IB ESS Topic 1- History of the Modern Environmental Movement

Summary

This script recounts the history of the environmental movement, highlighting key events from the 20th century that shaped global awareness. It discusses the Green Revolution, technological advancements, and the environmental impacts of inventions like DDT and CFCs. The narrative covers pivotal moments like the Minamata tragedy, Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring', and the establishment of environmental laws. It also touches on the emergence of climate change discussions, the Montreal Protocol's success, and the challenges of sustainable development. The script uses a Venn diagram to illustrate the conflicts arising from humanity's use of the environment as living space, supply depot, and waste repository, ultimately leading to planetary overshoot.

Takeaways

• 🌏 Time Magazine's 1989 'Person of the Year' was the Endangered Earth, symbolized by Christo's artwork of a suffering globe.
• 📈 The 20th century saw a population explosion, tripling from 1 billion at the turn of the century to 3 billion by the mid-1950s due to advances in medicine.
• 🌾 Norman Borlaugh's 'Green Revolution' in agriculture played a crucial role in avoiding the famines predicted by Thomas Malthus.
• 🚗 The early 20th century brought technological advancements like automobiles and electricity, leading to increased demand for fuels and a series of environmental impacts.
• 🧊 The discovery of CFCs revolutionized air conditioning and refrigeration, but later their environmental effects became apparent.
• 💔 The 1950s witnessed the first environmental catastrophes, such as the Minamata disease caused by methyl mercury contamination in Japan.
• 📚 Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring' in 1962 was a pivotal work that highlighted the environmental impacts of DDT, influencing global environmental movements.
• 🌳 The first Earth Summit in 1972 in Stockholm marked the beginning of international efforts to address environmental issues.
• 🔥 The 1970s energy crisis and events like the Three Mile Island meltdown and Love Canal tragedy brought environmental issues to the forefront of public consciousness.
• ☁️ The discovery of the ozone layer depletion in the 1980s led to the Montreal Protocol, one of the most successful international environmental agreements.
• 🌿 The term 'sustainable development' was popularized by Gro Harlem Brundtland, emphasizing the need to balance economic growth with environmental protection.
• 🐦 The Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 shocked the world with its devastating impact on wildlife, highlighting the consequences of environmental negligence.
• 🌱 The script concludes by discussing the importance of understanding and addressing the conflicts between human uses of the environment and the planet's carrying capacity.

Q & A

Why was the 'Endangered Earth' named Time Magazine's 'Person of the Year' in 1989?

The 'Endangered Earth' was named Time Magazine's 'Person of the Year' in 1989 due to the culmination of a series of environmental events throughout the 20th century that had reached a critical point, prompting the magazine to make this decision.

What is the Green Revolution in agriculture, and who is considered its father?

The Green Revolution refers to the period of agricultural modernization in the mid-20th century that increased agricultural production to avoid widespread famine, largely due to the work of Norman Borlaugh, who is considered the father of the Green Revolution.

How did the population growth in the 20th century impact the environment?

The population growth in the 20th century, which tripled the planet's population, led to increased demand for resources, advances in technology, and a rise in energy consumption, all of which had significant environmental impacts.

What was the significance of Rachel Carson's 1962 publication 'Silent Spring'?

Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring' was a seminal work that highlighted the environmental impacts of DDT and other pesticides, raising public awareness about the consequences of human activities on the environment and contributing to the rise of the global environmental movement.

What was the first global environmental summit, and when was it held?

The first global environmental summit was the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972.

What were the environmental issues faced by major American cities like Los Angeles and New York in the 1970s?

Major American cities like Los Angeles and New York faced issues such as automobile emissions and photochemical smog, which contributed to air pollution and health problems.

What was the Three Mile Island incident, and how did it impact the perception of nuclear power?

The Three Mile Island incident in 1979 was a partial nuclear meltdown at a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. It raised significant concerns about the safety of nuclear power and contributed to a reevaluation of its viability as an energy source.

What is the Montreal Protocol, and why was it significant?

The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty signed in 1987 designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances responsible for ozone depletion. It was significant because it was one of the most successful international environmental agreements to date.

What is the concept of 'sustainable development', and who introduced it?

Sustainable development is a model of progress that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The term was popularized by the former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland in her report to the World Commission on Environment and Development.

What was the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and what were its environmental consequences?

The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred on March 24, 1989, when an oil tanker ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, causing a massive oil spill. It had devastating environmental consequences, including the death of thousands of birds and marine mammals, and highlighted the risks of offshore drilling.

How can the conflicts arising from human use of the environment be categorized according to Riley Dunlap and William Catton?

According to Riley Dunlap and William Catton, conflicts arising from human use of the environment can be categorized into three types: living space-supply depot conflict, waste repository-living space conflict, and supply depot-waste repository conflict.

What is the concept of 'planetary overshoot', and how does it relate to the carrying capacity of Earth?

Planetary overshoot refers to a situation where human consumption of resources and services exceeds the biosphere's capacity to regenerate and maintain those resources. It relates to the carrying capacity of Earth as it signifies a point where the ecological footprint of human activities surpasses the planet's ability to sustain it.

What is the Three Gorges Dam, and how does it exemplify an environmental conflict?

The Three Gorges Dam is a large hydroelectric dam on the Yangtze River in China. It exemplifies an environmental conflict as its construction led to the displacement of communities, submersion of land, and ecological changes, highlighting the trade-offs between economic development and environmental protection.