Posted in Daily Story on Jun 30th, 2012
June 30, 1886: U.S. Division of Forestry (now National Forest Service) was organized by an Act of Congress. Its mission statement is: “Caring for the land and serving people”. In 1905, when Theodore Roosevelt was President, forest resources were transferred from Department of the Interior to Department of Agriculture. This opened these natural resources for [...]
Posted in Daily Story on Jun 30th, 2012
June 29, 1943: President Roosevelt wrote letter marked “secret” to Manhattan Project Leader, Robert Oppenheimer. FDR sought to smooth over growing antagonism between Oppenheimer & General Leslie Groves. Letter acknowledged Oppenheimer as leader of elite group of scientists operating under strict security & under “very special conditions.” Brain trust of scientists tapped to deliver an [...]
Posted in Daily Story on Jun 28th, 2012
June 28, 1994: U.S. EPA announced it would develop UV (ultraviolet) Index, “To enhance public awareness of effects of overexposure to sun’s ultraviolet rays, & to provide public with actions they can take to reduce harmful effects of overexposure, which may include skin cancer, cataracts & immune suppression.” June 28, 2007: American bald eagle was [...]
Posted in Daily Story on Jun 27th, 2012
June 27, 1976: World’s first recorded Ebola virus epidemic began in Sudan. Symptoms of Ebola hemorrhagic fever generally begin about four to 15 days after a person is infected with the virus. Average victim will first notice flu-like symptoms, such as high fever, aching & general weakness. Usually this is followed by diarrhea, vomiting & [...]
Posted in Daily Story on Jun 26th, 2012
June 26, 1848: First U.S. national law concerned with regulating food banned importation of adulterated drugs. Food inspection was previously thought to be duty of consumer, not the government. Note: Prior to Pure Food and Drug Act (PFDA) of 1906, most food oversight was mandated by state laws, which were enacted during colonial days & [...]
Posted in Daily Story on Jun 25th, 2012
June 25, 1867: Lucien Smith, American inventor in Ohio, received patent for barbed wire. He created artificial “thorn hedge” consisting of wire with short metal spikes twisted on by hand at regular intervals. Barbed wire was especially adapted for use in prairie states, where timber was scarce & fires frequently sweep over them.” His invention [...]
Posted in Daily Story on Jun 24th, 2012
June 24, 1993: A Yale University professor was seriously injured & later died after opening mail from alleged “Unabomber” that exploded in his hands. Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, American mathematician & social critic was later convicted as the Unabomber. Dr. Kaczynski had developed philosophy of radical environmentalism & militant opposition to modern technology. He had engaged [...]
Posted in Daily Story on Jun 23rd, 2012
June 23, 1937: Nicholas Shackleton, English geologist & paleoclimatologist, was born. He studied ancient climate changes. Data showed Ice Ages occurred roughly every 100,000 years. Shackleton demonstrated that Ice Ages were linked to decreases in atmospheric carbon dioxide. He warned that excessive emissions greenhouse gas into atmosphere can cause global warming. June 23, 2001: Earthquake [...]
Posted in Daily Story on Jun 22nd, 2012
June 22, 1969: Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught fire, helping to ignite fledgling environmental movement & wave of aggressive political action leading to creation of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency & passage of Clean Water Act. Fire started when sparks from passing train landed on oil-soaked industrial debris floating in the river burst into flame Fire [...]
Posted in Daily Story on Jun 21st, 2012
June 21, 1633: Galileo Galilei, Tuscan astronomer, philosopher & physicist was forced by Inquisition to “abjure, curse & detest” his Copernican sun-centered (heliocentric) view of the solar system. Although Galileo was a practicing Catholic, his writings on Copernican heliocentrism disturbed some in the Church who believed only in an earth-centered (geocentric) model of our solar [...]