BAN ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ELEPHANT IVORY
It briefly slows poaching of African elephants. By 2016 Kenya is
burning ivory to deter poaching.1990
AMAZON FOREST LOSS
The deforestation rate rises dramatically,
mostly to create cattle pasture, presaging a
surge in Brazilian beef exports. Beef becomes a
prime driver of rainforest destruction.1995
KUWAIT
OIL FIRES
As the Persian Gulf
War winds down,
Iraq sets more
than 600 Kuwaiti
oil wells on fire.
Some 1.5 billion
barrels of oil are
burned or spilled. 1991
BALD EAGLE RECOVERY
The American national bird is reclassified
from endangered to merely threatened. Later it
is delisted completely—one of about 90 animal
and plant species so far to reach that goal.1995
WORLD
POPULATION
IN 1990 5.3 BILLIONFIRST IPCC
PROJECTION
The UN’s Intergov-
ernmental Panel
on Climate Change
issues its initial global
warming report. Over
the next quarter
century, its forecasts
mostly come true.1990
BRINGING FERRETS
BACK
Black-footed ferrets, once
extinct in the wild, are
reintroduced to the American
West by U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service scientists after a
captive-breeding program.
They remain endangered.1991
GOLDEN
RICE
Rice is genetically
engineered with
vitamin A to boost
nutrition in the
diets of Africans
and Asians. 1999
KYOTO
PROTOCOL
To address climate
change, 37 nations
and the European
Community pledge
to cut CO 2 emissions.
The U.S. later fails to
ratify the treaty. 1997
WOLVE S
RETURN
TO YELLOWSTONE
Reintroduced to
the national park,
gray wolves help
rebalance an eco-
system suffering
from an overpopu-
lation of elk. 1995
FIGHTING
ACID RAIN
Amendments to the
U.S. Clean Air Act
help reduce acid rain
and ozone depletion,
require cleaner gaso-
line, and target toxic
emissions and urban
air pollution. 1990
AMPHIBIAN
APOCALYPSE
Scientists confirm that
the chytrid fungus
spread by humans has
been killing hundreds
of types of amphibians.1997
1990 S
LEADED GAS BAN
IN U.S.
It caps a long phaseout that
caused blood lead levels to
plummet. Most of Europe
follows in 2000.
1996
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STORY NAME 87