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Timeline of
Environmental
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Some influential people in the
development of environmental awareness
2000
1975
1950
1925
1900
1875
1850
1825
1800
1775
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People
Treaties
Events
Adam Smith (1776)
• - Wrote An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of
the Wealth of Nations - The first modern work of
economics; Introduced the idea of mercantilism
and the free market. Leads to the idea that “Self
interest is good” credited with being formative in
the development of Capitalism. (However he also
noted “"the savage injustice of the Europeans"
arriving in America, "rendered an event, which
ought to have been beneficial to all, ruinous and
destructive to several of those unfortunate
countries." The Native Americans, "far from
having ever injured the people of Europe, had
received the first adventurers with every mark of
kindness and hospitality." However, "superiority
of force" was "so great on the side of the
Europeans, that they were enabled to commit
with impunity every sort of injustice in those
remote countries."
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smith
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/AdamSmith.jpg
Chief Seattle (1865)
Leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish Native
American tribes. A widely publicized speech arguing
in favor of ecological responsibility and respect of
Native Americans’ land rights has been attributed to
him;
“You must teach your children that the ground
beneath their feet is the ashes of your grandfathers.
So that they will respect the land, tell your children
that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach
your children what we have taught our children; that
the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth
befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the
ground, they spit upon themselves. This we know: The
earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the
earth. This we know. All things are connected like the
blood which unites one family. All things are
connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the
sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life:
he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Seattle
web, he does to himself.”
http://www.ximnet.com.my/thelab/comments/comments.asp?id=164
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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Chief_seattle.jpg
Theodore Roosevelt (1910)
• one of the first Presidents to make conservation
a national issue. In a speech that Roosevelt gave
at Osawatomie, Kansas, on August 31, 1910, he
outlined his views on conservation of the lands
of the United States. He favored the use of
America's natural resources, but not the misuse
of them through wasteful consumption. One of
his most lasting legacies was his significant role
in the creation of 150 National Forests, five
national parks, and 18 national monuments,
among other works of conservation. In total,
Roosevelt was instrumental in the conservation
of approximately 230 million acres of American
soil among various parks and other federal
projects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Theodore_Roosevelt_circa_1902.jpg
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Gifford Pinchot (1910)
• was the first
professionally trained
forester in the United
States. His
collaboration with
Roosevelt was
instrumental in
establishing a
conservation
movement in the USA.
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http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h939.html
Rachel Carson (1962)
• was an American marine biologist
and nature writer whose writings
are credited with advancing the
global environmental movement.
She wrote Silent Spring; a book
about conservation and the
environmental problems caused by
synthetic pesticides. The book
spurred a reversal in US national
pesticide policy—leading to a
nationwide ban on DDT and other
pesticides—and the grassroots
environmental movement the book
inspired led to the creation of the
Environmental Protection Agency.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rachel-Carson.jpg
http://buildintelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/silent-spring.jpg
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James Lovelock (1979)
is an English independent
scientist, and
environmentalist. He is best
known for proposing the
Gaia hypothesis, which
postulates that the biosphere
is a self-regulating object
with the ability to keep our
planet healthy by controlling
the chemical and physical
environment.
http://www.waveneybooks.co.uk/images/lovelockgaia.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lovelock
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Some important Treaties in the
development of environmental awareness
Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate
Change
2010
2005
2000
1995
1990
1985
1980
1975
1970
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People
Treaties
Events
Formation of the UNEP (1972)
• United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) coordinates
United Nations environmental
activities, assisting developing
countries in implementing
environmentally sound policies
and practices. It was founded as a
result of the United Nations
Conference on the Human
Environment in June 1972 and has
its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
UNEP also has six regional offices
and various country offices.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UNEP_logo.svg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Environment_Programme
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CITES (1975)
• CITES (the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora, also known as the Washington
Convention) is an international agreement
between governments, drafted as a result of
a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of
members of the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The text of
the convention was agreed upon in 1973, and
CITES entered into force on 1 July 1975. Its
aim is to ensure that international trade in
specimens of wild animals and plants does
not threaten their survival and it accords
varying degrees of protection to more than
33,000 species of animals and plants.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CITES
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CITES_logo.png
Establishment of IPCC (1988)
Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate
Change
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) is a scientific
intergovernmental body tasked with
evaluating the risk of climate change
caused by human activity. The panel
was established in 1988 by the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO)
and the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), two organizations
of the United Nations. The IPCC shared
the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former
Vice President of the United States Al
Gore
http://ziemianarozdrozu.pl/i/upload/zmiany-klimatu-przyszlosc/ipcc-logo-sm.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergovernmental_Panel_on_Climate_Change
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Montreal Protocol (1989)
•
Image - The largest
Antarctic ozone hole
recorded as of
September 2006
• Montreal Protocol on Substances That
Deplete the Ozone Layer (a protocol to
the Vienna Convention for the Protection
of the Ozone Layer) is an international
treaty designed to protect the ozone layer
by phasing out the production of a
number of substances believed to be
responsible for ozone depletion. The
treaty was opened for signature on
September 16, 1987, and entered into
force on January 1, 1989, followed by a
first meeting in Helsinki, May 1989.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:160658main2_OZONE_large_350.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Protocol
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Rio Earth Summit (1992)
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), June 1992.
172 governments participated, with 108 sending their heads of state or government.
2,400 representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) attended
17,000 people at the parallel NGO "Global Forum",
The issues addressed included:
production of toxic components, such as lead in gasoline, or poisonous waste including radioactive chemicals
alternative sources of energy to replace the use of fossil
Encouraging the use of public transportation systems
the growing scarcity of water
Led to the Kyoto Protocol. Another agreement was to "not carry out any activities on the lands of indigenous peoples
that would cause environmental degradation or that would be culturally inappropriate".
The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature.
The Earth Summit resulted in the following documents:
Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
Agenda 21
Convention on Biological Diversity
Forest Principles
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Both Convention on Biological Diversity and Framework Convention on Climate Change were set as legally binding
agreements.
The Green Cross International was founded to build upon the work of the Summit.
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Critics, however, point out that many of the agreements made in Rio have not been realized regarding
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such fundamental issues as fighting poverty and cleaning up the environment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Summit
http://blogs.statravel.com/journal/region_images/south_america_brazil_rio_de_janeiro_statue_brazil.jpg
Kyoto Protocol (1997)
• Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC), aimed at fighting
global warming. The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty
with the goal of achieving "stabilization of greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."
Participation in the Kyoto Protocol, as of June 2009, where dark green indicates the
countries that have signed and ratified the treaty, grey is not yet decided and red is no
intention to ratify.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kyoto_Protocol_participation_map_2009.png
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Greenpeace (1971)
•
•
•
•
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organisation with offices in over 40
countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its
diversity“. Greenpeace uses direct action, lobbying and research to achieve its goals. The
global organization does not accept funding from governments, corporations or political
parties, relying on more than 2.8 million individual supporters and foundation grants.
Greenpeace evolved from the peace movement and anti-nuclear protests in Vancouver,
British Columbia in the early 1970s. On September 15, 1971, the newly founded Don't
Make a Wave Committee sent a chartered ship, Phyllis Cormack, renamed Greenpeace
for the protest, from Vancouver to oppose United States testing of nuclear devices in
Amchitka, Alaska. The Don't Make a Wave Committee subsequently adopted the name
Greenpeace.
In a few years Greenpeace spread to several countries and started to campaign on other
environmental issues such as commercial whaling and toxic waste. In the late 1970s the
different regional Greenpeace groups formed Greenpeace International to oversee the
goals and operations of the regional organisations globally. Greenpeace received
international attention during the 80s when the French intelligence agency bombed the
Rainbow Warrior, one of the most well-known vessels operated by Greenpeace, killing
one. In the following years Greenpeace evolved into one of the largest environmental
organisations in the world.
Today Greenpeace focuses on world wide issues such as global warming, deforestation,
overfishing, commercial whaling and nuclear power. Greenpeace is known for its direct
actions and has been described as the most visible environmental organization in the
world. Campaigns of Greenpeace have raised environmental issues to public knowledge
and influenced both the private and the public sector but Greenpeace has also been a
source of controversy. Its motives and methods have received criticism and the
organization's direct actions have sparked legal actions against Greenpeace activists.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenpeace
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gp-esso.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Greenpeace.svg
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Some events that changed the world
2010
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
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People
Treaties
Events
Dust Bowl(1930 to 1936)
• The Dirty Thirties was a period of
severe dust storms causing major
ecological and agricultural damage to
American and Canadian prairie lands
from 1930 to 1936 (in some areas until
1940). The phenomenon was caused
by severe drought coupled with
decades of extensive farming without
crop rotation, fallow fields, cover crops
or other techniques to prevent
erosion. Deep plowing of the virgin
topsoil of the Great Plains had
displaced the natural grasses that
normally kept the soil in place and
trapped moisture even during periods
of drought and high winds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Farmer_walking_in_dust_storm_Cimarron_County_Oklahoma2.jpg
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Minamata (1956)
•
•
•
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamata_disease
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tomokos_hand.gif
Minimata disease is a neurological syndrome caused by
severe mercury poisoning. Symptoms include ataxia,
numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness,
narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing and
speech. In extreme cases, insanity, paralysis, coma and
death follow within weeks of the onset of symptoms. It can
also affect fetuses in the womb.
The disease was first discovered in Minamata city, Japan in
1956. It was caused by the release of methylmercury in the
industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporation's
chemical factory, which continued from 1932 to 1968. This
highly toxic chemical bioaccumulated in shellfish and fish in
Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea, which when eaten by
the local populace resulted in mercury poisoning. While cat,
dog, pig and human deaths continued over more than 30
years, the government and company did little to prevent the
pollution.
As of March 2001, 2,265 victims had been officially
recognised (1,784 of whom had died) and over 10,000 had
received financial compensation from Chisso. By 2004,
Chisso Corporation had paid $86 million in compensation,
and in the same year was ordered to clean up its
contamination. On March 29, 2010, a settlement was
reached to compensate as-yet uncertified victims
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DDT (1962)
•
Along with the Endangered Species
Act, the US DDT ban is cited by
scientists as a major factor in the
comeback of the bald eagle, the
national bird of the United States,
from near-extinction in the contiguous
US.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT
http://www.ruralintelligence.com/images/blogs/FarmPesticideSpraying.jpg
•
DichloroDiphenylTrichloroethane) is one of
the most well-known synthetic pesticides. In
1962, American biologist Rachel Carson
wrote Silent Spring. The book cataloged the
environmental impacts of indiscriminate DDT
use in the US and questioned the logic of
releasing large amounts of chemicals into the
environment without fully understanding
their effects on the environment or human
health. The book suggested that DDT and
other pesticides cause cancer and that their
agricultural use was a threat to wildlife,
particularly birds. Its publication was a
signature event in the birth of the
environmental movement. It produced a
large public outcry that led to a 1972 ban in
the US. DDT was subsequently banned for
agricultural use worldwide under the
Stockholm Convention, but limited,
controversial use in disease vector control
continues.
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•
Chernobyl
disaster
(April 1986)
•
•
•
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was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986, at the Chernobyl
Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union). It is
considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history and is the only
level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale.
The disaster occurred on 26 April 1986, at reactor number four at the
Chernobyl plant, near the town of Pripyat in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist
Republic (USSR), during systems test at low power causing the reactor vessel
to explode. This exposed the reactor to air and it caught fire sending a plume
of radioactive fallout into the atmosphere. The plume drifted over large
parts of the western Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and
Northern Europe. Large areas in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia had to be
evacuated, with over 336,000 people resettled. According to official postSoviet data, about 60% of the fallout landed in Belarus.
The accident raised concerns about the safety of the Soviet nuclear power
industry as well as nuclear power in general, slowing its expansion for a
number of years while forcing the Soviet government to become less
secretive about its procedures.
The countries of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus are still doing the huge
decontamination and paying the health care costs of the Chernobyl accident.
A 2006 report prepared by the Chernobyl Forum, led by the World Health
Organization (WHO) states, "Among the 134 emergency workers involved in
the …(fixing immediately after)… the Chernobyl accident, 28 persons died in
1986 due to ARS(Acute Radiation Syndrome), and 19 more persons died in
1987-2004 from different causes. Among the general population affected by
Chernobyl radioactive fallout, the much lower exposures meant that ARS
cases did not occur". It is estimated that there were 4,995 additional deaths,
between 1991 -1998, among the approximately 60,000 most highly exposed
people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chernobyl_Disaster.jpg
Set up of National Parks in The UK
(1949)
The original ten National Parks of England and
Wales were set up in the 1950s following an
Act of Parliament in 1949. They were
chosen as “extensive areas of beautiful and
relatively wild country” and are regarded as
our most outstanding and unspoilt
landscapes.
The purposes of the National Parks are:
1. To conserve and enhance the natural
beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the
area
2. To promote opportunities for the
understanding and enjoyment of the Parks’
special qualities by the public
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http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/print/index/learning_about/national_parks_england_wales.htm
http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/print/national_park_protected_areas.jpg
Set up of National Parks in the USA
(1872 to 2004)
• The United States has 58 protected areas
known as national parks, which are operated
by the National Park Service.
• National parks must be established by an act
of the United States Congress.
• The first national park, Yellowstone, was
signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant
in 1872, followed by Sequoia and Yosemite in
1890.
• The Organic Act of 1916 created the National
Park Service "to conserve the scenery and the
natural and historic objects and wildlife
therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of
the same in such manner and by such means
as will leave them unimpaired for the
enjoyment of future generations."
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US-NationalParkService-ShadedLogo.svg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Park_Service
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Ozone Holes (Late 1970s to Present)
•
•
•
•
Holes in the Ozone layer describes two distinct, but related
observations: a slow, steady decline of about 4 percent per decade in
the total volume of ozone in Earth's stratosphere since the late 1970s,
and a much larger, but seasonal, decrease in stratospheric ozone over
Earth's polar regions during the same period. The latter phenomenon is
commonly referred to as the ozone hole. In addition to this well-known
stratospheric ozone depletion, there are also tropospheric ozone
depletion events, which occur near the surface in Polar Regions during
spring.
The most important process in both trends is catalytic destruction of
ozone by atomic chlorine and bromine. The main source of these
halogen atoms in the stratosphere is photodissociation of
chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compounds. These compounds are
transported into the stratosphere after being emitted at the surface.
Ozone depletion strengthened as emissions of CFCs increased.
Since the ozone layer prevents most harmful UVB wavelengths (270–
315 nm) of ultraviolet light (UV light) from passing through the Earth's
atmosphere with a variety of suspected biological consequences such as
increases in skin cancer, cataracts,[3] damage to plants, and reduction of
plankton populations in the ocean's photic zone may result from the
increased UV exposure due to ozone depletion.
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Montreal Protocol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:160658main2_OZONE_large_350.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion
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Bhopal disaster (December 1984)
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•
•
The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal Gas Tragedy is the
world's worst industrial catastrophe. It occurred on the
night of December 2-3, 1984 at the Union Carbide
pesticide plant in Bhopal, India.
A leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other
chemicals from the plant resulted in the exposure of
several thousands of people. Estimates vary on the
death toll. The official immediate death toll was 2,259
and the government of Madhya Pradesh has confirmed
a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas release. Other
government agencies estimate 15,000 deaths. Others
estimate that 8,000 died within the first weeks and that
another 8,000 have since died from gas-related
diseases. A government affidavit in 2006 stated the leak
caused 558,125 injuries including 38,478 temporary
partial and around 3900 severely and permanently
disabling injuries.
Chemicals abandoned at the plant continue to leak and
pollute the ground-water. Whether the chemicals pose
a health hazard is disputed.
http://static.guim.co.uk/Guardian/news/gallery/2007/aug/13/internationalnews/4216136136-9065.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mjw5cW3W1sY/S98EgTG4hQI/AAAAAAAACeI/JQ1hH557Cug/s400/01_BHOPAL25.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster
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Exon Valdize (March 1989)
•
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Exval.jpeg
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince
William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989,
when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for
Long Beach, California, struck Prince William
Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled 260,000 to
750,000 barrels (41,000 to 119,000 m3) of
crude oil. It is considered to be one of the most
devastating human-caused environmental
disasters ever to occur in history. As significant
as the Valdez spill was — the largest ever in
U.S. waters until the 2010 Deepwater Horizon
oil spill — it ranks well down on the list of the
world's largest oil spills in terms of volume
released. However, Prince William Sound's
remote location, accessible only by helicopter,
plane and boat, made government and
industry response efforts difficult and severely
taxed existing plans for response. The region is
a habitat for salmon, sea otters, seals and
seabirds. The oil, originally extracted at the
Prudhoe Bay oil field, eventually covered
1,300 miles (2,100 km) of coastline, and
11,000 square miles (28,000 km2) of ocean
Rainbow Warrior
Incident
(July 1985)
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•
•
•
The sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, codenamed Opération Satanique was an operation
by the "action" branch of the French foreign intelligence services, the Direction Générale
de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE), carried out on July 10, 1985. It aimed to sink the flagship
of the Greenpeace fleet, the Rainbow Warrior in the port of Auckland, New Zealand, to
prevent her from interfering in a nuclear test in Moruroa.
Fernando Pereira, a photographer, drowned on the sinking ship. Two French agents were
arrested by the New Zealand Police on passport fraud and immigration charges. They
were charged with arson, conspiracy to commit arson, willful damage, and murder. As part
of a plea bargain, they pleaded guilty to manslaughter and were sentenced to ten years,
of which they served just over two.
The scandal resulted in the resignation of the French Defence Minister Charles Hernu.
Twenty years later, a report by the then head of French Intelligence, said the attack was
authorized by French President François Mitterrand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_the_Rainbow_Warrior
http://www.nzine.co.nz/images/articles/D010230_lg.jpg