Essay On Environmental Movement

The environmental movement can be defined as a newly emerging disciple brought on by widespread fear of the weakening environment. Advocating for sustainable management of resources and the protection of the environment through changes in individual/global behavior and public policy or law. It was not until the mid 1960s that environmental movement became prevalent in society. Even then it was still a relatively small substructure. By that time, the Great lakes were becoming damaged; smog was chocking cities; and the growing worry about nuclear energy, were all factors contributing to a widespread concern about the environmental issues developing in our world (Smallman and brown).
The Amazon Rain Forest is tens of millions of years old and home to a vast number of species. Making it one of the most powerful symbols of the environmental movement. I say that mainly because it presents the issue of deforestation and species loss. When serious changes occur in the forest, it has been linked to planetary climate change. The Amazon became an international environmentalist issue in the 1980s as people began to realize that if deforestation rates continued, our ecosystem could be destroyed. (Smallman and Brown)
The destruction of our ecosystem, deforestation, along with hunting, and pollution is leading to extinction of many species around the world. Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin depicted the experience of two scientists who discovered a ridge in western Ecuador called “Centinela”. They described the environment as, “ as rich as it was vulnerable”(Leakey and Lewin 1996). The environment was filled with ninety unknown species, and was an extremely diverse habitat that was isolated and developed a unique flora. Within eight years o...

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... The amount of chlorine the CFCs were releasing created potholes in the ozone layer, which can cause tremendous damage to us. It was at that time, 1987, despite significant opposition from industries, when the nations enforced the Montreal Protocol, which eliminates CFCs. Similar efforts will be needed to stop the increase of Green house gases also know as Global Warming. Global warming is just harder to address because of our demographic reality. EPA and other global organizations have put more global efforts in place. Acts like the Clean Air Act, which was established in 1963 to encourage programs to prevent and control air pollution (Air). The National Environmental Policy Act, which was established in 1970 and required agencies to prepare “environmental impact quotas”. The list goes on.
In all, the environmental issues are the ultimate international problem.