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    History 7

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    jonathanhybil

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    History 7

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    18 views3 pages

    History 7

    Uploaded by

    jonathanhybil

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    Jon hybil

    Professor Sandlund

    Environmental History

    4 August 2024

    As far as Environmental movements go, the 20th century was a huge start. Unfortunately,

    there were some influences on many policies and movements that were created. Starting with

    some changes we can start with war. After World War II, America realized that everything done

    during the war and before the war drastically affected the environment and was not good for

    human health. According to Merchant, “Nuclear fallout was a major issue, resulting from atomic

    bomb tests conducted in the atmosphere in the 1950s, and the idea that radiation could appear in

    the food chain at vast distances from test sites became a public concern” (page 194). The fact

    that radiation could be in local foods raised a huge problem for America because thousands if not

    millions of Americans eat out every day and could have been affected by these harmful

    chemicals causing health problems. Another huge change in the world that America noticed was

    becoming a problem was the use of pesticides. According to Merchant, “The landscape created

    by pesticides was filled with hazards for nature and nature's inhabitants” (merchant 194).

    Pesticides affect humans directly and indirectly, causing problems for the whole environment

    and food chain. Pesticides are also easily spread from community to community from animals,

    surface runoff, rain, and more so stopping pesticide spread because a big problem for America.
    It wasn’t only these changes that influenced the rise of Environmental movements.

    Many events also led to movements being made, two of which are Love Canal, and Chernobyl.

    Starting with Love Canal, according to Chej.org, Love Canal was a buried chemical waste site

    that was sold and they turned it into a community. Homeowners were never warned that it was a

    waste site before, and many problems began arising. In the years following many people

    complained of odors and substances but after investigation, nothing was done. It wasn’t until

    reproductive problems occurred that things were done. According to Chen.org, “From 1974 to

    1978, 56% of the children in the Love Canal neighborhood were born with a birth defect,

    including three ears, a double row of teeth, and intellectual disability”. These birth defects

    caused NYSDOH to step in and shut down the school as well as recommend people to evacuate

    and leave Love Canal. Overall Love Canal made America realize that waste management needs

    to be better managed, and people can not live near waste areas. Another event that influenced

    Environmental movements was Chernobyl. According to History.com, Chernobyl was a routine

    test gone wrong when a reactor built up got much pressure and exploded. This reactor caused

    fires and tons of radiation to spew out. “The damaged plant released a large quantity of

    radioactive substances, including iodine-131, cesium-137, plutonium and strontium-90, into the

    air for over a period of 10 days “(History.com) Ultimately this event killed many people and

    made the area around Chernobyl unlivable still to this day. These two events as well as many

    more helped the U.S. realize that environmental movements needed to be made to limit and

    prevent waste as well as dangers for the environment.


    “Chernobyl: Disaster, Response & Fallout.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks,

    www.history.com/topics/1980s/Chernobyl. Accessed 4 Aug. 2024.

    Merchant, Carolyn. American Environmental History: An Introduction. Columbia University

    Press, 2007.

    “Love Canal.” The Center for Health, Environment & Justice, 8 July 2024, chej.org/about-

    us/story/love-canal.

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