Difference between revisions of "Timeline of pollution"

Latest revision as of 21:59, 25 March 2024

This is a timeline of pollution, attempting to describe the historical evolution of contamination in its different kinds, as well as the scientific understanding and international treaties aimed at coping and controlling.

Big picture

Time period	Development summary
17th century	Conversion of coal to coke for iron smelting develops, causing considerable air pollution.^[1]
18th century	During the Industrial Revolution, coal comes into large-scale use. The resulting smog and soot starts having serious health impacts on the residents of growing urban centers.
19th century	The Industrial Revolution of the mid-century introduces new sources of air and water pollution.^[2]
20th century	Pollution grows very rapidly in the Western countries soon after the economic boom following the Second World War. By the late 1950s, pollution becomes a serious issue, leading to a powerful environmental movement in the 1960s, which gains force during the 1970s.^[2] Towards the 1990s, sulfur dioxide emissions start to peak in developing countries.
21st century	Today, carbon dioxide and other air pollutants, water pollutants and land pollutants are the most common types of substances contaminating the Earth.^[3]

Full timeline

Year	Category	Event type	Details	Location
Prehistory	Air pollution	Crisis	Pollution starts early, when humans create the first fires. Also, there is evidence of human-induced animal and plant extinctions from 50,000 BCE, when only about 200,000 Homo sapiens roamed the Earth.^[4]
5000 BC			Ecological awareness appears this early with Vedic sages praising the wild forests in their hymns, Taoists urging that human life should reflect nature’s patterns and the Buddha teaching compassion for all sentient beings.^[4]	Indian subcontinent
1000 CE	Air pollution	Crisis	The use of coal for fuel causes considerable air pollution in cities.^[1]
1272	Air pollution	Policy	King Edward I of England bans the burning of sea-coal by proclamation in London, after its smoke becomes a problem.^[2]	United Kingdom
1377 – 1399	Air pollution	Policy	Richard II of England restricts and regulates the use of coal.^[5]	United Kingdom
1525–1569	Water pollution		Dutch artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder paints scenes of raw sewage and other pollution emptying into rivers.^[4]	Netherlands
1609	General	Literature	Dutch lawyer Hugo Grotius writes Mare Liberum ("The Freedom of the Seas"), claiming that pollution and war violate natural law.^[4]	Netherlands
1661	Air pollution	Literature	Charles II of England commands writer John Evelyn of the Royal Society to publish Fumifugium; or the Inconvenience of the Air and Smoke dissipated; together with Some Remedies Humbly Proposed^[5]
1681	General	Policy	The English Tort Law develops as a law concerning the compensation for harm to people's rights to health and safety, a clean environment, property, their economic interests, or their reputations. In a case happening in the year, a judge determines: “The law does not so much concern itself with the intent of the actor as with the loss and damage of the party suffering.”^[6]^[7]	United Kingdom
1793	Water pollution	Crisis	The 1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic occurs. After the crisis, Benjamin Franklin petitions to manage waste and to remove tanneries for clean air as a public “right”.^[4]	United States
1798	General	Literature	English cleric Thomas Malthus publishes An Essay on the Principle of Population, warning that human overpopulation would lead to ecological destruction.^[4]	United Kingdom
1824	Air pollution	Research	Modern understanding of how certain atmospheric gases trap heat originates when French mathematician Joseph Fourier describes the greenhouse effect.^[8]	France
1833	General	Research	The theory preluding the tragedy of the commons concept originates in an essay by British economist William Forster Lloyd, who uses a hypothetical example of the effects of unregulated grazing on common land (also known as a "common") in Great Britain and Ireland.^[9]	United Kingdom
1850s	Air pollution	Crisis	Acid rain is first discovered. By the time it is another problem resulting from coal-powered plants.^[2]
1858	Air pollution	Crisis	Sewers emptied into the River Thames cause the Great Stink, a powerful stench that terrorizes London for two months.^[10]	United Kingdom
1862	Air pollution	Research	Irish physicist John Tyndall discovers that certain gases (water and carbon dioxide) help trap heat from escaping the atmosphere.^[8]	Ireland
1868	General	Policy	Rylands v Fletcher is introduced in England as a new area of English tort law. The new rule defines strict liability for landowners for damage caused by dangerous substances which escapes from their land and damages others.^[11]	United Kingdom
1874	General	Literature	Henry Sidgwick publishes Methods of Ethics, a classical utilitarian volume which analizes externality-related problems with the system of natural liberty and the effects of self-interested behavior.^[12]	United Kingdom
1887	General	Literature	Henry Sidgwick publishes The Principles of Political Economy and gives birth to the concept of externality (the cost or benefit that affects a party who did not choose to incur that cost or benefit) when discussing potential divergences between individual and social utility.^[13]	United Kingdom
1892 (May 28)	General	Organization	Sierra Club is founded in San Francisco, California. It was one of the first large-scale environmental preservation organizations in the world.^[14]	United States
1895	Air pollution	Research	Swedish Chemist Svante Arrhenius observes the infrared-absorbing properties of carbon dioxide and water molecules.^[8]	Sweden
1920	General	Literature	British economist Arthur Cecil Pigou publishes The Economics of Welfare, which suggests that government tax polluters an amount equivalent to the cost of the harm to others as a way to compensate the negative externality (the economic activity that imposes a negative effect on an unrelated third party).^[15]	United Kingdom
1940s	Air pollution	Crisis	Los Angeles, becomes one of the first cities to experience severe air pollution problems then called “gas attacks.”^[5]	United States
1946	Water pollution, radioactive waste	Crisis	Ocean disposal of radioactive waste: First dumping operation takes place at Northeast Pacific Ocean (about 80 km off the coast of California).^[16]	United States
1948	Air pollution	Crisis	The worst single incident of air pollution in the United States occurs in Donora, Pennsylvania, when severe industrial air pollution create a deadly smog. 20 people die and over 7,000 are injured.^[17]^[2]	United States
1952	Air pollution	Crisis	The Great Smog of London occurs. Pollutants from factories and home fireplaces mix with air condensation, killing at least 4,000 people over the course of several days.^[2]	United Kingdom
1957–1958	General	International meeting	The International Geophysical Year is organized as an international scientific project. Scientists from 67 nations collaborate during an 18-month period to study atmospheric gases, the ozone layer, and the ocean floor. Antarctica is declared a neutral zone to be used only for international scientific research.^[18]
1960s	Air pollution	Research	Jet planes are used to investigate dangers to the ozone layer.^[18]
1962	General	Literature	American biologist Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring, which focuses attention on environmental damage caused by improper use of pesticides such as DDT and other persistent chemicals that accumulate in the food chain and disrupt the natural balance of ecosystems on a wide scale.^[1]	United States
1963	Air pollution	Policy	The United States Congress passes the Clean Air Act legislation, in an effort to reduce air pollution. The law would be amended and strengthened in the ensuing decades.^[2]	United States
1967	General	Organization	The Environmental Defense Fund is formed as an environmental advocacy group.^[19]	United States
1968	General	Research	The Tragedy of the commons starts becoming a widely known concept due to an article written by American ecologist and philosopher Garrett Hardin.^[20]	United States
1969	General	Organization	Greenpeace is formed in Vancouver as a nuclear war protest movement. It would be later turned into a non-governmental environmental organization.^[4]	Canada
1969	General	Organization	Pollution Probe is founded as an environmental organization.^[21]^[22]	Canada
~1970	Air pollution	Crisis	Sulfur dioxide emissions peak in North America.^[23]	North America
1971	General	Organization	Earthjustice is founded in the United States. It is dedicated to litigating environmental issues.^[24]	United States
1972	General	Treaty	The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm is held, gathering representatives of 113 nations to develop plans for international action to protect the world environment.^[5]	Sweden
1972	Water pollution	Treaty	The London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter is adopted as an agreement to control pollution of the sea by dumping.^[16]	United Kingdom
1972 (June 5)	General	Program	United Nations Environment Programme is launched, with the purpose to guide and coordinate environmental activities within the United Nations.^[25]^[26]
1973	Water pollution	Treaty	MARPOL 73/78 is adopted as an international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes. It is a combination of two treaties adopted in 1973 and 1978 respectively, and updated by amendments through the years.^[27]
1974 (September 22)	General	Organization	The Central Pollution Control Board is formed in India.^[28]	India
1976			Seveso disaster	Italy
1979 (November 13)	Air pollution	Treaty	The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution opens for signature. It would enter into force on March 16, 1983.^[29]
1979	Air pollution	Crisis	An accidental leak of anthrax spores from a Soviet biological warfare laboratory near Sverdlovsk is believed to cause at least 64 deaths.^[30]	Russia
~1980	Air pollution	Crisis	Sulfur dioxide emissions peak in Europe.^[23]	Europe
1980	General	Organization	The Centre for Science and Environment opens. It's one of India’s first environmental NGOs to analyze and study the relationship between environment and development and create public consciousness about the need for sustainable development.^[31]	India
1982	Air pollution	Crisis	British geophysicist Joe Farman discovers a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica.^[18]	Antarctica
1982 (December 10)	Water pollution	Treaty	The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is signed with the purpose to lay down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world's oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.^[32]
1982	Air pollution	Policy	The Torts Branch, Environmental Tort Litigation Section (ETL) is established in the United States to defend the country in asbestos litigation brought against the government principally by asbestos product manufacturers.^[33]	United States
1983	Air pollution	Research	According to article published in the journal Science, "soot" found on ceilings of prehistoric caves provides ample evidence of the high levels of pollution that was associated with inadequate ventilation of open fires at the time.^[34]
1984	Air pollution	Crisis	The Bhopal Disaster happens as the world's worst short-term civilian pollution crisis.^[35]	India
1986	Air pollution	Research	The U.S. National Academy of Sciences reports that the burning of coal, gasoline, and other fossil fuels is definitely linked to acid rain and the death of trees, fish, and lake ecosystems in both the United States and Canada.^[5]	United States, Canada
1987 (August 26)	Air pollution	Treaty	The Montreal Protocol is signed as a global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS). It would become effective on August 26, 1989.^[36]	Canada
1988	Air pollution	Crisis	A second hole in the ozone layer is discovered over the Arctic.^[18]	Arctic
1989 (March 22)	General	Treaty	The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal is adopted in response to a public outcry following the discovery, in the decade, in Africa and other parts of the developing world of deposits of toxic wastes imported from abroad. The Convention provides for the establishment of regional or sub-regional centers for training and technology transfers regarding the management of hazardous wastes and other wastes and the minimization of their generation to cater to the specific needs of different regions and subregions. It would become effective on May 5, 1992.^[37]	Switzerland
1990	Open defecation	Statistics	More than half the population in 16 countries practice open defecation, and more than ten percent in 62 countries.^[38]
1990	Flotsam		Hansa Carrier
~1990	Air pollution	Crisis	Sulfur dioxide emissions peak in South America.^[23]	South America
1991	Water pollution	Research	The United Nations Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution estimates that up to 80% of the pollution is land-based,^[39] with the remaining 20% originating from catastrophic events or maritime sources.^[40]
1991	General	Research	The environmental Kuznets curve (a hypothesized relationship between environmental quality and economic development) starts becoming a standard feature in the technical literature of environmental policy.^[41]^[42]
1992			Design for the Environment
1992 (January)	Flotsam	Incident	Friendly Floatees	Pacific Ocean
1992 (June 4)	General	Treaty	The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is signed as an intergovernmental treaty developed to address the problem of climate change.^[43]
1992 (September 22)	Water pollution	Treaty	The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic opens for signature at the Ministerial Meeting of the Oslo and Paris Commissions in Paris.^[44]
1993 (October 30)	General	Organization	The European Environment Agency is formed. Its goal is to help those involved in developing, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and to inform the general public.^[45]^[46]
1994	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Research	Study of the seabed using trawl nets in the North-Western Mediterranean around the coasts of Spain, France, and Italy reports mean concentrations of debris of 1,935 items per square kilometer. Plastic debris accounted for 77%, of which 93% was plastic bags.^[47]
1994 (February 20)	Water pollution, radioactive waste	Policy	Total prohibition of ocean disposal of radioactive waste comes into force by international treaties.^[16]
1995	General	Organization	The British Environment Agency is formed.^[48]
1997	General	Treaty	The Kyoto Protocol is signed as an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which commits its Parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets.^[49]	Japan
1997	General	Organization	Basel Action Network is founded. It focuses on confronting the global environmental justice and economic inefficiency of toxic trade and its devastating impacts.^[50]	United States
1998	Air pollution	Treaty	The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution is adopted by most of the European Union, the United States, and Canada. Its primary objective is to cut emissions of heavy metals. The convention is the largest international agreement on mercury established to date.^[51]
1998 (September 10)	General	Treaty	The Rotterdam Convention is signed as a multilateral treaty to promote shared responsibilities in relation to importation of hazardous chemicals. It would become effective on 24 February 2004.^[52]	Netherlands
1999	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Research	In samples taken from the North Pacific Gyre by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, the mass of plastic is found to exceed that of zooplankton by a factor of six.^[53]^[54]
2000	Water póllution		Martin County sludge spill	United States
2001 (May 22)	General	Treaty	The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is signed as an international environmental treaty with the purpose to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants. It would become effective on 17 May 2004.^[55]	Sweden
2002	Air pollution	Policy	Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd is introduced as a leading case on causation in English tort law. It concerns malignant mesothelioma, a deadly disease caused by breathing asbestos fibres.^[56]	United Kingdom
2004	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Research	A study by Richard Thompson from the University of Plymouth finds a great amount of microdebris on the beaches and waters in Europe, the Americas, Australia, Africa, and Antarctica.^[57]
2004	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Research	It is estimated that gulls in the North Sea have an average of thirty pieces of plastic in their stomachs.^[58]
2005	General	Treaty	The Kyoto Protocol enters into force.^[49]
2006	Visual pollution	Policy	São Paulo passes the Cidade Limpa (Clean City Law), outlawing the use of all outdoor advertisements, including on billboards, transit, and in front of stores.^[59]	Brazil
2006	Electronic waste	Research	The United Nations estimates the amount of worldwide electronic waste discarded each year to be 50 million metric tons.^[60]
2007	Water pollution	Research	CNN reports that “up to 500 million tons of heavy metals, solvents and toxic sludge slip into the global water supply every year.^[2]
2007	Air pollution	Statistics	China overtakes the United States as the world's biggest producer of CO2.^[61]	China
2008	Water pollution		Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill	United States
2009	Water pollution, soil contamination	Organization	The Plastic Pollution Coalition is founded as an organization working against the growing plastic pollution.^[62]
2010	Air pollution	Research	A Study estimates that 1.2 million people die prematurely each year in China because of air pollution.^[63]	China
2010	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Statistics	It is calculated that 275 million tons of plastic waste was generated in 192 coastal countries in the year, with 4.8 to 12.7 million entering the ocean - a percentage of only up to 5%.^[64]
2010	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Program	The Ocean Recovery Alliance launches the Plastic Disclosure Project, a global enterprise to encourage greater disclosure by companies and institutions regarding their plastic use and waste management strategies.^[65]
2011	Air pollution	Research	Large Danish epidemiological study finds an increased risk of lung cancer for patients who live in areas with high nitrogen oxide concentrations. In this study, the association was higher for non-smokers than smokers.^[66] An additional study likewise notes evidence of possible associations between air pollution and other forms of cancer, including cervical cancer and brain cancer.^[67]
2011		Policy	The Industrial Emissions Directive comes into force.
2012	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Research	Approximately 165 million tons of plastic pollution are estimated in the world's oceans.^[68]
2012	Air pollution	Research	The World Health Organisation attributes 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in the year to outdoor air pollution and even more, 4.3 million deaths to indoor air pollution.^[69]
2013	Light pollution	Research	Light pollution in Hong Kong is declared the 'worst on the planet'.^[70]	Hong Kong
2013	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Organization	The Ocean Cleanup is founded as a non-profit organization aimed at developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic.^[71]
2013	Water pollution	Research	Debris from six beaches in Korea is collected and analyzed: 56% is found to be "ocean-based" and 44% "land-based".^[72]	Korea
2013	Water pollution	Research	It is calculated that over ten million people in India fell ill with waterborne illnesses in the year, and 1,535 people died, most of them children.^[73]	India
2013 (October 10)	Mercury poisoning	Organization	The Minamata Convention on Mercury is signed in order to prevent global environmental pollution and health damage caused by mercury.^[74]	Japan
2013 (December)	Air pollution	Statistics	Air pollution is estimated to kill 500,000 people in China each year.^[75]	China
2014	Open defecation	Research	The World Health Organization finds open defecation to be a leading cause of diarrheal death. An average of 2,000 children under the age of five die every day from diarrhea.^[76]
2014	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Research	In a study using computer models, scientists estimate 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic weighing 269,000 tons are dispersed in oceans in similar amount in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and one-hundredth of them are particles the scale of a sand.^[77]
2014	Air pollution	Research	Environmental impact of shipping: The International Maritime Organization (IMO) estimates that carbon dioxide emissions from shipping were equal to 2.2% of the global human-made emissions in the year^[78] and expects them to rise 50 to 250 percent by 2050 if no action is taken.^[79]
2014 (June)	Air pollution	Research	Study discovers that early exposure to air pollution causes the same damaging changes in the brain as autism and schizophrenia. The study also shows that air pollution also affects short-term memory, learning ability, and impulsivity. Air pollution has a more significant negative effect on males than on females.^[80]^[81]^[82]
2014	Air pollution	Research	The World Health Organization estimates that every year air pollution causes the premature death of some 7 million people worldwide.^[83]
2015	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Research	In a study published by Science, Jambeck et al (2015) estimates that the 10 largest emitters of oceanic plastic pollution worldwide are, from the most to the least, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Bangladesh.^[64]
2015 (December)	General	Research	Medical scientists report that cancer is overwhelmingly a result of environmental factors, and not largely down to bad luck.^[84]
2015	General	Statistics	Pollution is estimated to have killed 9 million people in the world in the year.^[85]^[86]
2016	Light pollution	Research	It is estimated that one third of the world's population can no longer see the Milky Way, including 80% of Americans and 60% of Europeans. Singapore is found to be the most light-polluted country in the world.^[87]^[88]
2017	General	Research	Study by the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health finds that global pollution, specifically toxic air, water, soils and workplaces, kill nine million people annually, which is triple the number of deaths caused by AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, and 15 times higher than deaths caused by wars and other forms of human violence.^[89]
2017	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Research	A study published by Environmental Science & Technology calculates that the Yangtze, Indus, Yellow River, Hai River, Nile, Ganges, Pearl River, Amur River, Niger River, and the Mekong River transport 88–95% of the global plastics load into the sea.^[90]^[91]
2017	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Research	Study finds that 83% of tap water samples taken around the world contain plastic pollutants.^[92]^[93]
2018	Plastic pollution	Statistics	As of date, about 380 million tons of plastic is produced worldwide each year. From the 1950s up to 2018, an estimated 6.3 billion tons of plastic was produced worldwide, of which an estimated 9% has been recycled and another 12% has been incinerated.^[94]
2018 (July)	Plastic pollution	Policy	Albania becomes the first country in Europe to ban lightweight plastic bags.^[95]^[96]^[97] Albania’s environment minister Blendi Klosi said that businesses importing, producing or trading plastic bags less than 35 microns in thickness risk facing fines between 1 million to 1.5 million lek (€7,900 to €11,800).^[96]
2050	Plastic pollution, water pollution	Research	Some researchers suggest that by the time there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by weight.^[98]

Numerical and visual data

Google Scholar

The following table summarizes per-year mentions on Google Scholar as of October 20, 2021.

Year	pollution
1900	423
1910	476
1920	2,510
1930	6,930
1940	17,800
1950	22,400
1960	30,400
1970	52,800
1980	56,900
1990	111,000
2000	248,000
2010	558,000
2020	249,000

Google Trends

The comparative chart below shows Google Trends data for Pollution (Topic), Air pollution (Disaster type), Water pollution (Topic) and Noise pollution (Topic), from January 2004 to April 2021, when the screenshot was taken. Interest is also ranked by country and displayed on world map.^[99]

Google Ngram Viewer

The comparative chart below shows Google Ngram Viewer data for Pollution, air pollution, Water pollution and Noise pollution, from 1800 to 2019.^[100]

Pollution, air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution comparative ngram.png

Wikipedia Views

The chart below shows pageviews of the English Wikipedia article Pollution, on desktop from December 2007, and on mobile-web, desktop-spider, mobile-web-spider and mobile app, from July 2015; to March 2021.^[101]

Meta information on the timeline

How the timeline was built

The initial version of the timeline was written by User:Sebastian.

Funding information for this timeline is available.

Feedback and comments

Feedback for the timeline can be provided at the following places:

FIXME

What the timeline is still missing

Timeline update strategy

External links

References

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↑ Blau, J (November 2006). "UN Summit on e-waste: Nokia, Vodaphone and Others to Attend UN Summit on e-waste". CIO business magazine. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
↑ "China overtakes US as world's biggest CO2 emitter". theguardian.com. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
↑ "Plastic Pollution Coalition". plasticpollutioncoalition.org. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
↑ Wong, Edward (26 April 2019). "Air Pollution Linked to 1.2 Million Deaths in China". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
↑ ^64.0 ^64.1 Jambeck, Jenna R.; Geyer, Roland; Wilcox, Chris; Siegler, Theodore R.; Perryman, Miriam; Andrady, Anthony; Narayan, Ramani; Law, Kara Lavender (2015). "Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean" (PDF). Science. 347 (6223): 768–71. PMID 25678662. doi:10.1126/science.1260352. Retrieved 2019-01-0. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
↑ "Introduction of the Plastic Disclosure Project". clintonfoundation.org. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
↑ Raaschou-Nielsen, O.; Andersen, Z. J.; Hvidberg, M.; Jensen, S. S.; Ketzel, M.; Sorensen, M.; Tjonneland, A. (2011). "Lung cancer incidence and long-term exposure to air pollution from traffic. [Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't].". Environmental Health Perspectives. 119 (6): 860–65. PMC 3114823. PMID 21227886. doi:10.1289/ehp.1002353.
↑ Raaschou-Nielsen, O.; Andersen, Z. J.; Hvidberg, M.; Jensen, S. S.; Ketzel, M.; Sorensen, M.; Tjonneland, A. (2011). "Air pollution from traffic and cancer incidence: a Danish cohort study". Environmental Health. 10: 67. PMC 3157417. PMID 21771295. doi:10.1186/1476-069X-10-67.
↑ Knight 2012, p. 12.
↑ "AIR POLLUTION". 21stcenturychallenges.org. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
↑ "Light pollution in Hong Kong 'worst on the planet'". scmp.com. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
↑ "BIG PROBLEMS REQUIRE BIG SOLUTIONS". theoceancleanup.com. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
↑ Yong, C (2013). "Sources of plastic marine debris on beaches of Korea: More from the ocean than the land". Ocean Science Journal. 49 (2): 151–162. doi:10.1007/s12601-014-0015-8.
↑ Isalkar, Umesh (29 July 2014). "Over 1,500 lives lost to diarrhoea in 2013, delay in treatment blamed". The Times of India. Indiatimes. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
↑ "Minamata Convention on Mercury". thegef.org. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
↑ Mr Chen's claim was made in The Lancet (December 2013 issue) and reported in The Daily Telegraph 8th January 2014 p. 15 'Air pollution killing up to 500,000 Chinese each year, admits former health minister.
↑ "WHO | Diarrhoeal disease". World Health Organization. 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
↑ "5 Trillion Pieces of Ocean Trash Found, But Fewer Particles Than Expected". 13 December 2014. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
↑ Third IMO GHG Study 2014 (PDF), International Maritime Organization
↑ Second IMO GHG Study 2014 (PDF), International Maritime Organization, archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-10-19
↑ Allen, Joshua L.; Liu, Xiufang; Pelkowski, Sean; Palmer, Brian; Conrad, Katherine; Oberdörster, Günter; Weston, Douglas; Mayer-Pröschel, Margot; Cory-Slechta, Deborah A. (2014-06-05). "Early Postnatal Exposure to Ultrafine Particulate Matter Air Pollution: Persistent Ventriculomegaly, Neurochemical Disruption, and Glial Activation Preferentially in Male Mice". Environmental Health Perspectives. 122 (9): 939–945. ISSN 0091-6765. PMC 4154219. PMID 24901756. doi:10.1289/ehp.1307984.
↑ McEnaney, Michael (7 June 2014). "Air pollution link discovered to autism, schizophrenia risks". Retrieved 6 May 2019.
↑ "New Evidence Links Air Pollution to Autism, Schizophrenia". University of Rochester Medical Center. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
↑ "7 million premature deaths annually linked to air pollution". WHO. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
↑ Gallagher, James (17 December 2015). "Cancer is not just 'bad luck' but down to environment, study suggests". BBC. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
↑ Beil, Laura (15 November 2017). "Pollution killed 9 million people in 2015". Sciencenews.org. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
↑ Carrington, Damian (October 20, 2017). "Global pollution kills 9m a year and threatens 'survival of human societies'". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
↑ Dennis, Brady (June 11, 2016). "Light pollution limiting night-sky views". Portland Press Herald, via Washington Post. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
↑ Falchi, Fabio; Cinzano, Pierantonio; Duriscoe, Dan; Kyba, Christopher C. M.; Elvidge, Christopher D.; Baugh, Kimberly; Portnov, Boris A.; Rybnikova, Nataliya A.; Furgoni, Riccardo (2016-06-01). "The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness". Science Advances. 2 (6): e1600377. ISSN 2375-2548. PMC 4928945. PMID 27386582. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1600377.
↑ Stanglin, Doug (October 20, 2017). "Global pollution is the world's biggest killer and a threat to survival of mankind, study finds". USA Today. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
↑ Christian Schmidt; Tobias Krauth; Stephan Wagner (11 October 2017). "Export of Plastic Debris by Rivers into the Sea". Environmental Science & Technology. 51 (21): 12246–12253. PMID 29019247. doi:10.1021/acs.est.7b02368. The 10 top-ranked rivers transport 88–95% of the global load into the sea
↑ Harald Franzen (30 November 2017). "Almost all plastic in the ocean comes from just 10 rivers". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 29 April 2019. It turns out that about 90 percent of all the plastic that reaches the world's oceans gets flushed through just 10 rivers: The Yangtze, the Indus, Yellow River, Hai River, the Nile, the Ganges, Pearl River, Amur River, the Niger, and the Mekong (in that order).
↑ "Invisibles". orbmedia.org. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
↑ "Synthetic Polymer Contamination in Global Drinking Water". orbmedia.org. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
↑ "The known unknowns of plastic pollution". The Economist. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
↑ "Rama: Albania the first country in Europe to ban plastic bags lawfully | Radio Tirana International". rti.rtsh.al. 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
↑ ^96.0 ^96.1 "Albania bans non-biodegradable plastic bags". Tirana Times. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
↑ "Balkans bans the bag". makeresourcescount.eu. 2017-07-03. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
↑ Sutter, John D. (12 December 2016). "How to stop the sixth mass extinction". CNN. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
↑ "Pollution, Air pollution, Water pollution and Noise pollution". Google Trends. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
↑ "Pollution, Air pollution, Water pollution and Noise pollution". books.google.com. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
↑ "Pollution". wikipediaviews.org. Retrieved 12 April 2021.

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[63] Wong, Edward (26 April 2019). "Air Pollution Linked to 1.2 Million Deaths in China". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 1 December 2017.

[Science2015-64] 64.0 ^64.1 Jambeck, Jenna R.; Geyer, Roland; Wilcox, Chris; Siegler, Theodore R.; Perryman, Miriam; Andrady, Anthony; Narayan, Ramani; Law, Kara Lavender (2015). "Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean" (PDF). Science. 347 (6223): 768–71. PMID 25678662. doi:10.1126/science.1260352. Retrieved 2019-01-0. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)

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[67] Raaschou-Nielsen, O.; Andersen, Z. J.; Hvidberg, M.; Jensen, S. S.; Ketzel, M.; Sorensen, M.; Tjonneland, A. (2011). "Air pollution from traffic and cancer incidence: a Danish cohort study". Environmental Health. 10: 67. PMC 3157417. PMID 21771295. doi:10.1186/1476-069X-10-67.

[Knight3-68] Knight 2012, p. 12.

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[Carrington-86] Carrington, Damian (October 20, 2017). "Global pollution kills 9m a year and threatens 'survival of human societies'". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2019.

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[NWA-88] Falchi, Fabio; Cinzano, Pierantonio; Duriscoe, Dan; Kyba, Christopher C. M.; Elvidge, Christopher D.; Baugh, Kimberly; Portnov, Boris A.; Rybnikova, Nataliya A.; Furgoni, Riccardo (2016-06-01). "The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness". Science Advances. 2 (6): e1600377. ISSN 2375-2548. PMC 4928945. PMID 27386582. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1600377.

[89] Stanglin, Doug (October 20, 2017). "Global pollution is the world's biggest killer and a threat to survival of mankind, study finds". USA Today. Retrieved April 26, 2019.

[90] Christian Schmidt; Tobias Krauth; Stephan Wagner (11 October 2017). "Export of Plastic Debris by Rivers into the Sea". Environmental Science & Technology. 51 (21): 12246–12253. PMID 29019247. doi:10.1021/acs.est.7b02368. The 10 top-ranked rivers transport 88–95% of the global load into the sea

[91] Harald Franzen (30 November 2017). "Almost all plastic in the ocean comes from just 10 rivers". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 29 April 2019. It turns out that about 90 percent of all the plastic that reaches the world's oceans gets flushed through just 10 rivers: The Yangtze, the Indus, Yellow River, Hai River, the Nile, the Ganges, Pearl River, Amur River, the Niger, and the Mekong (in that order).

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Difference between revisions of "Timeline of pollution"

Latest revision as of 21:59, 25 March 2024

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-This is a '''timeline of FIXME'''.
+This is a '''timeline of {{w|pollution}}''', attempting to describe the historical evolution of contamination in its different kinds, as well as the scientific understanding and international treaties aimed at coping and controlling.
 ==Big picture==
 {| class="wikitable"
-! Time period !! Development summary !! More details
+! Time period !! Development summary
 |-
-| 19th – 20th centuries || "By the late 18th century and first part of the 19th century, coal came into large-scale use during the Industrial Revolution. The resulting smog and soot had serious health impacts on the residents of growing urban centers." Industrial revolution "Along with amazing technological advances, the Industrial Revolution of the mid-19th century introduced new sources of air and water pollution. "<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/>
+| 17th century || Conversion of coal to coke for iron smelting develops, causing considerable air pollution.<ref name="Pollutionvv"/>
 |-
-| 20th century || || "By the middle of the 20th century, the effects of these changes were beginning to be felt in countries around the world. In the 1960s, an environmental movement began to emerge that sought to stem the tide of pollutants flowing into the planet’s ecosystems."<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/>
+| 18th century ||  During the {{w|Industrial Revolution}}, {{w|coal}} comes into large-scale use. The resulting smog and soot starts having serious health impacts on the residents of growing urban centers.
+|-
+| 19th century || The Industrial Revolution of the mid-century introduces new sources of air and water pollution.<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/>
+|-
+| 20th century || Pollution grows very rapidly in the Western countries soon after the economic boom following the {{w|Second World War}}. By the late 1950s, pollution becomes a serious issue, leading to a powerful environmental movement in the 1960s, which gains force during the 1970s.<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/> Towards the 1990s, {{w|sulfur dioxide}} emissions start to peak in developing countries.
+|-
+| 21st century || Today, {{w|carbon dioxide}} and other air pollutants, water pollutants and land pollutants are the most common types of substances contaminating the Earth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pollution in the 21st Century |url=https://sciencing.com/pollution-21st-century-22991.html |website=sciencing.com |accessdate=18 May 2019}}</ref>
 |-
 |}
 ==Full timeline==
 {| class="sortable wikitable"
-! Year !! Event type !! Details !! Location
+! Year !! Category !! Event type !! Details !! Location
+|-
+| Prehistory || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || Pollution starts early, when humans create the first fires. Also, there is evidence of human-induced animal and plant extinctions from 50,000 BCE, when only about 200,000 Homo sapiens roamed the Earth.<ref name="A Brief History of Environmentalism"/> ||
+|-
+| 5000 BC || || || Ecological awareness appears this early with Vedic sages praising the wild forests in their hymns, Taoists urging that human life should reflect nature’s patterns and the Buddha teaching compassion for all sentient beings.<ref name="A Brief History of Environmentalism"/> || {{w|Indian subcontinent}}
+|-
+| 1000 CE || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || The use of {{w|coal}} for fuel causes considerable air pollution in cities.<ref name="Pollutionvv">{{cite web |title=Pollution |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/pollution-environment |website=britannica.com |accessdate=26 April 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1272 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Policy || {{w|King Edward I}} of {{w|England}} bans the burning of sea-coal by proclamation in {{w|London}}, after its smoke becomes a problem.<ref name="Water and Air Pollution">{{cite web |title=Water and Air Pollution |url=https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/water-and-air-pollution |website=history.com |accessdate=26 April 2019}}</ref> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 1377 – 1399 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Policy || {{w|Richard II of England}} restricts and regulates the use of {{w|coal}}.<ref name="History of Air Pollution"/> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 1525–1569 || {{w|Water pollution}} || || Dutch artist {{w|Pieter Bruegel the Elder}} paints scenes of raw sewage and other pollution emptying into rivers.<ref name="A Brief History of Environmentalism"/> || {{w|Netherlands}}
+|-
+| 1609 || General || Literature || Dutch lawyer {{w|Hugo Grotius}} writes ''{{w|Mare Liberum}}'' ("The Freedom of the Seas"), claiming that pollution and war violate natural law.<ref name="A Brief History of Environmentalism"/> || {{w|Netherlands}}
+|-
+| 1661 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Literature || {{w|Charles II of England}} commands writer {{w|John Evelyn}} of the {{w|Royal Society}} to publish ''Fumifugium; or the Inconvenience of the Air and Smoke dissipated''; together with ''Some Remedies Humbly Proposed''<ref name="History of Air Pollution"/> ||
+|-
+| 1681 || General || Policy || The {{w|English Tort Law}} develops as a law concerning the compensation for harm to people's rights to health and safety, a clean environment, property, their economic interests, or their reputations. In a case happening in the year, a judge determines: “The law does not so much concern itself with the intent of the actor as with the loss and damage of the party suffering.”<ref name="Drake">{{cite web |last1=Drake |first1=Ian J. |title=The tort revolution: product liability and  the rule of courts |url=https://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/handle/1903/10809/Drake_umd_0117E_11456.pdf?sequence=1 |accessdate=30 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Evolution of Tort Law |url=https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Evolution-of-Tort-Law |website=owlcation.com |accessdate=30 July 2019}}</ref> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 1793 || {{w|Water pollution}} || Crisis || The {{w|1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic}} occurs. After the crisis, {{w|Benjamin Franklin}} petitions to manage waste and to remove tanneries for clean air as a public “right”.<ref name="A Brief History of Environmentalism"/> || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 1798 || General || Literature || English cleric {{w|Thomas Malthus}} publishes ''{{w|An Essay on the Principle of Population}}'', warning that human overpopulation would lead to ecological destruction.<ref name="A Brief History of Environmentalism"/> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 1824 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Research || Modern understanding of how certain atmospheric gases trap heat originates when French mathematician {{w|Joseph Fourier}} describes the {{w|greenhouse effect}}.<ref name="Why we know about the greenhouse gas effect">{{cite web |title=Why we know about the greenhouse gas effect |url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/why-we-know-about-the-greenhouse-gas-effect/ |website=blogs.scientificamerican.com |accessdate=29 April 2019}}</ref> || {{w|France}}
+|-
+| 1833 || General || Research || The theory preluding the {{w|tragedy of the commons}} concept originates in an essay by British economist {{w|William Forster Lloyd}}, who uses a hypothetical example of the effects of unregulated grazing on {{w|common land}} (also known as a "common") in {{w|Great Britain}} and {{w|Ireland}}.<ref name=forster>{{Cite book |title=Two lectures on the checks to population |last=Lloyd |first=William Forster |publisher=Oxford University |year=1833 |isbn= |location=England |pages= |url=https://archive.org/details/twolecturesonch00lloygoog |accessdate=2016-03-13}}</ref> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 1850s || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || {{w|Acid rain}} is first discovered. By the time it is another problem resulting from coal-powered plants.<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/> ||
+|-
+| 1858 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || Sewers emptied into the {{w|River Thames}} cause the {{w|Great Stink}}, a powerful stench that terrorizes {{w|London}} for two months.<ref>{{cite web |title=Re-Smelling London’s Great Stink Of 1858 |url=https://allthatsinteresting.com/great-stink-london |website=allthatsinteresting.com |accessdate=6 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 1862 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Research || Irish physicist {{w|John Tyndall}} discovers that certain gases (water and {{w|carbon dioxide}}) help trap heat from escaping the {{w|atmosphere}}.<ref name="Why we know about the greenhouse gas effect"/> || {{w|Ireland}}
+|-
+| 1868 || General || Policy || {{w|Rylands v Fletcher}} is introduced in {{w|England}} as a new area of {{w|English tort law}}. The new rule defines strict liability for landowners for damage caused by dangerous substances which escapes from their land and damages others.<ref>{{cite web |title=Duhaime's Law Dictionary |url=http://www.duhaime.org/LegalDictionary/R/RylandsvFletchertheRulein.aspx |website=duhaime.org |accessdate=30 July 2019}}</ref> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 1874 || General || Literature || British political economist {{w|Henry Sidgwick publishes Methods of Ethics, a classical utilitarian volume which analizes {{w|externality}}-related problems with the system of natural liberty and the effects of self-interested behavior.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Medema |first1=Steven G. |title=The Hesitant Hand: Taming Self-Interest in the History of Economic Ideas |url=https://books.google.com.ar/books?id=ZZwUD0mONmsC&pg=PA42&dq=%22Henry+Sidgwick%22+%22externality%22+%22in+1800..1980%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjW6uyx387jAhXRsJ4KHcmeDWkQ6AEINTAC#v=onepage&q=%22Henry%20Sidgwick%22%20%22externality%22%20%22in%201800..1980%22&f=false}}</ref> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 1887 || General || Literature || {{w|Henry Sidgwick}} publishes ''The Principles of Political Economy'' and gives birth to the concept of {{w|externality}} (the cost or benefit that affects a party who did not choose to incur that cost or benefit) when discussing potential divergences between individual and social utility.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Moss |first1=David A. |last2=Cherington |first2=Paul Whiton |title=Socializing Security: Progressive-era Economists and the Origins of American Social Policy |url=https://books.google.com.ar/books?id=f1BkxfN6kWoC&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201&dq=%22Henry+Sidgwick%22+%22externality%22+%22in+1800..1980%22&source=bl&ots=gmPbTB9PsC&sig=ACfU3U34IQqrwDmEWFCxUOwPuMYlDuapiQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiP_caj387jAhULy1kKHRlkBFgQ6AEwAHoECAIQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22Henry%20Sidgwick%22%20%22externality%22%20%22in%201800..1980%22&f=false}}</ref> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 1892 (May 28) || General || Organization || {{w|Sierra Club}} is founded in {{w|San Francisco}}, {{w|California}}. It was one of the first large-scale environmental preservation organizations in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sierraclub.org/about|title=About the Sierra Club|work={{w|Sierra Club}}}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 1895 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Research || Swedish Chemist {{w|Svante Arrhenius}} observes the infrared-absorbing properties of {{w|carbon dioxide}} and water molecules.<ref name="Why we know about the greenhouse gas effect"/> || {{w|Sweden}}
+|-
+| 1920 || General || Literature || British economist {{w|Arthur Cecil Pigou}} publishes ''The Economics of Welfare'', which suggests  that government tax polluters an amount equivalent to the cost of the harm to others as a way to compensate the {{w|negative externality}} (the economic activity that imposes a negative effect on an unrelated third party).<ref>{{cite book |title=Finance & Development, December 2010 |publisher=International Monetary Fund |url=https://books.google.com.ar/books?id=rndp9vX_yj8C&pg=PA48&lpg=PA48&dq=%22+externality%22+%22pollution%22+%22in+1800..2015%22&source=bl&ots=TPV2yQcyTm&sig=ACfU3U3OEUgpABcTa9jJW6cFs2GV7uYd2g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwif6em11c7jAhVHs54KHeYMDAAQ6AEwA3oECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22%20externality%22%20%22pollution%22%20%22in%201800..2015%22&f=false}}</ref> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 1940s || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || {{w|Los Angeles}}, becomes one of the first cities to experience severe air pollution problems then called “gas attacks.”<ref name="History of Air Pollution">{{cite web |title=History of Air Pollution |url=https://nptel.ac.in/courses/105102089/air%20pollution%20(Civil)/Module-1/1.htm |website=nptel.ac.in |accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 1946 || {{w|Water pollution}}, {{w|radioactive waste}} || Crisis || {{w|Ocean disposal of radioactive waste}}: First dumping operation takes place at Northeast Pacific Ocean (about 80 km off the coast of {{w|California}}).<ref name="Ocean Dumping of Nuclear Waste"/> || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 1948 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || The worst single incident of air pollution in the United States occurs in {{w|Donora, Pennsylvania}}, when severe industrial air pollution create a deadly smog. 20 people die and over 7,000 are injured.<ref>{{cite book | author=Davis, Devra | title=When Smoke Ran Like Water: Tales of Environmental Deception and the Battle Against Pollution|publisher=Basic Books|year=2002|isbn=978-0-465-01521-4}}</ref><ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/> || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 1952 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || The {{w|Great Smog of London}} occurs. Pollutants from factories and home fireplaces mix with air condensation, killing at least 4,000 people over the course of several days.<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 1957–1958 || General || International meeting || The {{w|International Geophysical Year}} is organized as an international scientific project. Scientists from 67 nations collaborate during an 18-month period to study atmospheric gases, the {{w|ozone layer}}, and the {{w|ocean floor}}. {{w|Antarctica}} is declared a neutral zone to be used only for international scientific research.<ref name="Earth Timeline: How People Have Affected the Environment">{{cite web |title=Earth Timeline: How People Have Affected the Environment |url=https://www.factmonster.com/science/environment/earth-timeline-how-people-have-affected-environment |website=factmonster.com |accessdate=6 May 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1960s || {{w|Air pollution}} || Research || Jet planes are used to investigate dangers to the {{w|ozone layer}}.<ref name="Earth Timeline: How People Have Affected the Environment"/> ||
+|-
+| 1962 || General || Literature || American biologist {{w|Rachel Carson}} publishes {{w|Silent Spring}}, which focuses attention on environmental damage caused by improper use of pesticides such as {{w|DDT}} and other persistent chemicals that accumulate in the food chain and disrupt the natural balance of ecosystems on a wide scale.<ref name="Pollutionvv"/> || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 1963 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Policy || The {{w|United States Congress}} passes the Clean Air Act legislation, in an effort to reduce air pollution. The law would be amended and strengthened in the ensuing decades.<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/> || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 1967 || General || Organization || The {{w|Environmental Defense Fund}} is formed as an environmental advocacy group.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our story: How EDF got started |url=https://www.edf.org/about/our-history |website=edf.org |accessdate=29 April 2019}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 1968 || General || Research || The {{w|Tragedy of the commons}} starts becoming a widely known concept due to an article written by American ecologist and philosopher {{w|Garrett Hardin}}.<ref name=hardin68>{{Cite journal |doi=10.1126/science.162.3859.1243 |title=The Tragedy of the Commons |journal=Science |volume=162 |issue=3859 |pages=1243–1248 |year=1968 |pmid=5699198 |pmc= |author1=Hardin |first1=G|url=http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/162/3859/1243.full.pdf |bibcode=1968Sci...162.1243H }}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 1969 || General || Organization || {{w|Greenpeace}} is formed in {{w|Vancouver}} as a nuclear war protest movement. It would be later turned into a non-governmental environmental organization.<ref name="A Brief History of Environmentalism">{{cite web |title=A Brief History of Environmentalism |url=https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/11658/a-brief-history-of-environmentalism/ |website=greenpeace.org |accessdate=29 April 2019}}</ref> || {{w|Canada}}
+|-
+| 1969 || General || Organization || {{w|Pollution Probe}} is founded as an environmental organization.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pollution Probe Foundation |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/pollution-probe-foundation |website=thecanadianencyclopedia.ca |accessdate=29 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About Pollution Probe |url=https://www.pollutionprobe.org/about/ |website=pollutionprobe.org |accessdate=29 April 2019}}</ref> || {{w|Canada}}
+|-
+| ~1970 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || {{w|Sulfur dioxide}} emissions peak in {{w|North America}}.<ref name="Air Pollution">{{cite web |last1=Ritchie |first1=Hannah |last2=Roser |first2=Max |title=Air Pollution |url=https://ourworldindata.org/air-pollution |website=ourworldindata.org |accessdate=6 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|North America}}
+|-
+| 1971 || General || Organization || {{w|Earthjustice}} is founded in the United States. It is dedicated to litigating environmental issues.<ref>{{cite web |title=STAFF ATTORNEY, COMMUNITY-BASED INITIATIVES |url=http://jobs.jobvite.com/earthjustice/job/oP9s9fwj |website=jobs.jobvite.com |accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 1972 || General || Treaty || The {{w|United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm}} is held, gathering representatives of 113 nations to develop plans for international action to protect the world environment.<ref name="History of Air Pollution"/> || {{w|Sweden}}
+|-
+| 1972 || {{w|Water pollution}} || Treaty || The {{w|London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter}} is adopted as an agreement to control pollution of the sea by dumping.<ref name="Ocean Dumping of Nuclear Waste"/> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 1972 (June 5) || General || Program || {{w|United Nations Environment Programme}} is launched, with the purpose to guide and coordinate environmental activities within the {{w|United Nations}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=United Nations Environment Programme |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Nations-Environment-Programme |website=britannica.com |accessdate=30 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) established |url=http://www.environmentandsociety.org/tools/keywords/united-nations-environmental-programme-unep-established |website=environmentandsociety.org |accessdate=30 April 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1973 || {{w|Water pollution}} || Treaty || {{w|MARPOL 73/78}} is adopted as an international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes. It is a combination of two treaties adopted in 1973 and 1978 respectively, and updated by amendments through the years.<ref>{{cite web |title=MARPOL 73/78 |url=https://www.wartsila.com/encyclopedia/term/marpol-73-78 |website=wartsila.com |accessdate=30 April 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1974 (September 22) || General || Organization || The {{w|Central Pollution Control Board}} is formed in India.<ref>{{cite web |title=Central Pollution Control Board |url=http://cpcb.nic.in/Introduction/ |website=cpcb.nic.in |accessdate=29 April 2019}}</ref> || {{w|India}}
+|-
+| 1976 || || || {{w|Seveso disaster}} || Italy
+|-
+| 1979 (November 13) || {{w|Air pollution}} || Treaty || The {{w|Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution}} opens for signature. It would enter into force on March 16, 1983.<ref>{{cite web |title=Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution |url=https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVII-1&chapter=27&clang=_en |website=treaties.un.org |accessdate=18 May 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1979 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || An [[w:Sverdlovsk anthrax leak|accidental leak]] of {{w|anthrax}} spores from a Soviet {{w|biological warfare}} laboratory near [[w:Yekaterinburg|Sverdlovsk]] is believed to cause at least 64 deaths.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Meselson M, Guillemin J, Hugh-Jones M |title=The Sverdlovsk anthrax outbreak of 1979 |journal=Science |volume=266 |issue=5188 |pages=1202–08 |date=November 1994 |pmid=7973702 |doi=10.1126/science.7973702 |url=http://www.anthrax.osd.mil/documents/library/Sverdlovsk.pdf |display-authors=etal |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060921004004/http://www.anthrax.osd.mil/documents/library/Sverdlovsk.pdf |archivedate=2006-09-21 |df= }}</ref> || {{w|Russia}}
+|-
+| ~1980 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || {{w|Sulfur dioxide}} emissions peak in {{w|Europe}}.<ref name="Air Pollution"/> || {{w|Europe}}
+|-
+| 1980 || General || Organization || The {{w|Centre for Science and Environment}} opens. It's one of India’s first environmental {{w|NGO}}s to analyze and study the relationship between environment and development and create public consciousness about the need for sustainable development.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anil Agarwal |url=https://www.cseindia.org/anil-agarwal-216 |website=cseindia.org |accessdate=18 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|India}}
+|-
+| 1982 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || British geophysicist {{w|Joe Farman}} discovers a hole in the {{w|ozone layer}} over {{w|Antarctica}}.<ref name="Earth Timeline: How People Have Affected the Environment"/> || {{w|Antarctica}}
+|-
+| 1982 (December 10) || {{w|Water pollution}} || Treaty || The {{w|United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea}} is signed with the purpose to lay down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world's oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.<ref>{{cite web |title=United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 Overview and full text |url=https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/convention_overview_convention.htm |website=un.org |accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1982 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Policy || The Torts Branch, Environmental Tort Litigation Section (ETL) is established in the {{w|United States}} to defend the country in asbestos litigation brought against the government principally by asbestos product manufacturers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Environmental Tort Litigation Section |url=https://www.justice.gov/civil/environmental-tort-litigation-section |website=justice.gov |accessdate=31 July 2019}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 1983 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Research || According to article published in the journal ''[[w:Science (journal)|Science]]'', "{{w|soot}}" found on ceilings of prehistoric caves provides ample evidence of the high levels of pollution that was associated with inadequate ventilation of open fires at the time.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Spengler |first=John D. |last2=Sexton |first2=K. A. |year=1983 |title=Indoor Air Pollution: A Public Health Perspective |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=221 |issue=4605 |pages=9–17 [p. 9] |doi=10.1126/science.6857273 }}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1984 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || The {{w|Bhopal Disaster}} happens as the world's worst short-term civilian pollution crisis.<ref>{{cite web |title=20th anniversary of world's worst industrial disaster |url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2004/s1257352.htm |website=abc.net.au |accessdate=6 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|India}}
+|-
+| 1986 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Research || The U.S. {{w|National Academy of Sciences}} reports that the burning of coal, gasoline, and other fossil fuels is definitely linked to {{w|acid rain}} and the death of trees, fish, and lake ecosystems in both the {{w|United States}} and {{w|Canada}}.<ref name="History of Air Pollution"/> || {{w|United States}}, {{w|Canada}}
+|-
+| 1987 (August 26) || {{w|Air pollution}} || Treaty || The {{w|Montreal Protocol}} is signed as a global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS). It would become effective on August 26, 1989.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer |url=https://www.state.gov/e/oes/eqt/chemicalpollution/83007.htm |website=state.gov |accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|Canada}}
+|-
+| 1988 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || A second hole in the {{w|ozone layer}} is discovered over the {{w|Arctic}}.<ref name="Earth Timeline: How People Have Affected the Environment"/> || {{w|Arctic}}
+|-
+| 1989 (March 22) || General || Treaty || The [[w:Basel Convention|Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal]] is adopted in response to a public outcry following the discovery, in the decade, in Africa and other parts of the developing world of deposits of toxic wastes imported from abroad. The Convention provides for the establishment of regional or sub-regional centers for training and technology transfers regarding the management of hazardous wastes and other wastes and the minimization of their generation to cater to the specific needs of different regions and subregions. It would become effective on May 5, 1992.<ref>{{cite web |title=Basel Convention |url=http://www.basel.int/TheConvention/Overview/tabid/1271/Default.aspx |website=basel.int |accessdate=23 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|Switzerland}}
+|-
+| 1990 || {{w|Open defecation}} || Statistics || More than half the population in 16 countries practice open defecation, and more than ten percent in 62 countries.<ref>{{cite book |title=Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water : 2015 Update and MDG Assessment |url=https://books.google.com.ar/books?id=KFA0DgAAQBAJ&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=%22open+defecation%22+%22in+1900..2018%22&source=bl&ots=l5-b6L04p7&sig=ACfU3U23HaqmUdE8BbBTgcEeikD5ZlCFRA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi6trqEk4fiAhUxAtQKHeQlDmsQ6AEwBHoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22open%20defecation%22%20%22in%201900..2018%22&f=false}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1990 || Flotsam || || {{w|Hansa Carrier}} ||
+|-
+| ~1990 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Crisis || {{w|Sulfur dioxide}} emissions peak in {{w|South America}}.<ref name="Air Pollution"/> || {{w|South America}}
+|-
+| 1991 || {{w|Water pollution}} || Research || The {{w|United Nations}} Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution estimates that up to 80% of the pollution is land-based,<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Sheavly | first1 = S. B. | last2 = Register | first2 = K. M. | title = Marine Debris & Plastics: Environmental Concerns, Sources, Impacts and Solutions | journal = Journal of Polymers and the Environment | volume = 15 | issue = 4 | pages = 301–305 | year = 2007 | doi = 10.1007/s10924-007-0074-3}}</ref> with the remaining 20% originating from catastrophic events or maritime sources.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Weiss | first1 = K.R. | title = The pileup of plastic debris is more than ugly ocean litter | journal = Knowable Magazine | year = 2017 | url = https://www.knowablemagazine.org/article/sustainability/2017/pileup-plastic-debris-more-ugly-ocean-litter | doi = 10.1146/knowable-120717-211902 | deadurl = no | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20171209100516/https://www.knowablemagazine.org/article/sustainability/2017/pileup-plastic-debris-more-ugly-ocean-litter | archivedate = 9 December 2017 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1991 || General || Research || The '''environmental {{w|Kuznets curve}}''' (a hypothesized relationship between environmental quality and economic development) starts becoming a standard feature in the technical literature of {{w|environmental policy}}.<ref name="Yandle2002">{{cite web |vauthors=Yandle B, Vijayaraghavan M, Bhattarai M |url=http://www.perc.org/articles/article688.php |title=The Environmental Kuznets Curve: A Primer |year=2002 |publisher=The Property and Environment Research Center |accessdate=16 June 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Yandle |first1=Bruce |last2=Vijayaraghavan |first2=Maya |last3=Bhattarai |first3=Madhusudan |title=The Environmental Kuznets Curve |url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ca8e/b9a0e139b1a52161971f3dd5ddf922cb75e9.pdf |website=pdfs.semanticscholar.org |accessdate=23 July 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1992 || || || {{w|Design for the Environment}} ||
+|-
+| 1992 (January) || Flotsam || Incident || {{w|Friendly Floatees}} || {{w|Pacific Ocean}}
+|-
+| 1992 (June 4) || General || Treaty || The {{w|United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change}} is signed as an intergovernmental treaty developed to address the problem of {{w|climate change}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=UN Framework Convention on Climate Change |url=https://enb.iisd.org/process/climate_atm-fcccintro.html |website=enb.iisd.org |accessdate=18 May 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1992 (September 22) || {{w|Water pollution}} || Treaty || The {{w|Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic}} opens for signature at the Ministerial Meeting of the Oslo and Paris Commissions in Paris.<ref>{{cite web |title=OSPAR Convention |url=https://www.ospar.org/convention |website=ospar.org |accessdate=23 May 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1993 (October 30) || General || Organization || The {{w|European Environment Agency}} is formed. Its goal is to help those involved in developing, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and to inform the general public.<ref>{{cite web |title=European Environment Agency |url=https://www.eea.europa.eu/environmental-time-line/1990s |website=eea.europa.eu |accessdate=30 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=European Environment Agency |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-93-59_en.htm |website=europa.eu |accessdate=30 April 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1994 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Research || Study of the {{w|seabed}} using {{w|trawl net}}s in the North-Western {{w|Mediterranean}} around the coasts of Spain, France, and Italy reports mean concentrations of debris of 1,935 items per square kilometer. Plastic debris accounted for 77%, of which 93% was plastic bags.<ref name=UNEP>{{cite web |url=http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/marinelitter/publications/docs/anl_oview.pdf |title=Marine Litter: An analytical overview |accessdate=1 August 2008 |year=2005 |publisher=United Nations Environment Programme |deadurl=no |archiveurl=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20070717141400/http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/marinelitter/publications/docs/anl_oview.pdf |archivedate=17 July 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1994 (February 20) || {{w|Water pollution}}, {{w|radioactive waste}} || Policy || Total prohibition of {{w|ocean disposal of radioactive waste}} comes into force by international treaties.<ref name="Ocean Dumping of Nuclear Waste">{{cite web |title=Ocean Dumping of Nuclear Waste |url=http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2017/ph241/jones-a2/ |website=large.stanford.edu |accessdate=23 May 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1995 || General || Organization || The British {{w|Environment Agency}} is formed.<ref>{{cite web |title=ENVIRONMENT AGENCY |url=https://stormlamp.org.uk/%E2%80%A2environment-agency |website=stormlamp.org.uk |accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1997 || General || Treaty || The {{w|Kyoto Protocol}} is signed as an international agreement linked to the {{w|United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change}}, which commits its Parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets.<ref name="What is the Kyoto Protocol?">{{cite web |title=What is the Kyoto Protocol? |url=https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-kyoto-protocol/what-is-the-kyoto-protocol/what-is-the-kyoto-protocol |website=unfccc.int |accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|Japan}}
+|-
+| 1997 || General || Organization || {{w|Basel Action Network}} is founded. It focuses on confronting the global environmental justice and economic inefficiency of toxic trade and its devastating impacts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Watchdog Group Uses GPS Trackers to Discover Illegal Electronic Waste Exports from Europe to Africa and Asia |url=https://www.ban.org/news/2019/2/6/gps-trackers-discover-illegal-e-waste-exports-to-africa-and-asia |website=ban.org |accessdate=18 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 1998 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Treaty || The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution is adopted by most of the {{w|European Union}}, the United States, and {{w|Canada}}. Its primary objective is to cut emissions of {{w|heavy metals}}. The convention is the largest international agreement on mercury established to date.<ref name="Selin">{{cite journal|last=Selin|first=N. E.|author2=Selin, H.|title=Global Politics of Mercury Pollution: The Need for Multi-Scale Governance|journal=Review of European Community & International Environmental Law|date=2006|volume=15|issue=3|pages=258–269|doi=10.1111/j.1467-9388.2006.00529.x}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 1998 (September 10) || General || Treaty || The {{w|Rotterdam Convention}} is signed as a {{w|multilateral treaty}} to promote shared responsibilities in relation to importation of hazardous chemicals. It would become effective on 24 February 2004.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rotterdam Convention |url=http://www.pic.int/TheConvention/Overview/tabid/1044/language/en-US/Default.aspx |website=pic.int |accessdate=18 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|Netherlands}}
+|-
+| 1999 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Research || In samples taken from the {{w|North Pacific Gyre}} by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, the mass of plastic is found to exceed that of {{w|zooplankton}} by a factor of six.<ref name=Weisman>{{cite book |author=Weisman, Alan |title=The World Without Us |year=2007 |publisher=St. Martin's Thomas Dunne Books |isbn=978-0-312-34729-1}}</ref><ref name=AlgalitaVid>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVwuPSLx2Xc |title=Plastics and Marine Debris |accessdate=1 July 2008 |year=2006 |publisher=Algalita Marine Research Foundation |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714181845/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVwuPSLx2Xc |archivedate=14 July 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2000 || {{w|Water póllution}} || || {{w|Martin County sludge spill}} || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 2001 (May 22) || General || Treaty || The {{w|Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants}} is signed as an international environmental treaty with the purpose to eliminate or restrict the production and use of {{w|persistent organic pollutants}}. It would become effective on 17 May 2004.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants |url=https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVII-15&chapter=27 |website=treaties.un.org |accessdate=18 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|Sweden}}
+|-
+| 2002 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Policy || ''{{w|Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd}}'' is introduced as a leading case on causation in {{w|English tort law}}. It concerns {{w|malignant mesothelioma}}, a deadly disease caused by breathing {{w|asbestos}} fibres.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services [2002] |url=https://webstroke.co.uk/law/cases/fairchild-v-glenhaven-funeral-services-2002 |website=webstroke.co.uk |accessdate=30 July 2019}}</ref> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+|-
+| 2004 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Research || A study by Richard Thompson from the {{w|University of Plymouth}} finds a great amount of microdebris on the [[w:beach pollution|beaches]] and waters in Europe, the Americas, Australia, Africa, and {{w|Antarctica}}.<ref name="Plastic Pollution">{{cite web|url=http://plastic-pollution.org/|title=When The Mermaids Cry: The Great Plastic Tide|last1=Le Guern|first1=Claire|date=March 2018|website=Coastal Care|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405071834/http://plastic-pollution.org/|archive-date=5 April 2018|dead-url=no|accessdate=24 April 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2004 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Research || It is estimated that {{w|gull}}s in the {{w|North Sea}} have an average of thirty pieces of plastic in their {{w|stomach}}s.<ref name="Understanding Environmental Pollution">{{cite book |last1=Hill |first1=Marquita K. |title=Understanding Environmental Pollution |url=https://books.google.com.ar/books?id=A-zaEGx_Y8cC&pg=PA257&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2005 || General || Treaty || The {{w|Kyoto Protocol}} enters into force.<ref name="What is the Kyoto Protocol?"/> ||
+|-
+| 2006 || {{w|Visual pollution}} || Policy || {{w|São Paulo}} passes the {{w|Cidade Limpa}} (Clean City Law), outlawing the use of all outdoor advertisements, including on billboards, transit, and in front of stores.<ref>{{cite web|title=Five Years After Banning Outdoor Ads, Brazil's Largest City Is More Vibrant Than Ever|url=http://www.newdream.org/resources/sao-paolo-ad-ban|publisher=The Center for a New American Dream|accessdate=6 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|Brazil}}
+|-
+| 2006 || {{w|Electronic waste}} || Research || The {{w|United Nations}} estimates the amount of worldwide {{w|electronic waste}} discarded each year to be 50 million metric tons.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cio.co.uk/concern/change/news/index.cfm?articleid=316|title=UN Summit on e-waste: Nokia, Vodaphone and Others to Attend UN Summit on e-waste|last=Blau|first=J|date=November 2006|work=CIO business magazine|access-date=6 May 2019|via=}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2007 || {{w|Water pollution}} || Research || {{w|CNN}} reports that “up to 500 million tons of heavy metals, solvents and toxic sludge slip into the global water supply every year.<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/> ||
+|-
+| 2007 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Statistics || [[w:People's Republic of China|China]] overtakes the United States as the world's biggest producer of {{w|CO2}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=China overtakes US as world's biggest CO2 emitter |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/jun/19/china.usnews |website=theguardian.com |accessdate=26 April 2019}}</ref> || [[w:People's Republic of China|China]]
+|-
+| 2008 || {{w|Water pollution}} || || {{w|Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill}} || {{w|United States}}
+|-
+| 2009 || {{w|Water pollution}}, {{w|soil contamination}} || Organization || The {{w|Plastic Pollution Coalition}} is founded as an organization working against the growing {{w|plastic pollution}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Plastic Pollution Coalition |url=https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/ |website=plasticpollutioncoalition.org |accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2010 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Research || A Study estimates that 1.2 million people die prematurely each year in [[w:People's Republic of China|China]] because of air pollution.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/world/asia/air-pollution-linked-to-1-2-million-deaths-in-china.html|title=Air Pollution Linked to 1.2 Million Deaths in China|first=Edward|last=Wong|date=26 April 2019|accessdate=1 December 2017|website=Nytimes.com}}</ref> || [[w:People's Republic of China|China]]
+|-
+| 2010 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Statistics || It is calculated that 275 million tons of plastic waste was generated in 192 coastal countries in the year, with 4.8 to 12.7 million entering the ocean - a percentage of only up to 5%.<ref name=Science2015>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.iswa.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Calendar_2011_03_AMERICANA/Science-2015-Jambeck-768-71__2_.pdf|title=Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean|journal=Science|volume=347|issue=6223|pages=768–71|access-date=2019-01-0|year=2015|doi=10.1126/science.1260352|pmid=25678662|last1=Jambeck|first1=Jenna R.|last2=Geyer|first2=Roland|last3=Wilcox|first3=Chris|last4=Siegler|first4=Theodore R.|last5=Perryman|first5=Miriam|last6=Andrady|first6=Anthony|last7=Narayan|first7=Ramani|last8=Law|first8=Kara Lavender}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2010 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Program || The {{w|Ocean Recovery Alliance}} launches the {{w|Plastic Disclosure Project}}, a global enterprise to encourage greater disclosure by companies and institutions regarding their plastic use and waste management strategies.<ref>{{cite web |title=Introduction of the Plastic Disclosure Project |url=https://www.clintonfoundation.org/clinton-global-initiative/commitments/introduction-plastic-disclosure-project |website=clintonfoundation.org |accessdate=18 May 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2011 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Research || Large Danish epidemiological study finds an increased risk of {{w|lung cancer}} for patients who live in areas with high {{w|nitrogen oxide}} concentrations. In this study, the association was higher for non-smokers than smokers.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Raaschou-Nielsen | first1 = O. | last2 = Andersen | first2 = Z. J. | last3 = Hvidberg | first3 = M. | last4 = Jensen | first4 = S. S. | last5 = Ketzel | first5 = M. | last6 = Sorensen | first6 = M. | last7 = Tjonneland | first7 = A. | year = 2011 | title = Lung cancer incidence and long-term exposure to air pollution from traffic. [Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't]. | journal = Environmental Health Perspectives | volume = 119 | issue = 6| pages = 860–65 | doi = 10.1289/ehp.1002353 | pmid = 21227886 | pmc=3114823}}</ref> An additional study likewise notes evidence of possible associations between air pollution and other forms of cancer, including {{w|cervical cancer}} and {{w|brain cancer}}.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Raaschou-Nielsen | first1 = O. | last2 = Andersen | first2 = Z. J. | last3 = Hvidberg | first3 = M. | last4 = Jensen | first4 = S. S. | last5 = Ketzel | first5 = M. | last6 = Sorensen | first6 = M. | last7 = Tjonneland | first7 = A. | year = 2011 | title = Air pollution from traffic and cancer incidence: a Danish cohort study | journal = Environmental Health | volume = 10 | issue = | page = 67 | doi = 10.1186/1476-069X-10-67 | pmid = 21771295 | pmc=3157417}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2011 || || Policy || The {{w|Industrial Emissions Directive}} comes into force. ||
+|-
+| 2012 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Research || Approximately 165 million tons of plastic pollution are estimated in the world's oceans.<ref name="Knight3">Knight 2012, p. 12.</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2012 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Research || The {{w|World Health Organisation}} attributes 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in the year to outdoor air pollution and even more, 4.3 million deaths to indoor air pollution.<ref>{{cite web |title=AIR POLLUTION |url=https://21stcenturychallenges.org/air-pollution/ |website=21stcenturychallenges.org |accessdate=18 May 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2013 || {{w|Light pollution}} || Research || {{w|Light pollution in Hong Kong}} is declared the 'worst on the planet'.<ref>{{cite web |title=Light pollution in Hong Kong 'worst on the planet' |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1194996/light-pollution-hong-kong-worst-planet |website=scmp.com |accessdate=6 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|Hong Kong}}
+|-
+| 2013 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Organization || {{w|The Ocean Cleanup}} is founded as a non-profit organization aimed at developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic.<ref>{{cite web |title=BIG PROBLEMS REQUIRE BIG SOLUTIONS |url=https://www.theoceancleanup.com/about/ |website=theoceancleanup.com |accessdate=17 May 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2013 || {{w|Water pollution}} || Research || Debris from six beaches in {{w|Korea}} is collected and analyzed:  56% is found to be "ocean-based" and 44%  "land-based".<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Yong| first1 = C  | year = 2013 | title = Sources of plastic marine debris on beaches of Korea: More from the ocean than the land | journal = Ocean Science Journal | volume = 49| issue = 2| pages = 151–162 | doi = 10.1007/s12601-014-0015-8  }}</ref> || {{w|Korea}}
+|-
+| 2013 || {{w|Water pollution}} || Research || It is calculated that over ten million people in India fell ill with waterborne illnesses in the year, and 1,535 people died, most of them children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Over-1500-lives-lost-to-diarrhoea-in-2013-delay-in-treatment-blamed/articleshow/39186504.cms|title=Over 1,500 lives lost to diarrhoea in 2013, delay in treatment blamed|website=The Times of India|last=Isalkar|first=Umesh|date=29 July 2014|publisher={{w|Indiatimes}}|accessdate=6 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|India}}
+|-
+| 2013 (October 10) || {{w|Mercury poisoning}} || Organization || The {{w|Minamata Convention on Mercury}} is signed in order to prevent global environmental pollution and health damage caused by {{w|mercury}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Minamata Convention on Mercury |url=https://www.thegef.org/events/minamata-convention-mercury |website=thegef.org |accessdate=17 May 2019}}</ref> || {{w|Japan}}
+|-
+| 2013 (December) || {{w|Air pollution}} || Statistics || {{w|Air pollution}} is estimated to kill 500,000 people in China each year.<ref>Mr Chen's claim was made in {{w|The Lancet}} (December 2013 issue) and reported in The Daily Telegraph 8th January 2014 p. 15 'Air pollution killing up to 500,000 Chinese each year, admits former health minister.</ref> || {{w|China}}
+|-
+| 2014 || {{w|Open defecation}} || Research || The {{w|World Health Organization}} finds {{w|open defecation}} to be a leading cause of diarrheal death. An average of 2,000 children under the age of five die every day from {{w|diarrhea}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs330/en/ |title=WHO &#124; Diarrhoeal disease |publisher=World Health Organization |date=2013 |accessdate=26 April 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2014 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Research || In a study using computer models, scientists estimate 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic weighing 269,000 tons are dispersed in oceans in similar amount in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and one-hundredth of them are particles the scale of a {{w|sand}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=5 Trillion Pieces of Ocean Trash Found, But Fewer Particles Than Expected|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/12/141211-ocean-plastics-garbage-patches-5-gyres-pollution-environment/|accessdate=25 January 2015|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205025927/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/12/141211-ocean-plastics-garbage-patches-5-gyres-pollution-environment/|archivedate=5 February 2015|df=dmy-all|date=2014-12-13}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2014 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Research || {{w|Environmental impact of shipping}}: The {{w|International Maritime Organization}} (IMO) estimates that {{w|carbon dioxide}} emissions from {{w|shipping}} were equal to 2.2% of the global human-made emissions in the year<ref>{{Citation|title=Third IMO GHG Study 2014|url=http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/AirPollution/Documents/Third%20Greenhouse%20Gas%20Study/GHG3%20Executive%20Summary%20and%20Report.pdf|publisher=International Maritime Organization}}</ref> and expects them to rise 50 to 250 percent by 2050 if no action is taken.<ref>{{Citation|title=Second IMO GHG Study 2014 |url=http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/AirPollution/Documents/Third%20Greenhouse%20Gas%20Study/GHG3%20Executive%20Summary%20and%20Report.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019064411/http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/AirPollution/Documents/Third%20Greenhouse%20Gas%20Study/GHG3%20Executive%20Summary%20and%20Report.pdf |dead-url=yes |archive-date=2015-10-19 |publisher=International Maritime Organization }}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2014 (June) || {{w|Air pollution}} || Research || Study discovers that early exposure to {{w|air pollution}} causes the same damaging changes in the brain as {{w|autism}} and {{w|schizophrenia}}. The study also shows that air pollution also affects {{w|short-term memory}}, learning ability, and {{w|impulsivity}}. Air pollution has a more significant negative effect on males than on females.<ref name="Allen Liu Pelkowski Palmer p. ">{{cite journal | last=Allen | first=Joshua L. | last2=Liu | first2=Xiufang | last3=Pelkowski | first3=Sean | last4=Palmer | first4=Brian | last5=Conrad | first5=Katherine | last6=Oberdörster | first6=Günter | last7=Weston | first7=Douglas | last8=Mayer-Pröschel | first8=Margot | last9=Cory-Slechta | first9=Deborah A. | title=Early Postnatal Exposure to Ultrafine Particulate Matter Air Pollution: Persistent Ventriculomegaly, Neurochemical Disruption, and Glial Activation Preferentially in Male Mice | journal=Environmental Health Perspectives | volume=122 | issue=9 | pages=939–945 | date=2014-06-05 | issn=0091-6765 | doi=10.1289/ehp.1307984 | pmid=24901756 | pmc=4154219 }}</ref><ref name="McEnaney-effects">{{cite news|last1=McEnaney|first1=Michael|title=Air pollution link discovered to autism, schizophrenia risks|url=http://www.techtimes.com/articles/8147/20140607/air-pollution-link-discovered-autism-schizophrenia-risks.htm|accessdate=6 May 2019|date=7 June 2014|ref=Tech Times}}</ref><ref name="University of Rochester">{{cite news|title=New Evidence Links Air Pollution to Autism, Schizophrenia|url=http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/index.cfm?id=4100|accessdate=8 June 2014|publisher=University of Rochester Medical Center|date=6 June 2014}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2014 || {{w|Air pollution}} || Research || The {{w|World Health Organization}} estimates that every year air pollution causes the premature death of some 7 million people worldwide.<ref name=WHO2014>{{cite web | url =http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2014/air-pollution/en/| title =7 million premature deaths annually linked to air pollution |publisher ={{w|WHO}}|date=25 March 2014| accessdate =27 April 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2015 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Research || In a study published by ''[[w:Science (journal)|Science]]'', Jambeck ''et al'' (2015) estimates that the 10 largest emitters of oceanic plastic pollution worldwide are, from the most to the least, {{w|China}}, {{w|Indonesia}}, {{w|Philippines}}, {{w|Vietnam}}, {{w|Sri Lanka}}, {{w|Thailand}}, {{w|Egypt}}, {{w|Malaysia}}, {{w|Nigeria}}, and {{w|Bangladesh}}.<ref name=Science2015/> ||
+|-
+| 2015 (December) || General || Research || Medical scientists report that {{w|cancer}} is overwhelmingly a result of {{w|environmental factor}}s, and not largely down to bad luck.<ref name="BBC-20151217">{{cite news |last=Gallagher |first=James |title=Cancer is not just 'bad luck' but down to environment, study suggests |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35111449 |date=17 December 2015 |work=BBC|accessdate=27 April 2019 }}</ref>  ||
+|-
+| 2015 || General || Statistics || Pollution is estimated to have killed 9 million people in the world in the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/pollution-killed-9-million-people-2015|title=Pollution killed 9 million people in 2015|first=Laura|last=Beil|date=15 November 2017|website=Sciencenews.org|accessdate=6 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="Carrington">{{cite news |last= Carrington|first=Damian|date=October 20, 2017 |title=Global pollution kills 9m a year and threatens 'survival of human societies'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/19/global-pollution-kills-millions-threatens-survival-human-societies|work={{w|The Guardian}} |location= |access-date=6 May 2019 }}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2016 || {{w|Light pollution}} || Research || It is estimated that one third of the world's population can no longer see the {{w|Milky Way}}, including 80% of Americans and 60% of Europeans. {{w|Singapore}} is found to be the most light-polluted country in the world.<ref name="limitednight">{{Cite news|url=http://www.pressherald.com/2016/06/11/light-pollution-limiting-night-sky-views/|first=Brady|last=Dennis|date=June 11, 2016|accessdate=6 May 2019|title=Light pollution limiting night-sky views|publisher=Portland Press Herald, via Washington Post}}</ref><ref name=NWA>{{Cite journal|last=Falchi|first=Fabio|last2=Cinzano|first2=Pierantonio|last3=Duriscoe|first3=Dan|last4=Kyba|first4=Christopher C. M.|last5=Elvidge|first5=Christopher D.|last6=Baugh|first6=Kimberly|last7=Portnov|first7=Boris A.|last8=Rybnikova|first8=Nataliya A.|last9=Furgoni|first9=Riccardo|date=2016-06-01|title=The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness|journal=Science Advances |volume=2|issue=6|pages=e1600377|doi=10.1126/sciadv.1600377|issn=2375-2548|pmid=27386582|pmc=4928945 }}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2017 || General || Research || Study by the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health finds that global pollution, specifically toxic air, water, soils and workplaces, kill nine million people annually, which is triple the number of deaths caused by {{w|AIDS}}, {{w|tuberculosis}} and {{w|malaria}} combined, and 15 times higher than deaths caused by wars and other forms of human violence.<ref>{{cite news |last= Stanglin|first=Doug|date=October 20, 2017 |title=Global pollution is the world's biggest killer and a threat to survival of mankind, study finds|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/10/20/study-global-pollution-worlds-biggest-killer-and-threat-survival-mankind/783321001/|work={{w|USA Today}} |location= |access-date=April 26, 2019 }}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2017 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Research || A study published by ''{{w|Environmental Science & Technology}}'' calculates that the {{w|Yangtze}}, [[w:Indus river|Indus]], {{w|Yellow River}}, {{w|Hai River}}, {{w|Nile}}, {{w|Ganges}}, {{w|Pearl River}}, {{w|Amur River}}, {{w|Niger River}}, and the {{w|Mekong River}} transport 88–95% of the global {{w|plastics}} load into the sea.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Christian Schmidt |last2=Tobias Krauth |last3=Stephan Wagner |title=Export of Plastic Debris by Rivers into the Sea |journal={{w|Environmental Science & Technology}} |date=11 October 2017 |volume=51 |issue=21 |pages=12246–12253 |doi=10.1021/acs.est.7b02368 |pmid=29019247 |quote=The 10 top-ranked rivers transport 88–95% of the global load into the sea}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harald Franzen |title=Almost all plastic in the ocean comes from just 10 rivers |url=https://p.dw.com/p/2oTF6 |accessdate=29 April 2019 |work={{w|Deutsche Welle}} |date=30 November 2017 |quote=It turns out that about 90 percent of all the plastic that reaches the world's oceans gets flushed through just 10 rivers: The Yangtze, the Indus, Yellow River, Hai River, the Nile, the Ganges, Pearl River, Amur River, the Niger, and the Mekong (in that order).}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2017 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Research ||Study finds that 83% of {{w|tap water}} samples taken around the world contain plastic pollutants.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://orbmedia.org/stories/Invisibles_plastics|title=Invisibles|website=orbmedia.org|access-date=29 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://orbmedia.org/stories/Invisibles_final_report|title=Synthetic Polymer Contamination in Global Drinking Water|website=orbmedia.org|access-date=29 April 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2018 || {{w|Plastic pollution}} || Statistics || As of date, about 380 million tons of plastic is produced worldwide each year. From the 1950s up to 2018, an estimated 6.3 billion tons of plastic was produced worldwide, of which an estimated 9% has been recycled and another 12% has been incinerated.<ref>{{cite news |title=The known unknowns of plastic pollution |url=https://www.economist.com/news/international/21737498-so-far-it-seems-less-bad-other-kinds-pollution-about-which-less-fuss-made |accessdate=17 June 2018 |publisher=The Economist |date=3 March 2018}}</ref> ||
+|-
+| 2018 (July) || {{w|Plastic pollution}} || Policy || {{w|Albania}} becomes the first country in Europe to ban lightweight plastic bags.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rti.rtsh.al/2018/06/13/rama-albania-the-first-country-in-europe-to-ban-plastic-bags-lawfully/|title=Rama: Albania the first country in Europe to ban plastic bags lawfully {{!}} Radio Tirana International|date=2018-06-13|website=rti.rtsh.al|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-30}}</ref><ref name=":32">{{cite web|url=http://www.tiranatimes.com/?p=137780|title=Albania bans non-biodegradable plastic bags|date=4 July 2018|website=Tirana Times|accessdate=21 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://makeresourcescount.eu/balkans-bin-bags/|title=Balkans bans the bag|date=2017-07-03|website=makeresourcescount.eu|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-04-30}}</ref> Albania’s environment minister {{w|Blendi Klosi}} said that businesses importing, producing or trading plastic bags less than 35 microns in thickness risk facing fines between 1 million to 1.5 million lek (€7,900 to €11,800).<ref name=":32" /> ||
+|-
+| 2050 || {{w|Plastic pollution}}, {{w|water pollution}} || Research || Some researchers suggest that by the time there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by weight.<ref name="Sutter">{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/12/world/sutter-vanishing-help/|title=How to stop the sixth mass extinction |first=John D. |last=Sutter |date=12 December 2016|work=CNN|accessdate= 29 April 2019}}</ref> ||
+|-
+|}
+== Numerical and visual data  ==
+=== Google Scholar ===
+The following table summarizes per-year mentions on Google Scholar as of October 20, 2021.
+{| class="sortable wikitable"
+! Year
+! pollution
+|-
+| 1900 || 423
 |-
-| || || "In the latter part of the 13th century, in an effort to reduce air pollution, England’s King Edward I threatened Londoners with harsh penalties if they didn’t stop burning sea-coal. "<ref name="Water and Air Pollution">{{cite web |title=Water and Air Pollution |url=https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/water-and-air-pollution |website=history.com |accessdate=26 April 2019}}</ref> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+| 1910 || 476
 |-
-| 1850s || || "Acid rain, first discovered in the 1850s, was another problem resulting from coal-powered plants. "<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/> ||
+| 1920 || 2,510
 |-
-| 1948 || || " in 1948, severe industrial air pollution created a deadly smog that asphyxiated 20 people in Donora, Pennsylvania, and made 7,000 more sick."<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/> ||
+| 1930 || 6,930
 |-
-| 1952 || || "In the Great Smog of 1952, pollutants from factories and home fireplaces mixed with air condensation killed at least 4,000 people in London over the course of several days."<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/> || {{w|United Kingdom}}
+| 1940 || 17,800
 |-
-| 1963 || || "In 1963, in an effort to reduce air pollution, the U.S. Congress passed the Clean Air Act, legislation which has been amended and strengthened in the ensuing decades."<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/> ||
+| 1950 || 22,400
 |-
-| 2007 || || ". In 2007, CNN reported that “up to 500 million tons of heavy metals, solvents and toxic sludge slip into the global water supply every year."<ref name="Water and Air Pollution"/>
+| 1960 || 30,400
+|-
+| 1970 || 52,800
+|-
+| 1980 || 56,900
+|-
+| 1990 || 111,000
+|-
+| 2000 || 248,000
+|-
+| 2010 || 558,000
+|-
+| 2020 || 249,000
 |-
 |}
+[[File:Pollution gsch.png|thumb|center|700px]]
+=== Google Trends ===
+The comparative chart below shows {{w|Google Trends}} data for Pollution (Topic), Air pollution (Disaster type), Water pollution (Topic) and Noise pollution (Topic), from January 2004 to April 2021, when the screenshot was taken. Interest is also ranked by country and displayed on world map.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pollution, Air pollution, Water pollution and Noise pollution |url=https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F066xq,%2Fm%2F0dc7h,%2Fm%2F01tbgl,%2Fm%2F0hl3x |website=Google Trends |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref>
+[[File:Pollution gt.png|thumb|center|600px]]
+=== Google Ngram Viewer ===
+The comparative chart below shows {{w|Google Ngram Viewer}} data for Pollution, air pollution, Water pollution and Noise pollution, from 1800 to 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pollution, Air pollution, Water pollution and Noise pollution |url=https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Pollution%2Cair+pollution%2Cwater+pollution%2Cnoise+pollution&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=26&smoothing=3|website=books.google.com |access-date=12 April 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
+[[File:Pollution, air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution comparative ngram.png|thumb|center|700px]]
+=== Wikipedia Views ===
+The chart below shows pageviews of the English Wikipedia article {{w|Pollution}}, on desktop from December 2007, and on mobile-web, desktop-spider, mobile-web-spider and mobile app, from July 2015; to March 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pollution |url=https://wikipediaviews.org/displayviewsformultiplemonths.php?page=Pollution&allmonths=allmonths&language=en&drilldown=all |website=wikipediaviews.org |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref>
+[[File:Pollution wv.png|thumb|center|450px]]
 ==Meta information on the timeline==
@@ Line 35: / Line 314: @@
 ===How the timeline was built===
-The initial version of the timeline was written by [[User:FIXME|FIXME]].
+The initial version of the timeline was written by [[User:Sebastian]].
 {{funding info}} is available.
@@ Line 46: / Line 325: @@
 ===What the timeline is still missing===
+* {{w|List of environmental issues}}
+* {{w|Industrial Emissions Directive}}
+* {{w|Design for the Environment}}
+* {{w|Illegal dumping}}
+* {{w|Litter}}
+* {{w|Ghost net}}
+* {{w|Environmental impact of shipping}}
+* {{w|Plastic resin pellet pollution}}
+* {{w|Ballast water discharge and the environment}}
+* {{w|Marine pollution}}
+* {{w|Marine debris}}
+* {{w|Thematic Strategy on Sustainable Use of Natural Resources}} (2005)
+* {{w|Integrated Product Policy}} (EU)
+* {{w|Sustainable Consumption and Production Action Plan}} (2008 EU)
+* {{w|Asbestos}}
+* {{w|Environmental dumping}}
+* {{w|World Cleanup Day}}
+* {{w|Project Kaisei}}
+* {{w|Vehicle emission standard}}
+* {{w|European emission standards}}
+* {{w|Greenhouse gas}}
+* {{w|Pollution haven hypothesis}}
+* {{w|Climate Justice Now!}}
+* {{w|OSPAR Convention}}
+* {{w|Barcelona Convention}}
+* {{w|London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter}}
 ===Timeline update strategy===
 ==See also==
+* [[Timeline of pollution in India]]
+* [[Timeline of pollution in China]]
+* [[Timeline of pollution in Beijing]]
+* [[Timeline of pollution in Delhi]]
+* [[Timeline of waste management]]
+* [[Timeline of nuclear waste management]]
+* [[Timeline of recycling]]
+* [[Timeline of the environmentalist movement]]
 ==External links==