What is the environmental movement?

We explain what the environmental movement is and what it consists of. In addition, when and how it arose; Its characteristics and objectives.

1. What is the environmental movement?

The environmental movement, also known as the green movement, environmentalism or environmental movement, is a global social and political organization whose maximum task is the defense of the environment , promoting environmental education , pressure and denouncement of non-responsible initiatives Ecologically 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 ( NGOs ) that can be local, regional or planetary in nature. They are mostly spontaneous and modest , although there are others of greater magnitude with decades of experience and strong international structures. Almost all agree on their tasks, but not on their methods , on the necessary emphasis or on the actions to be undertaken.

The ideas of this movement start from the consideration of man as an integral part of nature , on which his health and survival over time depend , so it is an obligation to develop a sustainable society in ecological terms, that is, not destroy the ecosystems.

For this, environmentalism argues that changes must be made in the economic and social policies of all states on the planet. For the more radical sectors, this often leads to the overcoming of capitalism as a model, while other sectors simply advocate ecological reforms in production models.

2. What is the environmental movement?

Ecology aims to awaken the commitment of all sectors of society to march towards a sustainable society , that is, to live harmoniously with the ecosystem and guarantee a future for the environment and health for humanity.

This is pursued through various organizations of local and international scope whose propaganda, environmental education and denunciation actions attempt to highlight the urgency of taking action on the matter, as well as the need for laws that toughen sanctions against polluting production, promote the responsible use of technology and educate future generations in the values ​​of living with the environment.

3. Origin of the environmental movement

The emergence of the environmental movement is closely related to the development of democracy and civil liberties , and after the full installation of industrial society . About the third quarter of the twentieth century is considered the beginning of the movement itself, especially after the publication of Silent Spring

The numerous disasters and environmental impact events of the twentieth century, together with the fear of atomic destruction of life on the planet, cemented the need for an organization that acted as conscience and alerted to the catastrophic consequences that the action could have Human in the environment.

Since then these movements have proliferated and exist in all hemispheres and allies to all forms of known ideology , from radical positions to reformists. Many of them have gained a boost in the face of the natural disasters of the 21st century that point to the imminence of climate change .

4. Objectives of the environmental movement

The objectives of environmentalism can be summarized in:

• Promote environmental education.
• Promote ecological responsibility laws.
• Boycott the consumption of products harmful to the ecosystem.
• Alert humanity regarding the short, medium and long term environmental effect of the industrial production and consumption model.
• Mobilize the population towards recycling , conservation and 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 uncontaminated water , air and land.

5. Characteristics of the environmental movement

The environmental movement, as we have said, is not exactly uniform, nor does it have a unique spokesperson, nor a unified format. It is rather a set of organizations, ranging from local enthusiasts to international organizations endowed with global representation (such as Greenpeace, the World Wide Fund for Nature or BirdLife International), and even national political parties.

In some cases, the movement created groups of greater radicalism and desire for immediate action, such as the Animal Liberation Front (FLA) that emerged clandestinely in the 1970s and responsible for liberation of animals in captivity, sabotage of experimental facilities and extremely aggressive propaganda. .