Environmentalism
From Free Talk Live
Environmentalism is a line of thought based on the belief that environmental pollution and human activities affecting ecology are harmful to humanity and the viability of natural systems. While environmentalist thinking originated as a critique of the activities of private corporate entities, more recent "green libertarian," "anarchofeminist," and "social ecology" concepts have also suggested that governmental actions and policies may be themselves responsible for many environmental problems. The modern environmental movement is a diverse set of actors with differenent strategies and tactics. Among the major subtypes of environmentalists are: "Big 6" environmental groups, environmental justice advocates, deep ecologists, greens, technology-oriented environmentalists, animal welfare organizations, direct action groups, libertarian municipalists, free market greens, and NIMBYs.
Those who are skeptical of environmental concerns believe that environmentalism is an unscientific, advocacy position based more in political, philosophical, or ideological extremism.
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History
The history of environmental thinking is long-standing, though its codification in modern form dates to the 20th century. Neolithic age humans engaged in animist religious practices involving the imitation and invocation of animals, the sun, or other features of the prehistoric world. Biblical stories such as "Noah's Ark" and the Babylonian "Epic of Gilgamesh" suggest that ancient cultures understood natural phenomena as expressions of divine action. Ancient Greek thinkers began the study of toxicology, with the philosopher/doctor Paracelsus coining the term quoted in modern toxicological texts, "the dose makes the poison." Roman armies used tactics of environmental destruction in the Second Punic War, sewing the agricultural fields of Carthage with salt.
In 1307, due to alleged "noxious" properties of smoke from lime burners, England banned the burning of coal in ovens of South London.
The codification of modern environmentalism began in the late 19th century, with acknowledgement of the role of environmental influences on health, such as the discovery of a cholera outbreak's origination in a contaminated water pump by London physician John Snow. In the early 20th century in the U.S., President Theodore Roosevelt established the national parks system. In 1940, Congress enacted the first law for the protection of the Bald Eagle.
Following the establishment of the Eisenhower Highway System in the 1950's, post-War American cities experienced a rapid worsening of air quality. In the early 1950s, Arie Haagen-Smit of the California Institute of Technology discovered the chemical mechanisms that led to the production of ozone, a key component of the smog which Los Angeles residents blamed for irritation of their eyes, noses, and lungs. Automobile traffic, which had undergone massive growth in the post-war years, was attributed much of the cause of the Los Angeles smog. Concerns about air pollution were further heightened when in 1952, a "black fog" from coal smoke accumulated in London, England, killing 4,000 people during a several-day meteorological episode which limited the dispersion of smoke.
Types of Environmentalism
"Mainstream" Environmentalism
Belief in conservation, regulation, technology-oriented solutions, reducing impact of economic activities on air, water, ecosystems, etc.
Sportsmen/Outdoorsmen
Hunters and fishermen who view the loss of key hunting species as linked with human activity.
Environmental Justice
Movement emphasizing the disproportionate impact of pollution and other hazards borne by the poor and people of color.
Greens
Left-leaning environmental groups using electoral process to advance
Social Ecology
Offshoot of anarchism stressing that environmental and human problems have roots in coercion and hierarchy within culture. Stresses local action and alternative economy.
Deep Ecology
Line of thought suggesting that humans be treated as part of nature, de-emphasizing human primacy.
Anarchofeminism
Subtype of anarchism in which the subjugation of one person by another allows for abuse by one of another's life and property, including air, water, land, etc.
Libertarian Environmentalism
Merger of libertarianism and environmental thought suggesting that environmental problems result from government subsidy, tax codes, regulation, and military action, such as military patrols of oil shipping lanes and local zoning codes.
NIMBYs
"Not In My BackYard!" Residents of areas where real or perceived threats to health or the environment could accrue from a given industrial facility, hazardous waste disposal operation, highway, or other new construction. In American jurisprudence, successful litigation in which one property owner, employing tort law, sued another whose activities impinged on their property have been noted. See Boomer v. Atlantic Cement Company.
Key Issues in Modern Times
Air Pollution
Topics
Particulate matter: suspended solid or liquid particles, generally referred to as "PM-X", where X refers to a particle diameter in micrometers. PM-2.5 and PM-10 are the most widely studied particles, though PM-1 and PM-4 also are routinely cited in scientific journals. PM smaller than PM-2.5 tends to be dominated by direct emissions from combustion processes (generally comprised of carbon) and atmospheric reactions that transform certain atmospheric gases (ammonia, nitric acid, sulfate, volatile organic compounds) into particles. Particles larger than PM-2.5 tend to be generated by frictional interactions such as grinding and sanding. Wind-borne dusts tend to be large contributors to PM-10 in many areas, particularly in the western U.S. Levels of PM2.5 and PM-10 in the atmosphere have been associated with a range of adverse health effects, including premature mortality, atherosclerosis, heart attack, and aggregation of asthma.
Ozone (O3): a reactive gas, generally described as follow: "good up high, bad down low." Ozone is a natural constituent of the atmosphere, but anthropogenic emissions of certain "precursor" gases (volatile organic carbon -- VOC -- and oxides of nitrogen -- NOx) can cause it to be generated in concentrations exceeding natural levels. Due to the chemical bonds holding ozone together, it efficiently captures ultraviolet solar radiation which can damage DNA in living organisms. As such, the concentration of ozone in a thin layer of the upper stratosphere (approx. 25 km altitude) is referred to as the "ozone layer" or "ozone shield." The historical use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) increased stratospheric concentrations of chlorine free radicals, which efficiently destroy stratospheric ozone, leading to reduced stratospheric ozone. In the lowest levels of the atmosphere (troposphere), developed areas tend to have higher ozone concentrations, resulting from emissions of VOC and NOx from transportation, power generation, home heating, and other sectors. Upon inhalation, ozone causes free radical damage in the lungs.
Carbon monoxide (CO): an invisible gas that binds strongly to hemoglobin, reducing available oxygen in the bloodstream. CO is emitted as a product of incomplete combustion.
Governmental Roles
Non-governmental Responses
Water Pollution
Topics
Evidence
Governmental Roles
Non-governmental Responses
Land Contamination
Topics
Evidence
Governmental Roles
Non-governmental Responses
Biodiversity
Topics
Evidence
Governmental Roles
Non-governmental Responses
Land Desertification
Topics
Evidence
Governmental Roles
Non-governmental Responses
