We usually like to write our own blurbs about international issues, but we found this interesting information (here) while doing some research and felt that we couldn't say it better ourselves:
The American public is becoming increasingly aware that the natural environment is fragile. The news media have reported on many instances of environmental changes affecting animal life, often as a result of pollutants from human activities. Recent reports have focused on

-Deaths and population declines of birds and fish because of the large oil spill in Prince William Sound in Alaska;
-Deaths of porpoises and whales along the east coast of the United States, possibly as a result of pollutants and disease;
-Fish contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Fort Loudoun, Tellico, Watts Bar, and other East Tennessee reservoirs;
-Contamination of the Pigeon River in Tennessee and North Carolina by dioxin and other pollutants that may cause cancer and reproductive disorders.

These events may be omens that other forms of life, including people, could become threatened if environmental conditions continue to worsen.