The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to environmentalism, broad philosophy, ideology and

social movement A social movement is a loosely organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a social or political one. This may be to carry out a social change, or to resist or undo one. It is a type of group action and may ...

regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements. Environmentalism advocates the preservation, restoration and/or improvement of the natural environment, and may be referred to as a movement to control pollution.

What type of thing is environmentalism?

Environmentalism can be described as all of the following: * a

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

– the study of knowledge and the nature of life ** an environmental philosophy – a branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental workings of human's relation to the environment and our place in it ** a branch of ethics – environmentalism concerns moral relationships and the intrinsic value of both humans and the environment *** a branch of environmental ethics – environmental ethics describes the moral aspects that connect humans and non humans concerning the environment and what obligations human species have to non human species *

Ideology An ideology is a set of beliefs or philosophies attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely epistemic, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones." Formerly applied pri ...

– a system of ideas that focus on environmental thought and form how one thinks about maintaining the environment *

Political movement A political movement is a collective attempt by a group of people to change government policy or social values. Political movements are usually in opposition to an element of the status quo, and are often associated with a certain ideology. Some t ...

– environmentalists seek to both change and create policy concerning environmental issues in order to protect the environment from further harm **

Social movement A social movement is a loosely organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a social or political one. This may be to carry out a social change, or to resist or undo one. It is a type of group action and may ...

– as a collective group environmentalists seek to create social environmental change and protect environmental liberties through both radical and non radical ecological groups

Environmental movement

* Conservation movement – seeks to protect natural areas for sustainable consumption, as well as traditional (hunting, fishing, trapping) and spiritual use. ** Environmental conservation – process in which one is involved in conserving the natural aspects of the environment. Whether through reforestation, recycling, or pollution control, environmental conservation sustains the natural quality of life. * Environmental health movement – dates at least to Progressive Era, and focuses on urban standards like clean water, efficient sewage handling, and stable population growth. Environmental health could also deal with nutrition, preventive medicine,

aging Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...

, and other concerns specific to human well-being. Environmental health is also seen as an indicator for the state of the environment, or an early warning system for what may happen to humans * Environmental justice – movement that began in the U.S. in the 1980s and seeks an end to environmental racism and prevent low-income and minority communities from an unbalanced exposure to highways, garbage dumps, and factories. The Environmental Justice movement seeks to link "social" and "ecological" environmental concerns, while at the same time preventing de facto racism, and classism. This makes it particularly adequate for the construction of labor-environmental alliances. * Ecology movement – involves the Gaia theory as well as Value of Earth and other interactions between humans, science, and responsibility. **

Deep ecology Deep ecology is an environmental philosophy that promotes the inherent worth of all living beings regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs, and the restructuring of modern human societies in accordance with such ideas. Deep ecolo ...

– ideological spinoff of the ecology movement that views the diversity and integrity of the planetary ecosystem, in and for itself, as its primary value. * Bright green environmentalism – currently popular sub-movement that emphasizes the idea that through technology, good design and more thoughtful use of energy and resources, people can live responsible, sustainable lives while enjoying prosperity. * Anti-nuclear movement – opposes the use of various nuclear technologies. ** Positions *** Nuclear disarmament *** Opposes the use of nuclear power **

Anti-nuclear groups Anti-nuclear organizations may oppose uranium mining, nuclear power, and/or nuclear weapons. Anti-nuclear groups have undertaken public protests and acts of civil disobedience which have included occupations of nuclear plant sites. Some of the mo ...

*** Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament ***

Friends of the Earth Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) is an international network of environmental organizations in 73 countries. The organization was founded in 1969 in San Francisco by David Brower, Donald Aitken and Gary Soucie after Brower's split with ...

***

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

*** International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War *** Nuclear Information and Resource Service

Environmental issues

These topics relate to the

anthropogenic Anthropogenic ("human" + "generating") is an adjective that may refer to: * Anthropogeny, the study of the origins of humanity Counterintuitively, anthropogenic may also refer to things that have been generated by humans, as follows: * Human im ...

effects on the natural environment: * Climate change ** Global warming ** Global dimming **

Fossil fuels A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels ...

** Sea level rise **

Greenhouse gas A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorbs and Emission (electromagnetic radiation), emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse ...

** Ocean acidification **

Shutdown of thermohaline circulation The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is part of a global thermohaline circulation in the oceans and is the zonally integrated component of surface and deep currents in the Atlantic Ocean. It is characterized by a northward fl ...

* Conservation ** Species extinction ** Pollinator decline ** Coral bleaching **

Holocene extinction The Holocene extinction, or Anthropocene extinction, is the ongoing extinction event during the Holocene epoch. The extinctions span numerous families of bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, f ...

Invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

** Poaching **

Endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

* Energy **

Energy conservation Energy conservation is the effort to reduce wasteful energy consumption by using fewer energy services. This can be done by using energy more effectively (using less energy for continuous service) or changing one's behavior to use less service (f ...

Renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

Efficient energy use Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the process of reducing the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a building allows it to use less heating and cooling energy to ...

** Renewable energy commercialization *

Environmental degradation Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment (biophysical), environment through depletion of resources such as quality of air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat destruction; the extinction of wildlife; an ...

** Eutrophication ** Habitat destruction **

** Trail ethics * Environmental health ** Air quality ** Asthma **

Electromagnetic fields An electromagnetic field (also EM field or EMF) is a classical (i.e. non-quantum) field produced by (stationary or moving) electric charges. It is the field described by classical electrodynamics (a classical field theory) and is the classical co ...

** Electromagnetic radiation and health ** Indoor air quality **

Lead poisoning Lead poisoning, also known as plumbism and saturnism, is a type of metal poisoning caused by lead in the body. The brain is the most sensitive. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, irritability, memory problems, inferti ...

Sick Building Syndrome Sick building syndrome (SBS) is an unsubstantiated diagnosis where health problems are attributed to buildings. The cause of the health problems are unknown. Symptoms attributed to SBS may or may not be a direct result of inadequate cleaning or ...

Genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...

** Genetic pollution ** Genetically modified food controversies * Intensive farming ** Overgrazing ** Irrigation ** Monoculture ** Environmental effects of meat production ** Slash and burn ** Pesticide drift ** Plasticulture * Land degradation **

Land pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...

Desertification Desertification is a type of land degradation in drylands in which biological productivity is lost due to natural processes or induced by human activities whereby fertile areas become increasingly arid. It is the spread of arid areas caused by ...

* Soil ** Soil conservation **

Soil erosion Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, and ...

** Soil contamination ** Soil salination * Land use ** Urban sprawl **

Habitat fragmentation Habitat fragmentation describes the emergence of discontinuities (fragmentation) in an organism's preferred environment (habitat), causing population fragmentation and ecosystem decay. Causes of habitat fragmentation include geological processes ...

** Habitat destruction *

Nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...

** Nanotoxicology ** Nanopollution * Nuclear issues ** Nuclear fallout ** Nuclear meltdown ** Nuclear power **

Nuclear weapons A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...

** Nuclear and radiation accidents **

Nuclear safety Nuclear safety is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "The achievement of proper operating conditions, prevention of accidents or mitigation of accident consequences, resulting in protection of workers, the public and the ...

** High-level radioactive waste management. * Overpopulation **

Burial Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

** Water crisis ** Overpopulation in companion animals ** Tragedy of the commons *

Ozone depletion Ozone depletion consists of two related events observed since the late 1970s: a steady lowering of about four percent in the total amount of ozone in Earth's atmosphere, and a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone (the ozone l ...

** Chlorofluorocarbons * Pollution ** Light pollution ** Noise pollution **

Visual pollution Visual pollution is the study of secondary impacts of manmade interventions or visible deterioration and negative aesthetic quality of the natural and human-made landscapes around people. It refers to the impacts pollution has in impairing the q ...

Nonpoint source pollution Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution refers to diffuse contamination (or pollution) of water or air that does not originate from a single discrete source. This type of pollution is often the cumulative effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered ...

** Point source pollution * Water pollution **

Acid rain Acid rain is rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). Most water, including drinking water, has a neutral pH that exists between 6.5 and 8.5, but acid ...

** Eutrophication **

Marine pollution Marine pollution occurs when substances used or spread by humans, such as industrial waste, industrial, agricultural pollution, agricultural and municipal solid waste, residential waste, particle (ecology), particles, noise, excess carbon dioxid ...

** Ocean dumping ** Oil spills ** Thermal pollution ** Urban runoff ** Water crisis **

Marine debris Marine debris, also known as marine litter, is human-created waste that has deliberately or accidentally been released in a sea or ocean. Floating oceanic debris tends to accumulate at the center of gyres and on coastlines, frequently washing ...

** Microplastics ** Ocean acidification ** Ship pollution ** Wastewater **

Fish kill The term fish kill, known also as fish die-off, refers to a localized die-off of fish populations which may also be associated with more generalized mortality of aquatic life.University of Florida. Gainesville, FL (2005) ''Plant Management in Fl ...

** Algal bloom ** Mercury in fish * Air pollution **

Smog Smog, or smoke fog, is a type of intense air pollution. The word "smog" was coined in the early 20th century, and is a portmanteau of the words ''smoke'' and '' fog'' to refer to smoky fog due to its opacity, and odor. The word was then inte ...

** Tropospheric ozone ** Indoor air quality ** Volatile organic compound ** Airborne particulate matter * Reservoirs ** Environmental impacts of reservoirs * Resource depletion ** Exploitation of natural resources ** Overdrafting * Consumerism ** Consumer capitalism ** Planned obsolescence ** Over-consumption * Fishing ** Blast fishing ** Bottom trawling ** Cyanide fishing ** Ghost nets **

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is an issue around the world. Fishing industry observers believe IUU occurs in most fisheries, and accounts for up to 30% of total catches in some important fisheries. Illegal fishing takes pl ...

Overfishing Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing fish stock), resulting in th ...

** Shark finning ** Whaling *

Logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

Clearcutting Clearcutting, clearfelling or clearcut logging is a forestry/ logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, it is used by foresters to create certain types of fore ...

** Deforestation ** Illegal logging * Mining ** Acid mine drainage **

Hydraulic fracturing Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of bedrock formations by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure injection of "frack ...

** Mountaintop removal mining ** Slurry impoundments * Toxins ** Chlorofluorocarbons ** DDT **

Endocrine disruptor Endocrine disruptors, sometimes also referred to as hormonally active agents, endocrine disrupting chemicals, or endocrine disrupting compounds are chemicals that can interfere with endocrine (or hormonal) systems. These disruptions can cause c ...

s **

Dioxin Dioxin may refer to: * 1,2-Dioxin or 1,4-Dioxin, two unsaturated heterocyclic 6-membered rings where two carbon atoms have been replaced by oxygen atoms, giving the molecular formula C4H4O2 *Dibenzo-1,4-dioxin, the parent compound also known as ...

** Toxic heavy metals **

Herbicides Herbicides (, ), also commonly known as weedkillers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds.EPA. February 201Pesticides Industry. Sales and Usage 2006 and 2007: Market Estimates. Summary in press releasMain page fo ...

Pesticides Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampric ...

** Toxic waste **

PCB PCB may refer to: Science and technology * Polychlorinated biphenyl, an organic chlorine compound, now recognized as an environmental toxin and classified as a persistent organic pollutant * Printed circuit board, a board used in electronics * ...

Bioaccumulation Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance at a rate faster than that at which the substance is lost or eliminated ...

** Biomagnification * Waste ** Electronic waste ** Litter **

Waste disposal incidents Waste (or wastes) are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product, by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor economic value. A waste pro ...

Medical waste Biomedical waste or hospital waste is any kind of waste containing infectious (or potentially infectious) materials. It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical waste that visually appears to be of medical or laboratory ...

Landfill A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. Landfill is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of the waste ...

Leachate A leachate is any liquid that, in the course of passing through matter, extracts soluble or suspended solids, or any other component of the material through which it has passed. Leachate is a widely used term in the environmental sciences wher ...

** Incineration ** Great Pacific Garbage Patch

History of environmentalism

History of the anti-nuclear movement The application of nuclear technology, both as a source of energy and as an instrument of war, has been controversial.Robert BenfordThe Anti-nuclear Movement (book review)''American Journal of Sociology'', Vol. 89, No. 6, (May 1984), pp. 1456 ...

(from before 1945) *

History of organic farming Traditional farming (of many particular kinds in different eras and places) was the original type of agriculture, and has been practiced for thousands of years. All traditional farming is now considered to be "organic farming" although at the tim ...

(from ancient times) *

History of passive solar building design The passive solar design of buildings includes consideration of their orientation to the sun and their thermal mass, factors which have been incorporated to a greater or lesser extent in vernacular architecture for thousands of years. Ancient Greeks ...

History of sustainability The history of environmental pollution traces human-dominated ecological systems from the earliest civilizations to the present day. This history is characterized by the increased regional success of a particular society, followed by crises that wer ...

(from the earliest civilizations) * History of waste management (from ancient times)

History of pollution sources

History of coal mining The history of coal mining goes back thousands of years, with early mines documented in ancient China, the Roman Empire and other early historical economies. It became important in the Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries, when it wa ...

(from ancient times) *

History of the diesel car Diesel engines began to be used in automobiles in the 1930s. Mainly used for commercial applications early on, they did not gain popularity for passenger travel until their development in Europe in the 1950s. After reaching a peak in popularity w ...

(from 1933) * History of electric power transmission (from the late 19th century) * History of the jet engine * History of manufactured gas (from the 18th century) *

History of the oil shale industry The history of the oil shale industry started in ancient times. The modern industrial use of oil shale for oil extraction dates to the mid-19th century and started growing just before World War I because of the mass production of automobiles and ...

(from the mid-19th century) *

History of the oil tanker The history of the oil tanker is part of the evolution of the technology of oil transportation alongside the oil industry. Background The technology of oil transportation has evolved alongside the oil industry. Although use of oil reaches to pre ...

(since 1863?) * History of rail transport (from nearly 500 years ago) *

History of rapid transit The history of rapid transit began in London with the opening of the Metropolitan Railway, which is now part of the London Underground, in 1863. By World War I, electric underground railways were being used in Athens, Berlin, Boston, Buenos Air ...

(from 1863) * History of road transport (from ancient times) * History of the steam engine (from the first century CE) * History of steam road vehicles (experimentally from the 17th century) * History of water fluoridation (from c. 1901, with research on cause Colorado brown stain)

Timelines

Timeline of history of environmentalism *

Timeline of alcohol fuel Ethanol, an alcohol fuel, is an important fuel for the operation of internal combustion engines that are used in cars, trucks, and other kinds of machinery. * Ethanol was first isolated from wine in approximately 1100 and was found to burn shortl ...

* Timeline of environmental events * Timeline of environmental history * Timeline of the New Zealand environment * Timeline of genetically modified organisms *

Timeline of major U.S. environmental and occupational health regulation * 1916 – National Park Service Organic Act created the National Park Service. * 1947 – Los Angeles Air Pollution Control District created; first air pollution agency in the US. * 1948 – Federal Water Pollution Control Act * 1955 – Nationa ...

Timeline of Minamata disease The following is a timeline of key events related to Minamata disease: References "Minamata Disease: The History and Measures" The Ministry of the Environment, (2002), retrieved 17 January 2007"Minamata Disease Archives" by the National ...

* Timeline of nuclear weapons development * Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Chile earthquake *

Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake The timeline of rescue efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake of 12 January 2010 involves the sequence of events in the days following a highly destructive 7.0 Mw earthquake with an epicenter west of the nation's capital, Port-au-Prince. With ...

* Timeline of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill *

Timeline of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (May 2010) Following is a Timeline of the ''Deepwater Horizon'' oil spill for May 2010. Before May 1 May May 1–5 *May 1 :*Two military C-130 Hercules aircraft were employed to spray oil dispersant. *May 2 :*Obama meets with fishermen and Coast Gua ...

* Timeline of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (June 2010) *

Timeline of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (July 2010) Following is a timeline of the ''Deepwater Horizon'' oil spill for July 2010 . Events prior to June June 2010 July 1–5 *July 1 ** Total estimated discharge since the start reaches – topping Ixtoc I oil spill that was the previous bigge ...

Timeline of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (August 2010) Following is a timeline of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, ''Deepwater Horizon'' oil spill for August 2010 . July August 1–7 *August 1 :*Some BP gas stations say they want to revert to the Amoco brand. :*BP exec Doug Suttles says he would e ...

* Timeline of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster *

Timeline of the Fukushima Daini nuclear accidents The is a nuclear power plant located on a site in the town of Naraha and Tomioka in the Futaba District of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) runs the plant. After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, ...

Environmentalism organizations

* Environmental organization ** List of conservation organisations ** List of environmental organizations

Environmentalism publications

* Lists of environmental publications * List of environmental periodicals *

List of environmental websites This list of environmental websites includes websites, blogs, podcasts and other web-based platforms associated with environmental issues. General Blogs * ''Chinadialogue''— an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting a ...

* List of environmental books * List of environmental reports

References

External links

; Environmental history
''Environmental History''
(scholarly journal)
Environmentalhistory.org
(timeline)
American Society for Environmental History

Environmental History Resources

Historical Topics , About EPA , US EPA

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