This is a list of notable events relating to the
environment
Environment most often refers to:
__NOTOC__
* Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally
* Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...
in 2011. They relate to
environmental law,
conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...
,
environmentalism
Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks ...
and
environmental issue
Environmental issues are effects of human activity on the biophysical environment, most often of which are harmful effects that cause environmental degradation. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment on t ...
s.
Events
*The year 2011 was declared the
International Year of Forests
The year 2011 was declared the International Year of Forests by the United Nations to raise awareness and strengthen the sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and futu ...
by the United Nations to raise awareness and strengthen the sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations.
*The
Western Black Rhinoceros
The western black rhinoceros (''Diceros bicornis longipes'') or West African black rhinoceros is an extinct subspecies of the black rhinoceros. It was declared extinct by the IUCN in 2011. The western black rhinoceros was believed to have been gen ...
is declared extinct by the
IUCN after not being sighted since 2006.
*
Hydraulic fracturing is banned in France and concerns are raised in other countries.
January
*US president
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
signed the
Shark Conservation Act
The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (SCA) (, ) was passed by the 111th United States Congress that amended the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act and the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to improve the con ...
. The law amended the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act and the
Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
The Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA), commonly referred to as the Magnuson–Stevens Act (MSA), is the legislation providing for the management of marine fisheries in U.S. waters. Originally enacted in 1976 to as ...
to improve the conservation of sharks.
March
*The
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster is a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the
Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant
may refer to:
Japan
* Fukushima Prefecture, Japanese prefecture
**Fukushima, Fukushima, capital city of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
*** Fukushima University, national university in Japan
*** Fukushima Station (Fukushima) in Fukushima, Fukushim ...
, following the
Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. It is the largest nuclear disaster since the
Chernobyl disaster of 1986.
April
*
Little Buffalo oil spill in Alberta, Canada.
June
*
Bohai Bay oil spill in the Yellow Sea.
*The
Nahal Zin fuel leak
The Nahal Zin fuel leak ( he, אסון נחל צין) was a severe ecological disaster caused in June 2011 when a backhoe loader struck and ruptured an underground fuel pipeline in southern Israel. 1.5 million liters of jet fuel leaked into the s ...
occurred when a backhoe loader struck and ruptured an underground fuel pipeline in southern Israel.
August
*
A series of demonstrations began by indigenous peoples in Bolivia who opposed the construction of the
Villa Tunari – San Ignacio de Moxos Highway through the
Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory
Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory (''Territorio Indígena y Parque Nacional Isiboro Secure,'' TIPNIS) is a protected area and Native Community Land in Bolivia situated between the north of the Cochabamba Department and t ...
, the ancestral lands of over 12,000 indigenous residents, from the
Chimane,
Yuracaré, and Mojeño-Trinitario peoples.
September
*The
Zhejiang solar panel plant protest
China is the largest market in the world for both photovoltaics and solar thermal energy.
China's photovoltaic industry began by making panels for satellites, and transitioned to the manufacture of domestic panels in the late 1990s. After subst ...
occurred over three days at Zhejiang
Jinko Solar
JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. () is a solar panel manufacturer headquartered in Shanghai, China. The company started out as a wafer manufacturer in 2006 and went public on the New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed ...
company in Haining City, Zhejiang province of China due to fears about pollution from the factory contaminating the local environment.
*
Birdlife Cyprus estimate over 300,000 birds are illegally trapped, using mist nets and lime-sticks in
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
during the first two weeks of September. Estimate rises to one million for the period 1 September to 23 October.
October
*
Rena oil spill
The ''Rena'' oil spill occurred off the coast of Tauranga, New Zealand in October 2011. The spill was caused by the grounding of on the Astrolabe Reef. The ''Rena'' was a container ship and cargo vessel owned by the Greek shipping company C ...
in New Zealand after the
MV ''Rena'' ran aground.
November
*The
2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference
The 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP17) was held in Durban, South Africa, from 28 November to 11 December 2011 to establish a new treaty to limit carbon emissions.
A treaty was not established, but the conference agreed to es ...
was held in Durban, South Africa, from 28 November to 11 December 2011 to establish a new treaty to limit
carbon emissions.
December
*An oil spill occurred at the
Bonga Field in Nigeria of up to 40,000 barrels, or 1.68 million gallons. It resulted in a 923 square kilometre oil slick.
*The
International Tropical Timber Agreement, 2006
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* International (Kevin Michael album), ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* International (New Order album), ' ...
enters into force.
See also
*
Human impact on the environment
Human impact on the environment (or anthropogenic impact) refers to changes to biophysical environments and to ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources caused directly or indirectly by humans. Modifying the environment to fit the need ...
*
List of environmental issues
This is an alphabetical list of environmental issues, harmful aspects of human activity on the biophysical environment. They are loosely divided into causes, effects and mitigation, noting that effects are interconnected and can cause new effects. ...
References
{{Reflist