-Worsening pollution without federal regulation
-1962: Book- Silent Spring describes how DDT chemicals sprayed on crops were leading to fragile bird eggs... very few baby birds survive.
-Species facing extinction
-Health issues caused by pollution

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Issue 1: Environmental/ Extinction concerns

-The organization that controls a huge share of the world's oil supply has limited exports
- Rationing leads to hours-long lines at gas stations
-Many states limit number of gallons and ability to every other day for odd/ even license plate numbers
-Ex: Varied by state, but $2-10 limits or 4-10 gallon limits were common

Issue 2: Gas Shortage

• Some items increase in price by 50-400%

• Average car price went up from $2,250 from $3,200 in ten years

  Bread: $2.03 to $3.31

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Issue 3: Stagflation
(Rising prices, no raise in wages)

-The US continued to have a strained relationship with major Communist Super-Powers that also possessed "nukes"
-Soviet Union (USSR)
-China
-1950s/ 60s "Brinkmanship" policyhad led to panic/ fear in the US

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Issue 4: Cold War Tensions/ threat of Nuclear War

Today we will look at these and other issues from the 1970s.
As we go through the events, record key information about the problems and the governmental solutions