Agreement is an international treaty to limit climate change and the increase in global temperature. Approx. 195 countries are involved. Source
