Environmental law’s sudden 1970s eruption masked decades of slowly building public concern.

Evidence

The absence of any prior comprehensive law reform in response to those concerns was more likely the reason why the changes of the 1970s occurred so rapidly. In nature, a volcano may erupt in dramatic fashion, as an earthquake will strike unexpectedly. But the apparent suddenness of the event belies years of geologic events at work and masks their inexorable quality. — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 264

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Municipal smoke-abatement and zoning laws targeted pollution spillovers a century before 1970. — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 249; Postwar vaccine-driven disease declines turned public fear toward pollution-linked cancers. — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 255; Televised 1969 environmental disasters shifted public demand toward preventive regulation. — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 285 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Environmental groups grew to millions of members during the 1970s #corroborates (0.80) — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 385