ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

The environmental movement is a movement that
pushes for the conservation of natural resources and the
passing of legislation that promotes environmentally
friendly behavior. Those who support the movement
advocate sustainable management of resources as well
as taking responsibility for the welfare of the
environment through public policy and personal
participation in efforts to preserve the earth and its
resources.
This movement can be traced back the 19th century
when protectionists such as John Muir wanted to set
aside land for its own sake. In order to do so, he
founded the Sierra Club, one of the largest
environmental groups in the United States. He also
founded Yellowstone Park, the world's first ever national
park. Around this time, Gifford Pinchot also proposed
managing natural resources for human use. Thoreau, a
well-known poet, also was very concerned about
environmental protection and wrote the poem Walden
about the wildlife that he saw from his cabin.
Varying Environmental Movements
There are several primary foci in the realm of the
environmental movement. The conservation movement
seeks to protect natural areas for hunting, fishing and
trapping. Environmental conservation is another process
that involves pollution control, reforestation and
recycling. The Ecology movement is a newer movement
and involves analysis and improvement of the
interactions of humans with the earth and its resources.
The anti-nuclear movement is a relatively new
movement in environmentalism that involves the
prohibition of nuclear technology on the grounds that it
causes damage to plants and animals on the earth.
Environmental reactivism is a term that refers to a
staunch opposition to technology, such as harmful
pesticides and water additives. Adding fluoride to the
water system, for example, can lead to problems in fish
populations. The NIMBY movement, which stands for
Not in My Back Yard, is one that illustrates the public
outcry against potentially harmful plants and centers
being installed in neighborhoods.
Environmentalism has quickly become a concern on the
community level. Many churches and local groups now
have programs to support environmental issues. They
may collect recyclables for donation or they may even
volunteer to spend a weekend picking trash out of local
creeks and streams. Some groups also go door-to-door
spreading information on greener ways of living and
reducing one's consumption of valuable fuels and
resources.
In the last several years, a form of environmentalism
called radical environmentalism has arisen. This
movement is based on activism and pushes for a
change in government policy in an effort to change the
way people live and consume resources in their daily
lives. Radicals often cite religious reasons for their
beliefs and suggest a reconsideration of policies as deep
as capitalism and globalization.