The document summarizes major environmental events and issues from 1970 to the present. It outlines the creation of the EPA in 1970 to protect human health and the environment. During the 1970s-1980s, air and water pollution were reduced through initiatives like catalytic converters and sewage treatment expansion. However, toxic chemicals from corporations and climate change emerged as serious problems. From the 1990s onward, issues like ozone depletion, global warming, toxic waste cleanup, and effects of coal mining on the environment became priorities, though tensions remained between environmental and economic interests.

1. Environmental
Movement

2. 1970-1980
Major events

3. Creation of EPA (1970)
 EPA stands for
Environmental Protection
Agency
 EPA was founded for “the
specific purpose of
protecting human health
and safeguarding the
natural environment” (Best)
 EPA was the first federal
agency designed to deal
with pollution
 EPA revolutionized the way
pollution and environmental
problems were dealt with
 Set a precedent for future
environmental agencies

4. Air Pollutions
 Air pollution is
significantly reduced by
using of catalytic
converters on the newer
cars
 New cars are predicted
to be pollution free;
however they prove to
release harmful
chemicals

5. Water pollution
 Pollution is reduced by a
large sewage treatment
expansion program
 Old sewers are being
converted back into to
the rivers that they used
to be
 The National Pollution
Discharge Elimination
system fails to eliminate
discharges

6. Toxic chemicals
 Toxic Chemicals become
more noticeable
dangerous and serious
 Large corporations are
causing harm to their
employees by exposing
them to the chemicals
while they work
 New regulations are
forced to be set in 1980

7. 1980-1990
Major events

8. Ozone
 Depletion from
fluorocarbons is finally
taken seriously
 Even strong
conservatives are
realizing the negative
effects humans have
caused to the ozone

9. Climate Changes
 Global warming is
becoming more
convincing
 More evidence suggests
that the serve climate
changes are serious
 Global warming is
warned but not taken as
seriously as
environmentalists would
like

10. Toxic Waste
 Congress passes
legislation that allows
cleaning up the toxic
waste
 By the year 2002
superfund runs out

11. 1990-2000

12. Gulf War
 Has a very negative
effect on the
environment with the
multiple burning oil wells
 Oil wells depletes a
natural resources while
releasing harmful fumes
and causing harm to
marine and land animals

13. Environment vs. Economy
 A poll is taken to see whether Americans favor the
environment or economic development
 “A Gallup poll finds 76 percent of Americans call
themselves environmentalists.” (Kovarik)
 There tension between republicans and democrats
regarding which issue to support

14. 2000-Present
Major Events

15. Change in Presidency
 Bill Clinton, a devoted environmentalist, leaves the
Presidency
 President George W. Bush, a man who favors industry
over the environment, becomes president in 2001
 However, President Obama restores the environmental
missions for activists and government mandated
agencies when he is elected in 2009

16. Coal Mining
 Coal mining begins to be
viewed as unsafe
 With multiple coal mining
disasters the public sees
coal mining as a waste of
effort, people, and coal
 The coal industry shrinks
because the public
realizes how bad coal can
be for the environment

17. Global Climate Change
 This issue becomes a priority for political figures,
activists, and scientists
 The nation becomes more tolerable towards the idea of
“being green”
 Animals and wild life begin to be severely affected by
the climate change