Prior to the 1960s, environmentalism focused on preservation of wilderness and conservation of resources.The “New Environmentalism” movement was a revival of the 1890’s club called the Sierra Club.(1) It’s members more than tripled after the publication of Silent Spring in 1962. It was a publication written by Rachel Carson to alert the American public about the risks of using DDT (an insecticide used by farmers and home owners).(1) The information of its harmful effects on people, animals and the environment brought on a national movement of awareness, the public demanded the federal government take more responsibility.
Soon the government responded with the creation of several laws to regulate environmental pollution and protect natural resources. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, and Upper Mississippi River Management Act of 1986 were all acts founded due to the movement. The time period also gave birth to the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts and the first Earth Day.(1)The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the US governing water pollution. Their goals are to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters, to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters by 1985, and to make all waters swimmable and fishable .The CWA is one of the most important laws protecting the quality of the Mississippi River.(1)
In Arkansas, the movement caused controversy around the construction of water dams and their destruction of natural habitats. The 1927 flood made it evident that it was necessary to take preventative measures to redirect the excess water flow. As a result the Arkansas River Project was design...
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...al laws emerged to regulate environmental pollution and protect natural resources. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, and Upper Mississippi River Management Act of 1986.(1)The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the US governing water pollution. Their goals are to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters, to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters by 1985, and to make all waters swimmable and fishable .The CWA is one of the most important laws protecting the quality of the Mississippi River.(1)
Work Cited
(1)"EPA." Laws & Regulations. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
(2)Johnson, Ben F. Arkansas in Modern America, 1930-1999. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas, 2000. Print.
The one feature common to the Hoover Dam, The Mississippi river and the three gorges dam is that they all tried to control nature’s swings, specifically in the form of flooding. Before the Hoover dam was built, the Colorado river “used to flood spectacularly…but after 1900 the Colorado provoked a vehement response” (Pg 177). The response was simple, but large. The U.S. built several large dams, including the Hoover dam, on the Colorado to decrease its flooding and increase power and irrigation. Unfortunately, just as human control of the Colorado’s flooding increased, its organisms and habitats were detrimentally influenced, and the water became more and more salinated.
He delves into the history of the word “environmental” as well as the history of environmental activism. He pinpoints the beginning of the movement to Rachel Carson. According to Quammen, she began the revolution by publishing her book Silent Spring. He says the negative connotations of the word began with her book, pairing “environment” and “the survival of humankind” as if they go hand in hand. This played a major role in the distortion of the word and the intentions of environmentalists.
By citing credible organizations and offering her own eco-friendly alternatives, she proves to the reader that she takes a particular interest in the environment and is educated to speak on it. Pairing powerful understatements and hyperboles to contrast with one another show the reader that the practice is both needless and selfish. These rhetorical techniques have a powerful impact on the reader, whose ignorance prior to reading the excerpt can no longer suffices to excuse the lack of action. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is a deeply persuasive book that not only advocates for an end to pesticides but also speaks to the obligation humans hold to protect their
The fallout of the 1927 flood demonstrates the one of many continuing struggle in dominating the Mississippi River despite understanding the true nature of the river. For example, “The average gauge readings through the last three months of 1926… of the three largest rivers… was the highest ever known… no one at the Weather Bureau or the Mississippi River Commission correlated or even compiled this information” (pg 175). The failure in understand the nature of the river prelude to more elaborate control schemes by expanding the federal government’s responsibility in seizing full control of the Mississippi River from states jurisdiction. The U.S Army Corps of Engineers is fully responsible in constructing va...
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates air pollution through various policies passed through the Supreme Court. The scope of this paper is to investigate the Clean Air Act of 1970, and to analyze the impact it has on businesses and society. It provides a rationale for the policy, and contains a brief overview of governmental involvement in regulating air pollution. Further investigation identifies key stakeholders in business, government, and society, and assesses the pros and cons of regulating air pollution. Finally, the paper concludes with limitations of this analysis and recommendations for future action.
The Clean Water Act of 1972 (CWA) was originally the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948. The original objective behind this act was to “to prepare comprehensive programs for eliminating or reducing the pollution of interstate waters and tributaries and improving the sanitary condition of surface and underground waters.” (U.S Fish and Wild Life Service, 2013). Throughout the duration of this paper the various amendments and their effects will be discussed, those involved both on the side of support and opposition and what influenced the amendments to be made and passed.
the National Environmental Protection Act, Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Toxic Substances Control Act and the Clean Water Act assist in protecting consumers and organizations”. (p. 1).
In 1989, seventy five percent of Americans identified themselves as environmentalists, and the number has continued to grow since then (Walls 1). Environmentalism is now the most popular social movement in the United States, with over five million American families donating regularly to environmental organizations (Walls 1). Environmentalists today focus on what kind of world they hope to see in the future, and largely deal with limiting pollution and changing consumption rates (Kent 1 and 9). Modern environmentalists also have much different issues than those Carson’s America faced. With climate change becoming more threatening each year, protection of the natural world is needed more than ever. Pollution has caused the warmest decade in history, the deterioration of the ozone layer, and species extinction in extreme numbers (Hunter 2). It not only threatens nature, but also human populations, who already suffer from lack of clean water and poisoning from toxic chemicals (Hunter 16). Unlike environmental actions in the 1960’s, which were mostly focused on protection, a massive increase in pollution has caused efforts to be focused on environmental restoration (Hunter 16). Like in the time of Silent Spring, environmentalists are not only concerned with one country. Protecting the environment remains a global issue, and every nation is threatened by the
The pollution of Lake Macatawa has reached a point where both government entities as well as local people need to do their part to clean it up. Through my research it is clear that Lake Macatawa has a clear pollution problem. The pollution problem is an underrated issue because its lack of coverage and its potential significant impact. Lake Macatawa is connected to Lake Michigan, which is a massively valuable natural resource. Lake Macatawa’s pollution is an issue of which needs to be taken care. Even though there are city ordinances, state-wide laws, and federal laws in place, Lake Macatawa still manages to remain incredibly polluted. The proof of the pollution can be shown through the clean-up effort that is going on now. The research includes
Congress enacted legislation now known as the Clean Water Act. During the Truman era, originally called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. The bill Congress passed in 1972 was an overhaul of the original act. The Clean Water Act set limits on the amount of pollutants industries and cities could discharge and gave the Environmental Protection Agency the power to sue and penalize polluters that exceeded those limits. Congress banned DDT, reduced emissions and sued major cities.
In 1962, the publication of Silent Spring Rachel Carson captivated the American public. Carson wrote about the harmful effects of chemical pesticides in the environment, and her writing was very reflective of the events occurring at the time. There is a strong connection between Carson’s writing and the Cold War. In fact, if it were not for the war, the American public may not have responded in the same way to Carson’s writing. Carson used tone and content as methods of getting her point across to the public. Silent Spring shined a light on the damage done to the environment as a result of the Cold War, and this issue was finally being recognized by American public.
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring revolutionized the American point of view concerning the environment. It rejected the notion that pesticides and chemicals are the right choice for “controlling” various animals that are seen as an inconvenience. Carson writes about the dangers of pesticides, not only to nature but man himself.
The most influential writing of this period was former congressman George Perkins Marsh’s Man and Nature, published in 1864. Clark University claims, “He is considered to be America's first environmentalist. Over a hundred years ago he warned of our destructive ways” (n.p.).
Our Congress created the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in 1969 in order to establish an environmental foundation for mankind. This policy endorses harmony between humans and the vast ecosystems surrounding them. To obtain this goal and provide our future with resources as well, NEPA is separated into two titles. The first title declares the policy in detail while the second title focuses on the Council on Environmental Quality. The CEQ oversees the effectiveness of current methods, the reactions of the environment to those methods, and implements revisions as necessary.
Environmental philosophy tries to make sense of the unexamined values, assumptions and ideologies behind humanities treatment of the environment and, in doing so, aims at helping to elicit an effective human response to related issues (Curry, 2011). Environmental philosophy, has gone beyond being merely an academic pursuit, now requiring the world’s population take moral responsibility for the damages caused by their industrial advances on natural systems.