Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

A PPENDIX 2MAJOR EVENTS IN U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY1891–97 Timbercutting banned onlarge tracts of public land.1920–27 Publichealth boardsestablishedin most cities.1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s1872Yellowstone NationalPark established. AmericanForestry Associationorganized by privatecitizens to protect forests.American Public HealthAssociation formed.1870First officialwildlife refugeestablishedat Lake Merritt,California.1880Killer fog in Londonkills 700 people.1893Few remainingAmerican bisongiven refuge inYellowstoneNational Park.1892 Sierra Clubfounded by JohnMuir to promoteincreasedpreservationof public land.Killer fog inLondon kills1,000 people.1891Forest ReserveAct authorizedthe president toset asideforest reserves.1890Governmentdeclares thecountry's frontierclosed. YosemiteNational Parkestablished.1918 Migratory Bird Actrestricts hunting ofmigratory birds.1916 National Park Service Actcreates National ParkSystem and National Park Service.1915 Ecologists formEcological Society of America.1912 Public Health Service Actauthorizes governmentinvestigation of water pollution.1911 Weeks Act allows Forest Serviceto purchase land at headwaters ofnavigable streams as part ofNational Forest System.1908 Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius arguesthat increased emissions from burning fossil fuels willlead to global warming.1906 Antiquities Act allows president to set asideareas on federal lands as national monuments.Pure Food and Drug Act enacted.1905 U.S. Forest Service created. Audubon Society foundedby private citizens to preserve country's bird species.1904 Child lead poisoning linked to lead-based paints.1903 First National Wildlife Refuge at Pelican Island,Florida, established by President Theodore Roosevelt.1902 Reclamation Act promotes irrigationand water development projects in arid West.1900 Lacey Act bans interstate shipment ofbirds killed in violation of state laws.1870–1930Figure 1 Examples of the increased role of the federal government in resource conservation and public healthand establishment of key private environmental groups, 1870–1930.A2 APPENDIX 2