Environmentalism is a concern with the preservation of the human and natural environment, especially from pollution, and the ethics and politics associated with this.
Environmentalism has been described as including the protection of natural resources, ecosystems, human life, and indigenous peoples. Contemporary environmentalists often seek to achieve these ends by influencing the political process by lobbying, education, activism and setting an example. They can also promote alternative ways or social change in society with day by day actions. Some of the issues of concern for the environmental movement are pollution, species extinction, waste reduction, recycling, the threat of global warming and ozone depletion, and genetically engineered crops.
Ecologism is a recently coined synonym used by some authors for environmentalism, and the related term "ecology" is often used in a similar way. Some writers, however, contrast the two terms, "environmentalism" having more anthropocentric overtones and "ecology" having more "biocentric" ones.*
Environmental organizations
- ''See also List of environmental organizations and Category:Environmental organizations
This is a huge number of environmental organizations, organizations that preserve, analyze or monitor the environment in different ways. Environmental organizations can be global, regional, national or local; they can be government-run or private (NGO). Many countries have organizations that address general and specific environmenental issues at a local or national level.
Greenpeace is the most prominent international organization, and lobbies on a wide range of environmental issues. Other international organizations such as World Wildlife Fund have specific areas of concern.
Criticisms of the environmental movement
Most detractors of the environmentalist movement argue that the evidence of problems cited by environmentalists are not scientifically sound.
Some environmental groups have been accused of using sensationalist tactics and misinforming the public instead of deferring to scientific evidence. Environmentalists are also sometimes accused of advocating anti-globalization and anti-corporatization, which some say is detrimental to achieving environmental objectives.
Environmentalism in non-fiction
Environmentalism in fiction
- Edward Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang.
- T.C. Boyle's A Friend of the Earth.
- Ernest Callenbach's Ecotopia, a story of a society founded on eco-awareness, alternative tech, social responsibility, and personal self-actualization.
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.
- Michael Crichton's State of Fear
- Ben Elton's Stark
- Mandy Hagar's Run for the Trees, a children's book on native forest logging in New Zealand.
- Derek Hansen's Blockade, a story about the logging of Australian rainforest.
- Frank Herbert's Dune
- Carl Hiaasen's Sick Puppy, Skinny Dip and Hoot.
- Larry Niven's Fallen Angels (with Jerry Pournelle and Michael Flynn)
- Richard Preston's The Cobra Event, a scientist attempts to release a deadly virus in order to reduce the world's population.
- Neal Stephenson's Zodiac.
- Dr. Seuss's The Lorax.
- David Brin's Earth.
- Jane Fonda's cartoon, Captain Planet and the Planeteers.
- Many anime movies by Hayao Miyazaki carry a hidden environmentalist message. The most well known is Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, but also well known is Princess Mononoke, which is, in fact, based on a conflict between technology and nature.
Environmentalism in music
Environmentalism has occasionally been the topic of song lyrics since the
1960s.
See
Environmental protest songs for a list of such songs.
See also
References
- Helvarg, David, The War Against the Greens, (San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1994) ISBN 0871564599
- Shellenberger, M. and T. Nordhaus 2004 The Death of Environmentalism * .
- "Environmental Heresies" by Stewart Brand *
External links
Activism | Environmentalism
Environmentalismus | Ambientalismo | איכות הסביבה | ecologisme