Man Made Disasters
While we may hope that we’ve learned from previous environmental disasters, some are still ongoing even today - Ace Environmental

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5 famous environmental disasters where humans and nature healed together
In the sliver of time since the Industrial Revolution, human enterprise has turned disastrous, ramping up extinctions, causing nuclear meltdowns, and altering the atmosphere that’s kept Earth’s climate stable for more than 10,000 years. Nature, to its credit, always tries to claw back, like a fire-resistant seed sprouting to life after the flames. But in many cases, the damage we’ve wrought runs too deep for an organic fix.
Featured
The Environmental Disasters Now Threatening Ukraine
Ukraine’s former environment minister explains the Russian invasion’s dangerous impact on water and nuclear safety
Why Are We Unprepared For Environmental Disasters?
The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, shows that our country is unprepared to address environmental emergencies adequately. Environmental disasters of the past show that accidents, just like human error, are inevitable. But how our society responds to these events can make all the difference. It can mean the difference between a life lost, and a life saved.
Articles of Interest
A History of 20th Century Manmade Disasters as Seen Through Godzilla Trailers
From nuclear bombs to global warming, Godzilla has embodied the technological hubris of man. Just watch the trailers for proof.
America’s Toxic Disasters-in-Waiting
You may never have seen them, but vast open-air pools of toxic water, from hazardous mining byproducts to diluted pig waste, are a common feature at thousands of industrial and agricultural sites across the country.
Climate change: The environmental disasters we've almost fixed
There are no simple solutions to complex problems like climate change. But there have been times in the past when the world has come together to try to fix an environmental crisis. How did we deal with acid rain, for example, or the hole in the ozone layer? And are there lessons for tackling the bigger issue of global warming?
Ecological Disasters 1912-2020
Such tragedies have also led to lengthy legal challenges and prompted new global regulations.
Environmental Disasters That Taught Us the Most
The environmental movement took a big leap forward in 1969 as a result of an environmental catastrophe. Here we review that event and other disasters of human origin that are remembered less for their impact on Mother Nature than for the upheaval they brought to society. We learnt lessons from them that have led to greater protection of the natural environment.
Environmental Disasters, Human-made: Ecological Disasters
This guides helps provide information about human-made environmental disasters within 500 miles of Portland, Oregon.
Five environmental disasters that we should make sure children know about
In choosing a list of five, I have confined my choices to the 1960s and beyond as popular environmental alarmism was born in the decade of cultural revolution that questioned the conventional wisdom of Western civilisation.
Five of The Biggest Environmental Disasters of All Time
As bad as the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill was, however, it wasn’t the first…or even the worst.
How a California Disaster Inspired the First Earth Day
A 1969 oil spill off the shore of Santa Barbara helped serve as a catalyst for environmental action.
How California's Worst Oil Spill Turned Beaches Black And The Nation Green
On January 28, 1969, an oil well off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif., experienced a blowout. The result was an oil spill that at the time ranked as the largest in U.S. waters. The disaster, which made headlines across the nation, helped create the modern environmental movement. It also led to restrictions on offshore drilling...
How We Built Our Way Into an Urban Flooding Epidemic
It’s an anthropocene disaster, a man-made problem whose harms are decoupled from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood plain maps, and from the risk awareness and preparation that goes along with that official warning. Many homeowners affected by flooding never thought they’d have to worry about it.
Humans Induce and Reduce Environmental Disasters
Environmental disasters from 1970 to 2019 led to new developments in science, engineering, and policy. Explore disasters that have occurred over the last fifty years on land, in water, and in the atmosphere, as well as envision solutions to prevent or minimize further disasters.
The Biggest Environmental Disaster in U.S. History Never Really Ended
After the spill, thousands of oilfield workers, fishers, and coastal residents stepped in to help with the cleanup. Many of those workers were not fitted with appropriate personal protective equipment like respirators, and were exposed to crude oil and to a potentially hazardous chemical product called Corexit.
The World’s Next Environmental Disaster
India’s Yamuna River, born in a glacier in the Himalayas, is so defiled by the time it leaves Delhi that it can’t sustain life.
These are some of the world’s worst environmental disasters
To coincide with the sixth anniversary of the spill, here is a snapshot of some of the world’s worst environmental disasters.
What Can Be Done To Avoid Man-Made Disasters
A major plane crash, a bridge collapse or an oil spill — man-made disasters often share a common element: complacency. Managers who don't think things can go wrong, faulty technology and really bad luck can all lead to costly mishaps. But steps can be taken to try to prevent calamities before they happen.
Worst ten American Environmental Disasters
Follow the money to see who profits and who dies when safety standards are ignored, or weakened by complicit politicians in return for political donations. Who gets richer? Who gets sick? Are corporate profits worth human lives? This infographic highlights ten of the worst mad-made environmental disasters in America.
Resources
10 Environmental Disasters Caused by Humans
From air pollution to oil spills, human-caused disasters can grow out of control.
10 worst man-made environmental disasters
GlobalPost looks at 10 other man-made environmental disasters — both forgotten and infamous — that could have been prevented.
7 Deadly Environmental Disasters
From the Dust Bowl to the BP oil spill, explore some of the most notorious environmental disasters of the last century.
20 of the biggest environmental disasters in history
Stacker compiled a list of 20 of the biggest environmental disasters in history.
Environmental Disasters
Environmental disasters are defined as man-made damages to the natural environment that result in disease and death of living beings; including, plants, animals and human beings. Environmental disasters can result from technical accidents, human, technological or mechanical failure or carelessness, they can be the consequence of long-term environmental pollution, such as, the greenhouse effect or the destruction of the ozone layer.

