-
Period: to
Environmental Events
-
Trees in the 1600s
Plymouth Colony passes law restricting the timber in the area being cut and sold for profit in 1626. -
Hunting in the 1600s
Newport, Rhode Island established law which restricts open deer hunting season to six months per year in 1639. -
Thomas Malthus
Malthus was an English economist born in 1766 and died in 1834. Most noted for his book An Essay on the Principle of Population, in which he states that a nation’s food production directly affects the population. An increase in food production improves the wellbeing of the populace. However, the population grows with food production which then hurts the wellbeing of society. -
Henry David Thoreau
Born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817, Thoreau was a 19th century philosopher, writer, transcendentalist, and rebel. He is most known for his book Walden, in which he describes the two years, two months, and two days he spent in a cabin he built on Walden Pond. The piece of literature is a social experiment and Thoreau’s personal declaration of independence. -
Arbor Day
annual holiday usually celebrated in the Spring when people get together and are encouraged to plant and care for trees. Celebrated for the first time in the United States in Nebraska City, Nebraska on April 10, 1872. -
Lacey Act
Signed into law by President McKinley on May 25, 1900. Bans the trade of plants, fish, and wildlife that have been illegally taken, possessed, transported, or sold. -
Theodore Roosevelt
26th President of the United States and champion of the Progressive Era. Under Roosevelt, the U.S. Forest Service was established, five new National Parks were created, and the Antiquities Act was signed. -
Forest Service
The Transfer Act of 1905 created the United States Forest Service by transferring management of forests from the Department of the Interior to the newly formed bureau. The U.S. Forest Service currently operates under the Department of Agriculture and manages 193 million acres of land; 25% of all federal land. -
Dust Bowl
severe drought in the 1930s which greatly damaged the agriculture and ecology of prairies in the United States and Canada. -
Silent Spring
An environmental science book written by Rachel Carson and published on September 27, 1962. The book documented the effects pesticides have on the environment and accused chemical agencies or spreading false information. -
Clean Air Act
U.S. federal law enacted Dec. 17, 1963 to control air pollution on a national level. -
Cuyahoga River Fire
On June 22, 1969 pieces of debris floating in the Cuyhoga River covered in oil were ignited when sparks from a pacing train hit them. The fire caused $50,000 in damage and destroyed a bridge owned by Norfolk & Western Railway Co. and the Newburgh & South Shore Railway trestle. -
National Environmental Policy Act
Signed into law by President Nixon on January 1, 1970. Establishes the President’s Council on Environmental Quality. Requires all executive federal agencies to put together Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements. This law does not apply to the President, Congress, or federal courts. -
Earth Day
Annual event held on April 22 to honor the Earth and peace. Originally celebrated in 1970, it is now celebrated by 193 countries. -
EPA
Formed on December 2, 1970 by an Executive Order by President Nixon. It’s purpose is to protect health by protecting the environment through laws and regulations. -
Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Grant on March 1, 1872. It was the first national park in the U.S. and is said to be possibly the first in the world. It’s located primarily in Wyoming with parts in Idaho and Montana and covers nearly 3,500 square miles. Yellowstone is home to hundreds of species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish, including some which are either endangered or threatened. -
Clean Water Act
U.S. federal law enacted October 18, 1972 to control water pollution on a national level. It exists to maintain chemical, physical, and biological of national waters. -
Three-Mile Island
Partial nuclear meltdown accident which occurred on March 28, 1979 in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The meltdown caused radioactive gases and iodine to be released into the surrounding environment. There is no substantial evidence to show that the meltdown caused any cases of cancer. The cleanup project lasted for more than fourteen years with a total cost of about $1 billion. -
Exxon Valdez
Oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska on March 24, 1989. 11 million to 38 million gallons of crude oil were spilled making it the largest oil spill in U.S. waters until 2010. The oil covered 11,000 square miles of ocean. -
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Beginning on April 20, 2010 and ending July 15, 2010, the BP Oil Spill released 210 million gallons into the Gulf of Mexico. The event lead to 11 human deaths and thousands of other wildlife deaths. The spill is the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. -
Fukushima, Japan
The Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant experienced three nuclear meltdowns on March 12, 2011. These meltdowns were due to a tsunami which followed an earthquake that occurred the previous day. The tsunami destroyed the plant’s emergency generators which cool the reactors causing reactor 4 to overheat. The Tokyo Electric Power Company admitted it had failed to meet basic safety requirements which could have prevented the disaster. -
Sierra Club
Environmental organization in the United States founded on May 28, 1892 by John Muir. Currently promotes green policies such as green energy, stopping global warming, and ending use of coal energy by lobbying politicians.