Environmental awareness in history ARCH 213 ECLOGICAL ISSUES IN ARCHITECTURE ASSIST.PROF. DR.HARUN SEVİNÇ ASSIST.PROF. DR.PINAR ULUÇAY

PEOPLE TREATIES EVENTS

In the beginning… ~10,000 years ago the human population began to rise after the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution. ◦Humans settled to become farmers instead of local hunter-gatherers. ◦This meant managing local resources (food, water, fuel) sustainably around the settlement

Air and water pollution was not a much of a concern, though places like the Roman Empire were known to have sewage in the streets. The cutting of timber for building was an early concern in places such as Babylon, Greece, Italy, & Phoenicia. Soil conservation was practiced by civilizations in China, India, and Peru. …later

As countries became more developed, sanitation became a problem. The best example is Europe during the Middle Ages and the outbreak of the Bubonic Plague. Forests were also disappearing more and more as the need for timber increased.

1700’s In 1700’s water pollution issues started being discussed and solutions were searched. A correlation between population and resources was made and brought to light that as one increases, the other decreases. The use of more coal led to more air pollution.

Industrial Revolution …With the start of industrial revaolution in the early 1800s goods and services for nearly all was produced, but demanded the burning of large amounts of trees and coal. Required large-scale mining. Land was cleared, natural waterways were polluted, cities became crowded and smoky.

1800’s – 1900’s 1800’s – 1900’s The impact of water born diseases became a big concern as well as working conditions in factories and industry. A push was also made to start preserving wilderness areas. Teddy Roosevelt & Gifford Pinchot suggested forests be used wisely. The Sierra Club formed during this time.

Sierra Club To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.

1900’s Impacts of the burning of chemicals and processing of synthetic materials is publicized. Air pollution is seen as a problem. In 1957, increased levels of CO2 was documented and was a concern.

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau Wrote about respect for the natural world. Described an almost mystical experience. Transcendentalists*. Not scientists. *Transcendentalism is a religious and philosophical movement that was developed during the late 1820s and 1830sin the Eastern region of the United States.

Environmental Awareness Grows

Theodore Roosevelt U.S. President Instrumental in founding the U.S. Forest Service and National Parks. Believed the health of the nation depended upon the health of the land.

John Muir Perhaps the first preservationist. Believed that nature for be preserved for its own sake, not to provide resources for humans. Founded the Sierra Club in Fought for the preservation of Yosemite National Park.

Gifford Pinchot A conservationist. Believed that forests should be used both to conserve the environment and to provide resources for humans.

The Green Revolution 1940s – 1960s Modern agriculture boosted food production significantly. Required machinery and tremendous amounts of fossil fuel. New crops varieties were developed and fertilizer and pesticide use rose sharply. World population grew to about 3 billion.

Aldo Leopold Wrote A Sand County Almanac in Widely considered the most important environmental book ever written. Argues that we have an ethical responsibility to be good stewards of the land.

1960s Modern Environmental Movement

1960’s &1970’s Silent Spring book by Rachel Carson-stated that uncontrolled pesticide use (DDT) led to the deaths of animals and especially birds, but also humans. Its title was meant to evoke a spring season in which no bird songs could be heard, because they had all died from pesticides. Cuyahoga River oil & chemicals burn in Ohio, sparking a big environmental movement.

1970’s-1980’s 1970’s-1980’s EPA is established and major environmental laws are passed such as the Clean Air Act & Clean Water Act. Catalytic converters are put on cars. The effects of toxic dumps comes to light. (1978) Nuclear power is questioned after a minor accident in USA. (1979) First major energy crisis over supply of oil. (1973)

Greenpeace (1971) Greenpeace is a non- governmental environmental organisation with offices in over 40 countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its diversity“. Greenpeace uses direct action, lobbying and research to achieve its goals.

James Lovelock (1979) English independent scientist, and environmentalist. He is best known for the Gaia hypothesis, which suggests that the biosphere is a self- regulating object with the ability to keep our planet healthy by controlling the chemical and physical environment.

1980’s – 1990’s 1980’s Major Disasters: Chernobyl Exxon Valdez- Largest oil spill to date. Happened in the Gulf of Alaska Bhopal poisoning - 27 tons of lethal gases leaked from Union Carbide Corporation's pesticide factory in Bhopal, India. It was the worst chemical disaster in history. Ozone depletion taken seriously in Global Climate change becomes more of a concern.

Chernobyl The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear reactor accident in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was the worst nuclear power plant accident in history resulting in a severe release of radioactivity into the environment following a massive power excursion which destroyed the reactor.

Some important Treaties in the development of environmental awareness Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Formation of the UNEP (1972) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972

CITES (1975) CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments signed in Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Establishment of IPCC (1988) Intergovernme ntal Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a scientific intergovernmenta l body of which the task is to evaluate the risk of climate change caused by human activity. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Montreal Protocol (1989) Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of a number of substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion.

Rio Earth Summit (1992) The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), June It led to the Kyoto Protocol. The Convention on Biological Diversity wasKyoto Protocol opened for signature. The Earth Summit resulted in the following documents: Rio Declaration on Environment and Development Agenda 21 Convention on Biological Diversity Forest Principles Framework Convention on Climate ChangeFramework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Both Convention on Biological Diversity and Framework Critics, however, point out that many of the agreements made in Rio have not been realized regarding such fundamental issues as fighting poverty and cleaning up the environment.

Kyoto Protocol (1997) Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC), aimed at fighting global warming. The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty with the goal of achieving "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system." Participation in the Kyoto Protocol, as of June 2009, where dark green indicates the countries that have signed and ratified the treaty, grey is not yet decided and red is no intention to ratify.

1990’s to Present Debates continue around the world about environmental issues. United Nations begins addressing global climate change and suggests solutions, but many countries do not want to comply. Support grows for alternative energy sources such as sun & wind energy. In 1997 the Kyoto Protocol was drafted. An agreement made under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Countries that ratify this protocol commit to reducing their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gasses, or engaging in emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these green house gases.

Development of Alternative Energy More efforts being made to develop solar, wind, biofuel, and hydrogen fuels.

Some events that changed the world

Dust Bowl(1930 to 1936) The Dirty Thirties was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands from 1930 to 1936 (in some areas until 1940). The phenomenon was caused by severe drought coupled with decades of extensive farming without crop rotation, fallow fields, cover crops or other techniques to prevent erosion.

Minamata (1956) Minimata disease was first discovered in Minamata city, Japan in It was caused by the release of methylmercury in the industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporation's chemical factory, which continued from 1932 to This highly toxic chemical bioaccumulated in shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea, which when eaten by the local populace resulted in mercury poisoning. As of March 2001, 2,265 victims had been officially recognised (1,784 of whom had died) and over 10,000 had received financial compensation from Chisso. By 2004, Chisso Corporation had paid $86 million in compensation, and in the same year was ordered to clean up its contamination.

DDT (1962) DichloroDiphenylTrichloroet hane) is one of the most well-known synthetic pesticides. In 1962, American biologist Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring. The book cataloged the environmental impacts of indiscriminate DDT use in the US and questioned the logic of releasing large amounts of chemicals into the environment The book suggested that DDT and other pesticides cause cancer and that their agricultural use was a threat to wildlife, particularly birds. It produced a large public outcry that led to a 1972 ban in the US.Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring.

Chernobyl disaster (April 1986) was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986, at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union). It is considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history. The accident raised concerns about the safety of the nuclear power in general, slowing its expansion for a number of years. It is estimated that there were 4,995 additional deaths, between , among the approximately 60,000 most highly exposed people.

Set up of National Parks in The UK (1949) The original ten National Parks of England and Wales were set up in the 1950s following an Act of Parliament in The purposes of the National Parks are: 1. To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area 2. To promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the Parks’ special qualities by the public

Set up of National Parks in the USA (1872 to 2004) The United States has 58 protected areas known as national parks, which are operated by the National Park Service. The Organic Act of 1916 created the National Park Service "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

Ozone Holes (Late 1970s to Present) Holes in the Ozone layer describes two distinct, but related observations: a slow, steady decline of about 4 percent per decade in the total volume of ozone in Earth's stratosphere since the late 1970s, and a much larger, but seasonal, decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's polar regions during the same period. The latter phenomenon is commonly referred to as the ozone hole. In addition to this well-known stratospheric ozone depletion, there are also tropospheric ozone depletion events, which occur near the surface in Polar Regions during spring.

Bhopal disaster (December 1984) The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal Gas Tragedy is the world's worst industrial catastrophe. It occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984 at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. A leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals from the plant resulted in the exposure of several thousands of people. Estimates vary on the death toll. The official immediate death toll was 2,259 and the government of Madhya Pradesh has confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas release. Other government agencies estimate 15,000 deaths.

Exon Valdize (March 1989) The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled 260,000 to 750,000 barrels (41,000 to 119,000 m 3 ) of crude oil. It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters ever to occur in history.. The oil, originally extracted at the Prudhoe Bay oil field, eventually covered 1,300 miles (2,100 km) of coastline, and 11,000 square miles (28,000 km 2 ) of ocean

Summary

1970s The movement goes global. A number of prominent NGOs (private organizations) were formed. Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace were both established in The first UN Earth Summit was held in Stockholm, Sweden in CITES Treaty – 1975 Many controversial environmental ideas were explored.

1980s 1984: Union Carbide pesticide plant released 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate gas, immediately killing nearly 3,000 and ultimately killing 15,000+ people. 1986: Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded. 4,000 immediate deaths, estimated 30,000+ deaths ultimately.

1980s 1987: Montreal Protocol was signed, requiring nations to reduce CFC emissions. 1988: UN forms the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 1989: Exxon Valdez runs aground and spills 10.8 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay.

1990s 1992: Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Focused on global warming and global economics. Green awareness became widespread in developed nations. Green Party gains power in Europe. Ecotourism thrives.

2000s 2002: Earth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa was largest to date. Focused on 5 areas: ◦Water and sanitation ◦Energy ◦Health ◦Agriculture ◦Biodiversity Kyoto Protocol became a legal requirement in 2005.