Environmentalism became a major social movement in the 1960s. This movement helped change how the United States took care of the environment.
People started to worry more about pollution, saving nature, and keeping our planet healthy.
"Silent Spring" (1962): This book by Rachel Carson opened people's eyes to the dangers of chemicals like pesticides. It got many people interested in protecting the environment and helped start the modern environmental movement.
Earth Day (1970): The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. About 20 million people joined in, which was roughly 10% of the U.S. population at the time! Colleges and universities all over the country took part. This showed how important environmental issues had become.
The environmental movement led to many important laws in the late 1960s and early 1970s:
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (1969): This law required the government to look at how their actions would affect the environment. It set standards for protecting the environment.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (1970): As environmental problems grew, the EPA was created to combine research and rules about pollution in one place. Its goal was to help keep our air and water clean.
Clean Air Act (1970): This law was made to control air pollution across the country. By the late 1970s, the EPA reported that emissions of major pollutants dropped by more than 90% thanks to new rules.
Clean Water Act (1972): This law aimed to keep our waters clean. It helped lower pollution in rivers and lakes all over the United States.
These new environmental laws made a big difference:
Between 1970 and 2007, sulfur dioxide emissions went down by 73%. Lead emissions dropped a huge 99%.
The amount of protected land, like national parks and wildlife areas, grew from 20 million acres in 1960 to over 100 million acres by the end of the 1970s.
In conclusion, the environmental movement of the 1960s had a huge impact on how the U.S. protects the environment. Through activism and new laws, it created a strong commitment to taking care of our planet, a commitment that continues today.
Environmentalism became a major social movement in the 1960s. This movement helped change how the United States took care of the environment.
People started to worry more about pollution, saving nature, and keeping our planet healthy.
"Silent Spring" (1962): This book by Rachel Carson opened people's eyes to the dangers of chemicals like pesticides. It got many people interested in protecting the environment and helped start the modern environmental movement.
Earth Day (1970): The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. About 20 million people joined in, which was roughly 10% of the U.S. population at the time! Colleges and universities all over the country took part. This showed how important environmental issues had become.
The environmental movement led to many important laws in the late 1960s and early 1970s:
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (1969): This law required the government to look at how their actions would affect the environment. It set standards for protecting the environment.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (1970): As environmental problems grew, the EPA was created to combine research and rules about pollution in one place. Its goal was to help keep our air and water clean.
Clean Air Act (1970): This law was made to control air pollution across the country. By the late 1970s, the EPA reported that emissions of major pollutants dropped by more than 90% thanks to new rules.
Clean Water Act (1972): This law aimed to keep our waters clean. It helped lower pollution in rivers and lakes all over the United States.
These new environmental laws made a big difference:
Between 1970 and 2007, sulfur dioxide emissions went down by 73%. Lead emissions dropped a huge 99%.
The amount of protected land, like national parks and wildlife areas, grew from 20 million acres in 1960 to over 100 million acres by the end of the 1970s.
In conclusion, the environmental movement of the 1960s had a huge impact on how the U.S. protects the environment. Through activism and new laws, it created a strong commitment to taking care of our planet, a commitment that continues today.