This Week in Japan - The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

This Week's Historical Theme: Japan

 

11 March 2011

 

A significant event throughout the history of Japan that occurred in March was the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan had caused massive devastation, and the subsequent tsunami decimated the Tōhoku region of north-eastern Honshu. This triggered the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The failure of its backup power and cooling systems caused the fuel rods in all three nuclear reactors to partially melt down. After several days, all three reactors would explode. Thousands of people were evacuated, as workers attempted to use helicopters, water cannons and seawater pumps to cool the facility.

 

Over the next few months, the full extent of the disaster became apparent. No deaths were initially attributed to the incident, but 18,000 people nevertheless lost their lives due to the earthquake and tsunami. As of 2021, a 371-square-kilometer "difficult-to-return-zone" remains evacuated. In 2018, the government announced that a former plant worker who had served during the meltdown was the first death officially attributed to radiation from the disaster. Today, the Fukushima incident is considered to be the second-worst nuclear disaster in history, ranking behind Chernobyl, as it forced the relocation of over 100,000 people.

 

Want to find out more about the Fukushima disaster? Click here for more information, or here for more about history's other nuclear disasters.

This Week in Climate Change - The Clean Air Act

This Week's Historical Theme: Climate Change

 

17 December 1963

 

A significant event throughout the history of climate change that occurred in December was the Clean Air Act, passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This was one of the first major pieces of environmental legislation in the United States, which empowered federal and state agencies to research and regulate air pollution. This marked a major expansion of government efforts to fight back against the damage being done to the climate. Before this, in 1955, the Air Pollution Control Act had allocated $15 million to the study of air pollution across the country. The research conducted revealed that further legislation would be needed.

 

The landmark act, as well as its subsequent amendments, comprised of some of the most comprehensive air-quality legislation in the world. Shortly after its creation in 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency began using its powers under the Clean Air Act to set quality standards for areas that had been affected by air pollution. It has subsequently been invoked to ban specific harmful chemicals and tackle specific environmental issues, like acid rain. Even though there is a long way to go, national emissions after the act dropped 63%, despite overall economic growth and an increase in the number of miles driven.

 

Want to find out more about the Clean Air Acts? Click here for more information, or here for more about the history of climate change.

October 22 - The Highway Beautification Act is Signed

This Day in History: 22 October 2020

 

22 October 1965

 

55 years ago, today, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Highway Beautification Act, attempting to limit billboards and other forms of outdoor advertising along America's motorways. The act also encouraged 'scenic enhancement' by restricting junkyards and other unsightly roadside messes. It funded local efforts to clean up and landscape the green space on either side of the roadways, as well. However, the act was actually the pet project of the first lady, Lady Bird Johnson. She believed that beauty had social utility, so cleaning up city parks and removing ugly advertisements would make the nation a better place to look at and live in.

 

Many urban activists, along with many other people who were starting to think seriously about the consequences of the nation's poor environmental policies, supported the Johnsons' efforts. On the other hand, however, business groups, polluters and advertisers were not so excited. Lobbyists for the Outdoor Advertising Association of America were able to water down the bill significantly, as companies who had their billboards taken down were compensated massively. Nevertheless, the bill was very important, as it declared that nature was fragile and worth preserving, even just the strips along the country's motorways. This idea still holds great power today.

 

Want to find out more about the Highway Beautification Act? Click here for more information, or here for more about Lady Bird Johnson.

October 1 - Yosemite National Park Established

This Day in History: 1 October 2020

 

1 October 1890

 

130 years ago, today, an act of Congress created Yosemite National Park. Environmental trailblazer John Muir and his colleagues had campaigned for the congressional action, which was signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison. Native Americans had been the main residents of the Yosemite Valley prior to this, until the 1849 gold rush brought thousands of miners and settlers to the region. Yosemite Valley's ecosystem was damaged by the tourism this brought. To ward off further exploitation, conservatists convinced President Abraham Lincoln in 1864 to declare the area as a public trust of California. This marked the first time that the government protected land for public enjoyment.

 

Despite this, in 1889, John Muir found that the vast meadows surrounding Yosemite Valley were being overrun and destroyed by domestic sheep grazing. They lobbied for national park status for the large wilderness around the valley, causing Congress to set aside over 1,500 square miles of land for Yosemite National Park. Today, over 3 million people visit Yosemite annually, to see its stunning landmarks, such as the 2,425-foot-high Yosemite Falls, one of the world's tallest waterfalls, and the three groves of giant sequoias, the world's biggest trees.

 

Want to find out more about Yosemite National Park? Click here for more information, or here for more about the early environmentalists.