The environmental movement, also known as the ecology movement, is a group of people working together to protect nature from harmful actions that hurt the environment. This movement believes humans are part of, not enemies of, ecosystems and focuses on protecting the environment, health, and human rights.

The movement is global and includes many types of organizations, such as businesses, local groups, and groups in different countries. Because it has many members with different ideas and goals, the movement is not always completely united. It includes people like everyday citizens, scientists, religious leaders, politicians, and activists, such as former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and Rachel Carson in the 20th century.

Since the 1970s, more people have become aware of environmental issues, and science and technology have helped study topics like ozone layer damage, climate change, acid rain, genetic changes in plants and animals, and genetically modified crops and livestock. The climate movement is a type of environmental movement.

Scope

The environmental movement includes many groups that have formed in different parts of the world. These groups have different ways of thinking and goals. In the past, there was a strong disagreement between the ideas of conservation and broader environmental protection. In recent years, the focus on environmental justice, the rights of Indigenous people, and major environmental problems like the climate crisis has created new types of environmental activists.

The environmental movement covers many topics, such as the environment, conservation, biology, and the protection of natural areas, plants, and animals for different reasons. Examples include:

• Environmental conservation is the act of protecting the natural parts of the environment. This can involve activities like planting trees, recycling, or reducing pollution to help keep the environment healthy.
• The environmental health movement began during the Progressive Era and focuses on improving urban conditions, such as clean water, proper waste management, and population growth. It also includes topics like nutrition, medicine, and health issues that affect people. Environmental health can also show how the environment is doing, acting as an early warning for problems that might harm humans. This helps protect animals by reducing harm to them.
• Environmental justice is a movement that fights for fairness when poor or marginalized communities are harmed by dangerous waste, mining, or other activities that do not benefit them.

Some environmentalists believe genetically modified plants and animals are harmful because they are not natural. Others argue that genetically modified crops can help save water by using less, reduce the need for pesticides by resisting insects, and grow faster, which uses less food. Synthetic biology, which creates life using building blocks not found in nature, is also growing. Environmentalists warn that if these organisms are released into the wild, they could cause risks.

The anti-nuclear movement opposes the use of nuclear technology. At first, the movement focused on ending nuclear weapons, but later it focused on stopping nuclear power. Many large protests happened, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States. After the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, a major protest in New York City had 200,000 people.

Tree sitting is a type of protest where someone stays in a tree to stop it from being cut down or to block construction. Julia Butterfly Hill, who spent 738 days in a California redwood tree, is one of the most famous tree sitters. Another example is the Yellow Finch tree sit-in, which blocked the Mountain Valley Pipeline for 932 days from 2018 to 2021. Sit-ins, like the Greensboro sit-ins in 1960, have been used to fight for social change, and they are also used in ecoactivism, such as the Dakota Access Pipeline Protest. Notable environmental protests and campaigns include these examples.

History

The environmental movement in Europe and North America began with programs aimed at reducing smoke pollution in the air during the Industrial Revolution. The rise of large factories and the increased use of coal led to very high levels of air pollution in industrial areas. After the year 1900, factories also released large amounts of chemicals, and there was more waste from people that wasn't treated properly.

Criticisms

Conservative critics of the movement describe it as extreme and not well thought out. They criticize the United States Endangered Species Act, which was examined closely in the 21st century, and the Clean Air Act, arguing that these laws cause problems for private property rights, corporate profits, and the nation's economic growth. These critics also question the scientific proof of global warming. They claim the environmental movement has taken attention away from more important issues. Western environmental activists have faced criticism for activism that appears helpful but lacks real impact, actions that take over environmental efforts in other countries, and behavior that reflects a "white savior" attitude, especially when celebrities promote conservation in developing countries. People who live near proposed developments and oppose them are sometimes called "NIMBYS," which stands for "not in my back yard."

By country

Mithun Roy Chowdhury, President of Save Nature & Wildlife (SNW), Bangladesh, urged people in Bangladesh to speak out against the Tipaimukh Dam, which is being built by the Government of India. He warned that the Tipaimukh Dam project could cause serious harm to Bangladesh, similar to the Farakka Barrage, which already caused major environmental problems for 50 million people in the Meghna River basin. He said the project might lead to desertification in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the most polluted country in the world because of old cars, especially those that use diesel, and harmful gases from factories. This pollution harms the health of people, the environment, and the economy.

In China, environmental efforts are growing. New groups are forming to push for better environmental laws and to make environmental issues a national priority. These groups often work with local people, experts, and others to solve problems like pollution, loss of forests, or protecting wildlife. These efforts may not always get much attention from the media, but they help raise awareness and support for environmental protection. Environmental protests in China are becoming more common and are addressing a wider range of issues, including the need for more people to join in protecting the environment.

In China, people have realized that protests can lead to change. Since 2005, the number of protests in China has increased by 30%, reaching over 50,000 events. These protests cover topics like pollution, loss of land, income issues, and political matters. The size of protests has also grown, from about 10 people in the mid-1990s to an average of 52 people per protest in 2004. China has weaker environmental laws compared to other Asian countries, which has caused many polluting factories to move there, increasing pollution.

China is dealing with problems like water pollution, not enough water, polluted soil, poor soil quality, and desertification. In the North China Plain, the groundwater level is dropping by 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) each year. This area produces 40% of China’s grain. A group called the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims helps people who have been harmed by pollution by supporting legal cases. As China continues to change its economy and connect with the global market, the connection between environmental problems in China and global environmental issues is becoming more important.

When comparing China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, it is clear that how effective environmental activism is depends on the political situation in each country, especially how well groups that push for policy changes and protests work together. In the past, Japan and South Korea showed that when groups and anti-pollution protests join forces, it can greatly influence environmental policies in China.

In India, protecting the environment and public health is an ongoing challenge. The first environmental group in India was started in 1964 by Chandi Prasad Bhatt, called Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh. This group was supported by Sucheta Kriplani and used land donated by Shyma Devi. This led to the Chipko movement in 1974. A major event that influenced the movement was the Bhopal gas leak in 1984, which killed 2,259 people and harmed 700,000 others. India also has a national campaign against Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola because these companies use too much groundwater and pollute the land. The movement focuses on local issues, like fighting against large farms that harm the environment. The biggest part of the environmental movement in India is the anti-dam movement. Dams are seen as a way to catch up with Western countries by building large power plants. A group called Jhola Aandolan fights against the use of plastic bags and promotes reusable bags made of cloth, jute, or paper. Activists in India are most worried about global warming, rising sea levels, and melting glaciers, which reduce the amount of water in rivers.

In 2008, the Eco Revolution movement began in India, led by the Eco Needs Foundation in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. It brings together children, young people, researchers, spiritual leaders, and politicians to raise awareness through programs and conferences. Licypriya Kangujam is a child activist who works against air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in India. From the mid-2010s to the late 2010s, groups in cities and Indigenous communities in India joined together to protect Aarey, a forest near Mumbai. Farmers and Indigenous people in states like Goa, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh have also fought against pollution and land clearing caused by mining.

In the Arab world, including the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), environmental activism focuses on issues like industrial pollution and the need for the government to provide irrigation. The League of Arab States has a committee that handles environmental issues. Some environmental activists in these countries are unsure if governments are truly committed to protecting the environment, even though they may appear concerned to join the global community. The first step toward environmental awareness in these countries is the creation of a Ministry of the Environment. The year a country starts this ministry shows how seriously it takes environmental issues. Saudi Arabia was the first Arab country to create environmental laws in 1992, followed by Egypt in 1994. Somalia is the only Arab country without environmental laws. In 2010, the Environmental Performance Index ranked Algeria as the top Arab country at 42 out of 163, Morocco at 52, and Syria at 56. This index measures how well a country protects its environment and the health of its people. It gives equal weight to environmental health (50%) and the health of ecosystems (50%), with scores ranging from 0 to 100. No Arab countries were in the top 25% of the index, and seven were in the lowest 25%.

South Korea and Taiwan had similar industrial growth from 1965 to 1990, but with few environmental rules. In South Korea, the Han River and Nakdong River became so polluted that they were nearly lifeless. In Taiwan, 20% of farmland was polluted by industrial waste, and 30% of rice had heavy metals. Both countries had environmental movements that included people from different backgrounds. These movements focused on jobs, worker safety, and farming problems. People in these movements learned that protests could lead to change, and polluting factories were forced to improve quickly.