Stage 3. Rising pollution levels led to the modern environmental movement (Chapter 1.2.4)

Pollution Concerns Throughout History

• Pollution's detrimental effects recognized for centuries
• King Edward I of England (1273) threatened punishment for coal burning in London due to smoke.
• John Evelyn (1661) criticized coal fires and factory pollution, suggesting trees for air purification.
• 1880: Formation of a national Fog and Smoke Committee in Britain addressing smog.

Industrial Expansion and Environmental Concerns

• WWII and post-war industrial boom increased pollution concerns.
• Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" (1962) raised public awareness of pollution's impact on humans and other species.
• Carson, along with other environmentalists, highlighted the interconnectedness of human health and species survival.
• Modern environmentalism emerged, encompassing both environmental resources and pollution.

Climate Action and 350.org

• Climate action became a significant environmental concern.
• Bill McKibben, author and environmentalist, became a leading figure in climate activism.
• McKibben worked with undergraduates to create 350.org, a global organization aiming to raise awareness of climate change.
• 350.org has organized demonstrations worldwide, advocating for climate change action and fossil fuel divestment .
• 350.org utilized social media and community organizing effectively.
• McKibben and 350.org actively protested the Keystone XL pipeline project.
• Recent pipeline protests promote alternatives to oil and gas.