The history of environmental pollution traces human-dominated ecological systems from the earliest civilizations to the present day.[1] This history is characterized by the increased regional success of a particular society, followed by crises that were either resolved, producing sustainability, or not, leading to decline.[2][3] In early human history, the use of fire and desire for specific foods may have altered the natural composition of plant and animal communities.[4] Between 8,000 and 12,000 years ago, agrarian communities emerged which depended largely on their environment and the creation of a "structure of permanence."[5]
The Western industrial revolution of the 18th to 19th centuries tapped into the vast growth potential of the energy in fossil fuels. Coal was used to power ever more efficient engines and later to generate electricity. Modern sanitation systems and advances in medicine protected large populations from disease.[6] In the mid-20th century, a gathering environmental movement pointed out that there were environmental costs associated with the many material benefits that were now being enjoyed. In the late 20th century, environmental problems became global in scale.[7][8][9][10] The 1973 and 1979 energy crises demonstrated the extent to which the global community had become dependent on non-renewable energy resources. By the 1970s, the ecological footprint of humanity exceeded the carrying capacity of earth, therefore the mode of life of humanity became unsustainable.[11] In the 21st century, there is increasing global awareness of the threat posed by global climate change, produced largely by the burning of fossil fuels.[12][13] Another major threat is biodiversity loss, caused primarily by land use change.
^Caradonna, Jeremy L. (2014) Sustainability: A History. Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0199372409
^Beddoea, R.; Costanzaa, R.; Farleya, J.; Garza, E.; Kent, J.; Kubiszewski, I.; Martinez, L.; McCowen, T.; Murphy, K.; Myers, N.; Ogden, Z.; Stapleton, K.; Woodward, J. (2009). "Overcoming systemic roadblocks to sustainable health". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (28): E80, author reply E81. Bibcode:2009PNAS..106E..80K. doi:10.1073/pnas.0902558106. PMC 2710687. PMID 19584255.
^Wright, R. (2004). A Short History of Progress. Toronto: Anansi. ISBN 0-88784-706-4.
^Scholars, R. (2003). Stories from the Stone Age. Beyond Productions in association with S4C and S4C International. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on: 16 April 2009.
^Clarke, W. C. (1977). "The Structure of Permanence: The Relevance of Self-Subsistence Communities for World Ecosystem Management," in Subsistence and Survival: Rural Ecology in the Pacific. Bayliss-Smith, T. and R. Feachem (eds). London: Academic Press, pp. 363–384. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-083250-7.50017-0. ISBN 978-0-12-083250-7.
^Hilgenkamp, K. (2005). Environmental Health: Ecological Perspectives. London: Jones & Bartlett. ISBN 978-0-7637-2377-4.
^D.H. Meadows, D.L. Meadows, J. Randers, and W. Behrens III. (1972). The Limits to Growth. New York: Universe Books. ISBN 0-87663-165-0.
^"Living Planet Report". Global Footprint Network. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009.Living Planet Report 2008 (PDF) (Report). World Wide Fund for Nature, Zoological Society of London, Global Footprint Network. 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2008.
^Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Biodiversity Synthesis. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC. Retrieved on: 2009-07-08-01.
^Turner, G.M. (2008). "A comparison of the Limits to Growth with 30 years of reality" (PDF). Global Environmental Change. 18 (3): 397–411. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2008.05.001.
^Lin, David; Hanscom, Laurel; Murthy, Adeline; Galli, Alessandro; Evans, Mikel; Neill, Evan; Serena Mancini, Maria; Martindill, Jon; Medouar, Fatime-Zahra; Huang, Shiyu; Wackernagel, Mathis (17 September 2018). "Ecological Footprint Accounting for Countries: Updates and Results of the National Footprint Accounts, 2012–2018". Resources. 7 (3): 58. doi:10.3390/resources7030058.
^U.S. Department of Commerce. Carbon Cycle Science. NOAA Earth System Research Laboratories. Retrieved on: 14 March 2009
^BBC News (August 2008). In depth: "Climate Change." BBC News, UK. Retrieved on: 14 March 2009
and 29 Related for: History of environmental pollution information
The historyofenvironmentalpollution traces human-dominated ecological systems from the earliest civilizations to the present day. This history is characterized...
components ofpollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants. Although environmentalpollution can be caused...
There are multiple environmental issues in India. Air pollution, water pollution, garbage, domestically prohibited goods and pollutionof the natural environment...
storage, and disposal practices. Environmental cleanup laws govern the removal ofpollution or contaminants from environmental media such as soil, sediment...
The Environmentalhistoryof the United States covers the historyof the environment over the centuries to the late 20th century, plus the political and...
legacy pollution, the Bipartisan infrastructure law will remediate environmental harm and advance overdue environmental justice. Historyofenvironmental pollution...
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India is a statutory organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Mo.E.F.C...
pollution is the rise or drop in the temperature of a natural body of water caused by human influence. Thermal pollution, unlike chemical pollution,...
or smoke fog, is a type of intense air pollution. The word "smog" was coined in the early 20th century, and is a portmanteau of the words smoke and fog...
Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, with a negative impact on their uses.: 6 It is usually a result of human...
(2019). Assessment of heavy metal pollution from anthropogenic activities and remediation strategies: A review. Journal ofenvironmental management, 246...
Environmentalhistory is the study of human interaction with the natural world over time, emphasising the active role nature plays in influencing human...
Pollution in China is one aspect of the broader topic ofenvironmental issues in China. Various forms ofpollution have increased as China has industrialised...
forms ofenvironmentalpollution, including water, air, and soil degradation.[citation needed] The textile industry is the second greatest polluter of local...
the study of the environment, and the solution ofenvironmental problems. Environmental science emerged from the fields of natural history and medicine...
responsibilities of the federal government under one agency, a new Environmental Protection Agency. This proposal included merging pollution control programs...
The environmental effects of shipping include air pollution, water pollution, acoustic, and oil pollution. Ships are responsible for more than 18% of nitrogen...
and oceans. Pathways ofpollution include direct discharge, land runoff, ship pollution, bilge pollution, atmospheric pollution and, potentially, deep...
largely inhabited by people of color. Environmental racism is the disproportionate impact ofenvironmental hazards, pollution, and ecological degradation...
"Effects of Crude Oil Pollution in the Tropical Rainforest Biodiversity of Ecuadorian Amazon Region". Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences...
An environmental organization is an organization coming out of the conservation or environmental movements that seeks to protect, analyse or monitor the...
result in the development ofpollution-related diseases). This can in turn be used to develop and implement environmental health policy that, for example...
Environmental issues in Pakistan include air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, climate change, pesticide misuse, soil erosion, natural disasters...
known by its current name of Ministry ofEnvironmental Protection of the People's Republic of China (MEP). Environmentalpollution and ecological degradation...
in the 20th century. The origins of the environmental movement lay in response to increasing levels of smoke pollution in the atmosphere during the Industrial...
to be the worst air pollution event in the historyof the United Kingdom, and the most significant for its effects on environmental research, government...
In environmental law, the polluter pays principle is enacted to make the party responsible for producing pollution responsible for paying for the damage...