Name______________________________ Class________________________ Date_____________

An Era of Social Change

Lesson 4

Environmental Activism
Key Terms and People
Rachel Carson  Environmentalist crusader in the United States
Earth Day  Annual day to celebrate the environment
environmentalist  Person who actively tries to protect the environment
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  Federal agency formed to decrease
pollution
Three Mile Island  Site of a nuclear plant that released radiation into the air

Before You Read

In the last lesson you learned about the counterculture movement of
the 1960s and its effects on American society. In this lesson you will
see how Americans addressed their environmental concerns.

As You Read
Complete a chart on issues and attitudes affecting the early
environmental movement.

THE ROOTS OF Carson’s work helped to outlaw the use

ENVIRONMENTALISM
What is environmentalism?
Concern for the environment was
increased by the 1962 book Silent
Spring, written by marine biologist
Rachel Carson. That book argued that
pesticides were poisoning food and
killing birds and fish. Carson cautioned
that America faced a “silent spring,” in
which birds killed off by pesticides
would no longer sing.
Carson’s book was an awakening to
many Americans. It alerted them to the
dangers of using pesticides and made
them realize that everyday actions affect
the environment. President Kennedy set
up a committee to investigate the
situation shortly after the book’s
publication. It took several years, but
of DDT, a harmful pesticide, in 1972.
1. How did Silent Spring encourage
environmentalism?
telling people about the effects of pesticides on wildlife
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
IN THE 1970S
What were the key environmental
issues of the 1970s?
On April 22, 1970, Americans
celebrated Earth Day for the first time.
Its purpose was to make Americans
more aware of environmental issues,
such as pollution and the overuse of
resources. Earth Day became a yearly
event around the world.

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245 Guided Reading Workbook

Name______________________________ Class________________________ Date_____________
Lesson 4, continued
Richard Nixon was not an
environmentalist—someone who takes
an active role in protecting the
environment. But he did recognize the
nation’s concern over the environment.
In 1970 he created the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). This agency
had the power to regulate pollution by
setting up and enforcing emissions
standards and to conduct research.
Nixon also signed the 1970 Clean Air
Act. This law required industry to
reduce pollution from factories and
automobiles. It also provided the EPA
with the power to set air standards for
the nation. The government was granted
greater authority to enforce
environmental regulations.
Congress passed other new laws to
protect the environment. The
Endangered Species Act sought to
prevent the extinction of plants and
animals. The Clean Water Act gave the
EPA the authority to improve water
quality in the United States.
In 1968 oil was found in Alaska. Oil
companies began building a pipeline to
carry the oil many miles across the state.
The discovery of oil and the construction
of the pipeline created many new jobs
and increased state revenues.
The pipeline raised concerns about
Alaska’s environment and the rights of
Alaska’s native peoples. In 1971 Nixon
signed the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act. This law gave millions of
acres of land to the state’s native tribes.
In 1978 President Carter set aside 56
million more acres in Alaska as national
monuments. In 1980 Congress added
another 104 million acres to Alaska’s
protected conservation areas.
In the 1970s some people believed
that nuclear energy was the energy of
the future. They believed that it was
cheap, plentiful, and safe.
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
246 Guided Reading Workbook
Others opposed nuclear energy.
They warned that nuclear plants
were dangerous to humans and the
environment. These people also feared
accidents and nuclear waste.
On March 28, 1979, the concerns of
opponents of nuclear energy appeared to
come true. An accident caused one of the
nuclear reactors on Three Mile Island, in
Pennsylvania, to release radiation into
the air. The accident made people more
aware of possible dangers of nuclear
energy. Afterwards, the government
strengthened nuclear safety regulations
and improved its inspection procedures.
Love Canal in New York was the site
of another environmental disaster.
Exposure to long-buried chemicals in the
ground led to high rates of birth defects.
The government spent a large amount of
money cleaning up the toxic land.
2. What did the government do after
the accident at a nuclear reactor on
Three Mile Island?
The damaged reactor was permanently closed and entombed in
concrete after the accident. Radioactive fuel and water were removed, and
workers eventually shipped 15 tons of radioactive waste to a nuclear waste
storage facility in Idaho.
A CONTINUING MOVEMENT
Why is there disagreement over the
issue of preserving the environment?
Over time, private, nonprofit groups
formed to help preserve the environment.
Many worked to get environmental
laws passed or to block problematic
projects.
The debate over the environment
continues today. The struggle is between
proponents of economic growth and
conservationists. Environmental
regulations sometimes block economic
development and cause a loss of jobs for
workers. Though there is conflict, it is
clear that environmental concerns have
gained increasing attention and support.
Name______________________________ Class________________________ Date_____________

Lesson 4, continued

3. What might cause some people not Some environmental issues are global in scope and can't be confined to one
to support the use of environmental area. ... Social, political, and economic barriers may restrict the
regulations? implementation or prevent the enforcement of environmental policies, even
if strong policies already exist in a country.
Describe how American attitudes were affected by each environmental
event or how the event affected the environment itself.

Event Effect on Attitudes or Environment

1. Publication of
Rachel Carson’s -alerted americans to the dangers of pesticide use
Silent Spring -DDT was banned in the US
-named because of the silence of the dying animals

2. Celebration of
Earth Day Celebration of Earth started in 1970 to highlight environmental awareness, stop
pollution, stop over use of natural resources.

3. Creation of the
-established regulations for and enforcement of the nation's environmental policies
Environmental
Protection -created by Nixon
Agency

4. Passage of the -gave the government the authority to set air standards
new Clean Air
Act -worried about pollution

5. Passage of the -protected Alaskan acres from industrial development

Alaska Native
Claims -land remainder with the native people
Settlement Act

6. Nuclear accident -people had to evacuate

at Three Mile
-persuaded the federal government to issue stricter safety standards for nuclear power plants
Island

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

247 Guided Reading Workbook