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William Penn's Sustainability Plan
William Penn empliments a plan that for every five trees cut down, one must be planted in its place. This is the first act of environmental sustainability in America and possibly the world. -
Yellowstone Act is Approved
This act made Yellowstone the first national park, "dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoymenent of all the people". This was the first US act of preservation of a land and paved the way for future state, and national parks. -
National Park Service Organic Act
President Wilson signed into action the National Park Service Organic Act, from which the National Park Service (NPS) emerged. The National Park Service regulates and mantains national parks and reservations to "leave them unimpaired for the enjoyement of future generations." -
First Air Pollution Survey
The economy of Salt Lake City thrived on the smelting industry however when 400 farmers sued the largest smelting corporations for the air pollultion, and the first air pollution survery was recorded. The farmers won the case after the results came back the their crops contained 10% sulfur and the smelting companies all moved or shut down. -
Civilian Convervation Corps
With post war time, thousands of young men found work under one of Roosevelet's New Deal programs. The Civilian Conservation Corps had over 500,000 members at one point, whose main goal was reforestation and soil conservation on land that had become barren from fires. -
Bald Eagle Protection
By the 1940s, the once 100,000 nesting eagle population of the country had gone down to almost 400 due to DDT poisoning, lack of prey, and hunting. This national bird was rallied behind by the public and has been making a thundering comeback 70 years later. -
Silent Spring is Publish
Rachel Carson's Silent Spring is publish bringing the attention to the public about the use of pesticides, especially DDT. The writings in this book greatly affected the public who stoped using DDT and other pesticides because of its damage to the water and air quality. -
Clean Air Act Signed
The first amendment to the Clear Air Act, giving the governement the authority to finally regulate interstate air pollution problems.The act also allowed grants to local air pollution agengies for programs. -
Wilderness Act
LBJ signed into effect this law which established the National Wilderness Preservation System who are in charge of preserving and up keeping the land. The law also defined the wilderness as "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain." -
Water Quality Act
LBJ finally issued the regulation on water quality standards for intersate waters. The act also established the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration to monitor when states fail to meet regulation. -
National Environmental Policy Act
Act is the "magna carta" of environmental laws and stresses that the environment must be put first before construction of anything for human benefit. This act is the framework for all modern day environmental laws and was signed into effect by Richard Nixon during his first several months of office. -
Earth Day
Senator Nelson of Wisconsin was upset that the media was not covering the environment enough and thus created the first Earth Day. Over 20 million people nationwide took part in festivities that day and since, Earth Day has only gotten more supported and effective. -
Environmental Protection Agency
Shortly after the rirst Earth Day, EPA was founded to serve and protect all wildlife and environments in the US and worldwide. EPA also protects human health by writing and regulating laws that congress passes -
Crying Indian
The country was shocked when the controversial "Crying Indian" commerical first aired on tv. Much like the modern day stop smoking commericals, the Crying Indian was symbol and a powerful one. The nation was so intruged about this commerical it is often regarded as one of the strongest points ever made in a commericial as the Indian is shocked to see what America has turned into. -
Endangered Species Act
Act allows further studies of the animals that are nearing extinction. The act not only attempts to save the animals but also the ecosystems they live in in an attempt to revitalize the population. -
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
Added protection to over 157,000,000 acres of land in Alaska. The act also added programs to better this land and now includes multiple state parks, recreation areas, and the addition of 12 new rivers for recreation. -
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
CERCLA or Superfund an agency commited to the clean up of hazardous material spills when accidents do happen. The agency also covers what is hazardous to the environment and define such a broad range. CERCLA also determines the amount of natural resources lost when accdietns happen and make sure the victim is compensated for those lost natural resources. -
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocal was an international agreement against use substances that damage the ozone. The scare that led to this was an increasing hole in the ozone that affected greatly the environment. The treaty banned aerosol and since, the problem has been unchanged in intensity and the unanimously agreed upon act worked -
Climate Change
NASA's James Hansan finally finished his analysis and recorded that 4 of the hottest years ever on Earth, were during the 1980s. This research led him to Congress where he became more and more about the unheard of global warming crisis. Hansan's early detections were correct and he is credited with most of the credit of the discovery. -
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Off the shore of Alaska, the drunk captain of the Exxon Valdez oil tank ran aground. Images of glacier water covered in oil flooded American homes as people watched in horror and disguist. Since, no other regulations have been made on shipping dangerous materials safely and other incidents such as this have happened since. -
Gallup Poll
In 1990 a survey was done where Americans were asked if they were environmentalist. Shockingly, over 76% said yes. A question which would have been answered with more questions just 30 years before. The public is finally aware of the damge and impact humans have on the environment -
Earth Summit 1992
Conference held in Rio, Brasil, where 172 countries attended. The issues discussed was the new threat of climate change. From this meeting the establishment of the Committe on Climate Change and the Earth Charter which are both efforts to minimalize climate change worldwide -
Kyoto Protocol
Plan drawn up in 1997 by the UN Committe on Climate Change and finally enacted in 2005. Included major countries such as European Alliance, US, Britain, and more to produce less emmissions than the bassline. Emissions come from electricity, coal, and buring fossil fuels making the protocol very difficult for large countries than run on these sources. -
Inconvient Truth
Vice President Al Gore released his own novel about his truths about the issue of global warming. With a figure head behind the movement, the issue of global warming will hopefully be solved soon. None of Gore's accusations have been proven false and the Earth really is warming up at a rate of .0000001 degree every year. -
Clean Air Act II
WIth still not enough satisfaction from the public, there were provision and more regulations added onto the Clean Air Act. These provisions are now at a much smaller level such as vechile emissions, and personal smoking. The culture of this world is changing in which a way that by the year 2050 emissions are supposed to be down 65%. -
Great Lakes Compact
GWB signed into effect, which splits the basin of the great lakes, and distributes its water accordingly. The act stopped interstate exchange of water for money for the legality. The states inolved are Illonois, Wisconsin, New York, Ohio, Pennslyvania, and Indiana.
