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10 Key Moments That Shaped Environmental History
An Earth Day remembrance of the green movement s major milestones
A banner at the inaugural Earth Day, in New York City on April 22, 1970. Archive Photos/Getty Images Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. 1962 Silent Spring sends shock waves
Author and marine biologist Rachel Carson sounds the alarm on the ill effects of DDT and other pesticides in this best-selling book, which kick-starts the modern environmental movement. 1970 First Earth Day attracts millions
Twenty million Americans take part in the first Earth Day. A large-scale demonstration of environmental activism, the observance leads to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and legislation including the Clean Air Act. 1980 Recycling goes curbside
Although not a new concept, especially to those who lived through World War II, recycling takes on a new life in 1980, when Woodbury, New Jersey, becomes the first town to make its curbside-pickup program mandatory for residents. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > 1997 Hybrid cars gain ground
Toyota introduces the Prius in Japan, making a hybrid gas-electric vehicle widely available to consumers for the first time. Hybrid models, now available from many automakers, emit about half as much carbon dioxide as gasoline-powered vehicles. 2006 An Inconvenient Truth sheds light on climate change
Opening to packed theaters around the country, the Oscar-winning documentary highlights former Vice President Al Gore's efforts to educate people about global warming and spurs widespread awareness of human contributions to climate change. 2007 Bald eagle comes back from the brink
Challenger, a bald eagle, is released during an event marking the removal of the bald eagle from the endangered species list. Win McNamee/Getty Images Following decades of conservation, the American bald eagle is removed from the endangered species list, after more than 10,000 nesting pairs (up from approximately 400 in 1963) are observed in the lower 48 states. 2015 The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is mapped
In August 2015 around 30 vessels cross the Great Pacific Garbage Patch for the largest ever ocean research expedition. Located between California and Hawaii, the patch is three times the size of France and contains 80 million kilograms of floating plastic debris. 2016 The Paris Agreement goes into effect
As part of the Paris Agreement, a landmark international accord to combat climate change, signatory countries agree to limit global temperature rise in the 21st century to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. 2019 Greta Thunberg ushers in a new generation of activism
Sixteen-year old Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg is named Time's 2019 “Person of the Year” for her climate change activism, including urging fellow students to rally for the environment and speaking forcefully at the United Nations Climate Action Summit. "The world is waking up,” she said in an emotional speech addressing world leaders. “And change is coming, whether you like it or not." — Additional reporting by Stephanie Mansfield More on politics-society AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS