Environmentalism is a social and political ideology that seeks to protect the natural environment in the face of human activity. By the end of the 20th century many countries counted environmentalist parties among their political establishments, usually operating under the banner of ‘green politics’.
Environmentalism argues that protecting the natural environment is in our long-term interests, promoting the ecological balance of the planet, better health and social justice, as well as preserving natural resources for future generations. Most environmentalists demand action from the level of the individual all the way up to inter-governmental cooperation. Classic environmentalist policy ideas include reducing consumption, recycling, using clean energy sources (such as wind and tidal power, rather than fossil fuels) investing in environmentally friendly technologies, protecting endangered animal species and nurturing natural environments (for example, the Amazon rainforest).
Although there were a few instances of environmental activism in centuries past, the history of mankind has been distinguished by accelerating use of natural resources. In terms of environmental politics, concern in the 19th century over urban air pollution prompted the first explicit activism. Meanwhile, the Romantics gave cultural impetus to the idea that the natural environment should be treasured. William Wordsworth, for instance, described his beloved Lake District as a ‘sort of national property in which every man has a right and interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy.’
‘Education, if it means anything, should not take people away from the land, but instil in them even more respect for it, because educated people are in a position to understand what is being lost. The future of the planet concerns all of us, and all of us should do what we can to protect it.’
Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmental activist
In 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, detailing the damage wrought by the use of the insecticide DDT. It prompted massive public interest in the USA and was in part responsible for the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency. The 1970s then saw the creation of political parties campaigning principally on environmental issues – firstly in Australia and New Zealand and then in Europe. Meanwhile, in 1972 the United Nations held its first conference on the human environment, marking a sea change in the methods of dealing with environmental challenges at the international level.
The environmental sceptics
There has been a backlash from those who see environmentalist policies as putting a brake on human development. The world is more robust than it seems, goes one theory, and technological advances will counter the effects of environmental degradation. Developing nations, meanwhile, argue that it is unfair to stall their industrial development after the developed world has reaped the rewards of years of environmentally damaging activities. Others say that environmentalist ‘red tape’ threatens economic growth and jobs. In 2012, for example, the future US President Donald Trump asserted: ‘The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive.’ While few serious scientists give any credence to such claims, it is indicative of the hostility environmentalism can encounter.