Enviromental Protection Laws
Throughout history humans began to expand their territory and with the aid of technology they assimilated the land to do what they want. Humans being more of an intelligent species looked back at what they were doing and saw that they were endangering or killing other species, and their surroundings. Species such as the Dodo bird ceased to exist thus never keeping their end of the food chain. Until the early 1970's people didn't care what they were doing to the planet. Although a few strides for change in the early 1900's, none of those strides would make a large impact on the environment. For example in Syracuse huge companies such as Crucible Steel were dumping huge amounts of Mercury into Onondaga Lake not caring what they were doing. Little did the know back then that Mercury being a heavy metal on the periodic table, was toxic and would damage the lake forever. In addition to Onondaga Lake, during the 1880's as America was expanding westward people began to slaughter buffalo. The buffalo is a large herbivore that needs large amount of territory to graze was in the path of those trying to settle new lands to the west. The buffalo was believed to be a nuisance was killed almost to extinction (ceasing to exist). Also
included along with the slaughter of animals; humans creating roads, highways, and cities push other species of not only animals but plants into extinction. This process doesn't take that many years, and with the help of society new government laws and programs were created to stop the future killing eliminating of other species. Though it may seem people have more damage then good, they still strive to make up for what they've done. In addition to the laws and regulations, the United States has also gotten their military involved into the chain of environmental protection. People are the key in this situation to make sure that life continues on the planet. Prior to the 1900's America was mainly populated on the east coast, but still expanded westward into the land the either won in war or bought. During this duration, many environments and habitats were damaged. As the 1860's came around the nation began to clash and the Civil War began. There were many lives lost and the land was trampled from the different armies of the North and South fighting. Not to mention the inaccuracy of the old rifles hitting trees and animals. As I stated before during the 1880's people were hunting and killing the buffalo, not for food but to get them out of the way of the wagon trains. In addition to war and expansion the 1800's also was the major growing point to the Industrial Revolution. During the Industrial Revolution industry was just being created for the most part therefore the idea of pollution, sewage, or endangering the environment did cross people's minds, but there was a lack of interest. The 1900's started to reform some of the issues of endangered species, but didn't have too many executive actions. President Theodore Roosevelt was the first in 1903 where he organized the National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge was used to protect wood storks, brown pelicans and other water dwelling birds. A turn of events in 1914 was recorded as the Passenger Pidgin and the Carolina Parakeet both became extinct. The first real reach to stop extinction was a little perk to the new events that were happening, but again in 1914 the extinction of the passenger pidgin was a real eye opener for some of the new age environmentalists of the time. In the early 1970's and late 1960's scientist looked back at what was done both to the environment an
Some common words found in the essay are:
Onondaga Lake, Nitric Acid, Wildlife Foundation, Carolina Parakeet, Species Act, Base-Hawaii MCBH, Fisheries Service, Species Dodo, North South, Industrial Revolution, endangered species, species act, endangered species act, fish wildlife, act 1973, national fish wildlife, stop extinction, national fish, industrial revolution, acid rain, wildlife foundation, fish wildlife foundation, species act 1973, species animals plants, onondaga lake,
Approximate Word count = 1587
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
