-
Air Pollution Control Act
Congress passes the Air Pollution Control Act. It is the first legislation to address this kind of issue. However, it did not give very much control to the federal government, and most of the problems were dealt with at the state level. -
Rachel Carson & Silent Spring"
This book described how the chemical & carcinogen DDT had entered into our public system and was accumulating in human tissues. It was used as an agricultural pesticide, but its toxicity remained in the environment long after its application. The book is known for its passage that described an American town that had been "silenced" by the harmful affects of the chemical. It raised awareness about the devastating effects that humans can have on the natural world. Img: http://admissions.ncsu.edu -
Clean Air Act
The Clean Air Act is passed allowing the United States government to control air pollution levels. Its aim was to improve the nation's air quality for all life. -
First Earth Day
Twenty million Americans celebrated our environment and it helped to kickstart the climate movement. Politicians and civilians were coming together to protest the immense carbon footprint that we are leaving behind. Img: cleancoastproject.com -
Oil Embargo
An Arab oil embargo increased the price of gas by fifty-three cents a gallon. This led America to have an oil crisis and made us realize our dependency on foreign oil. It gave us a push to explore more domestic and alternative forms of energy. Img: www.heatingoil.com -
Endangered Species Act
This act was signed into law by President Nixon. It was designed to protect critically endangered species that were at risk due to economic growth and human impacts. Img: www.politico.com -
Department of Energy
President Carter established the Department of Energy (DOE). Its goal is to promote sustainable energy technology in the United States. It deals a lot with nuclear power, domestic energy, and innovations. Img: www.chcoc.gov -
Tennesee Valley Authority v. Hill
In the wake of the Endangered Species Act, the Supreme Court halted the construction of the Tellico Dam in order to preserve the endangered snail darter. Congress was in dilemma: how to continue to protect endangered species, and how to spend government funds in order to encourage re-election. They "compromised" and ammended the procedural background of the ESA to maintain a broad protection of species, and still change it in their favor. -
Three Mile Island
Three Mile Island was a nuclear reactor that had a meltdown in March of 1979, in Pennsylvania. It was an environmental disaster as radioactive substances were released into the air. Thousands of people had to leave the area and it was the spark for the anti-nuclear movement. Img: inlportal.inl.gov -
Watt Appointed as Interior Secretary
Under President Reagan, James Watt was appointed as Interior Secretary. Reagan had already cut the Environmental Protection Agency's budget, and Watt was a lawyer who represented large oil companies. Img: www.time.com -
President Bush at Earth Summit
At the Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro, President Bush announced that we would not agree to sign a treaty that would ensure the protection of rare and endangered animals. He believed that it would prevent our future technological innovations. Img: environmentalstudiesinstitute.org -
Kyoto Protocol
This was the first major international attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions. It was considered a failure due to its flaws. Developing countries did not need to reduce their emissions and developed countries could help them reduce theirs in lieu of their own. Countries can also pay to increase their emission allowances. -
Roadless Rule
President Clinton acted to protect more than 58 million acres of national forests. It would prevent logging and road building which inhibits erosion and the declining population of species. -
Tim DeChristopher Protest
Tim DeChristopher entered an auction and bid $1.8 million dollars for a drilling lease with no intention of paying for. He was sentenced to two years in federal prison and the media turned him into a martyr. His sentencing was so severe because he was no apologetic for his actions. Img: www.peacefuluprising.org -
Climategate
Emails between climate scientists were hacked in order to showcase what was believed to be a global warming coverup. Thousands of emails were released and shown in a certain light to fuel accusations. Everything had been published in scientific literature, but taken out of context it seemed to have different messages.
