- What is the environmental movement?
- What is the environmental movement?
- Origin of the environmental movement
- Goals of the environmental movement
- Characteristics of the environmental movement
We explain what the environmental movement is and what it consists of. Also, when and how did it arise; its characteristics and objectives.
The environmental movement encourages environmental education.What is the environmental movement?
The environmental movement, also known as the green movement, ecologism or environmental movement, is a global social and political organization whose main task is the defense of the environment, promoting the environmental education, the pressure and denunciation of ecologically non-responsible initiatives and conservationist public policies.
The green movement is not a constituted whole, as much as a varied and often contradictory series of initiatives and non-governmental organizations (NGO) that can be local, regional or planetary in nature. Most of them are spontaneous and modest, although there are other larger ones with decades of experience and solid international structures. Almost all agree on their duties, but not on their methods, in the necessary emphasis or in the actions to be taken.
The ideas of this movement are based on the consideration of man as an integral part of the nature, on which their Health and its survival in the weather, so it is an obligation to develop a sustainable society in ecological terms, that is, one that does not destroy the ecosystems.
To do this, environmentalism argues that modifications must be made in the economic and social policies of all the states of the world. planet. For the more radical sectors, this often leads to overcoming the capitalism as a model, while other sectors simply advocate green reforms in production models.
What is the environmental movement?
Environmentalism aspires to awaken the commitment from all sectors of the society to march towards a sustainable society, that is, one that coexists harmoniously with the ecosystem and guarantees an environmental and health future for the humanity.
This is pursued through various organizations of local and international scope, whose propaganda, environmental education and complaint actions try to highlight the urgency of taking measures in the matter, as well as the need for laws that toughen the sanctions against polluting production, promote the responsible use of the technology and educate succeeding generations in the values of coexistence with the environment.
Origin of the environmental movement
The emergence of the environmental movement is closely related to the development of the democracy and civil liberties, and after the full installation of industrial society. Around the third quarter of the 20th century, it is considered the proper beginning of the movement, especially after the publication of Silent spring, Rachel Carson's book, where the death of life on the planet due to human industrial activity.
The numerous disasters and environmental impact events of the 20th century, together with the fear of the atomic destruction of life on the planet, cemented the need for an organization that would act as conscience and warn about the catastrophic consequences that action could have. human in the environment.
Since then these movements have proliferated and exist in all hemispheres and allied to all forms of known ideology, from radical to reformist positions. Many of them have gained prominence in the face of natural disasters century that point to the imminence of the climate change.
Goals of the environmental movement
The objectives of environmentalism can be summarized as:
- Promote environmental education.
- Promote laws of ecological responsibility.
- Boycott the use of products harmful to the ecosystem.
- Alert humanity regarding the environmental effect in the short, medium and long term of the industrial model of production and consumption.
- Mobilize the population to him recycling, the conservation and the rescue of the ecosystem.
- Propose an environmentally responsible political model (political ecology) that leads to global change.
- Ensure a healthier urban life model, with access to Water, air and uncontaminated land.
Characteristics of the environmental movement
The environmental movement, as we have said, is not exactly uniform, nor does it have a single spokesperson, nor a unified format. Rather, it is a collection of organizations, ranging from local enthusiasts to international organizations with global representation (such as Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund or BirdLife International), and even national political parties.
In some cases, the movement created groups with greater radicalism and a desire for immediate action, such as the Animal Liberation Front (FLA) that arose clandestinely in the 1970s and responsible for the liberation of animals. animals in captivity, sabotage of experimental facilities and extremely aggressive propaganda.