The Environmental Movement
Cameron Lockwood Maddie Speanburg
what was the environmental movement?
1960:
Worldwide levels of carbon dioxide will climb above 300 parts per million.
1962:
Congress amends the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 to fund a study conducted by the U.S. Surgeon General to investigate the health effects caused by automobile exhaust. In the United States alone, there are 74 million cars on the road.
1963:
83 million Americans own personal automobiles. In response to increased evidence of a link between smog and car emissions, California mandated crankcase blowby devices that return unburned gases to the combustion chambers in all cars in 1961. California has begun its reign as a leader in emissions standards, as this requirement was the first such imperative in the country.
1963:
The Clear Air Act passes, allocating $95 million for the study and cleanup of air and water pollution. The act gives the federal government authority to reduce interstate air pollution, regulate emission standards for stationary pollution sources, and invest in technologies that will remove sulfur from coal and oil.
1965:
The Water Quality Act passes, enhancing Federal control over water quality initially set by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948. These federal standards will become the baseline for statewide water quality levels.
1965:
The Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act sets the first federal automobile emission standards.
1966:
The first legislation regarding Endangered Species passes, authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to list endangered domestic fish and wildlife and allotting $15 million a year in the protection of such species.
1968:
The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act provides a system that identifies and adds rivers across the United States to a protected list. By 1989, over 1,385 miles of rivers will be protected in Alaska alone.
On this same day, Congress passes the National Trails System Act, authorizing a similar set of proceedings to protect U.S. trails.
1968:
The crew of Apollo 8 takes the first photograph of the Earth from space. The photograph, named “Earthrise,” will become the iconic image of the environmental movement.
1969:
The Santa Barbara oil well blowout spills over 200,000 gallons of oil into the ocean for 11 days straight. Due to the destruction and extreme pollution of the California coastline, the spill leads directly to reforms in the energy industry.
1969:
Ohio’s Cuyahoga River appears to burst into flames when oil and chemicals floating on the surface alight and cause flames over five stories high.
1969:
Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, hires 25-year-old Denis Hayes to direct a national “teach-in” about environmental issues. Hayes recruits a handful of young college graduates to come to Washington, D.C. and begins planning what will become the first Earth Day.
what was the cause?
Major companies and factories were dumping industrial waste and trash in rivers and streets. Nobody thought twice about throwing trash on the ground.
characteristics
KEY ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION, 1963-1980
1963: Clean Air Act. Encouraged cooperative programs by state and local government to prevent and control air pollution; established federal grants for air pollution control agencies.
1964: Wilderness Act. Preserved 9 million acres of wilderness in the western states.
1965: Water Quality Act. Required states to establish and enforce water quality standards.
1968: Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, National Scenic Trails Act. WSRA designated 8 rivers for immediate inclusion and 27 others to be evaluated. NSTA designated Pacific Crest and Appalachian trails as first two national scenic trails.
1970: National Environmental Policy Act. Required federal agencies to prepare "environmental impact statements" of projects; established the Council on Environmental Quality.
1970: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Authorized EPA to promote the recovery and recycling of solid wastes.
1972: Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act. Required manufacturers to register pesticides with the EPA and disclose contents and test results; authorized EPA to ban sales and seize products.
1973: Endangered Species Act. Authorized Secretary of the Interior to list endangered or threatened species.
1976: Toxic Substances Control Act. Required manufacturers to test products for risk to human health or the environment before marketing them.
1980: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund). Set up fund to clean up abandoned hazardous waste dumps and toxic spills; made dumpers and owners responsible for cleanup costs.
1980: Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. Preserved 104 million acres of wilderness in Alaska.
1990: Clean Air Act. Reauthorized and strengthened regulation of air pollution by the Environmental Protection Agency.
how did this movement affect america?
The Environmental movement had a huge effect on america and the earth itself.
the bluebonnets were planted along the high way and trees were planted too because just then they realized they needed to save the earth and make it a better place to live.