The word, “environmentalist”, means different things to different individuals. To some, it is a way of life, to others, it is a foreign concept. To form an opinion on what it means to be, or become, an environmentalist, it is necessary to take a look through history. Taking a look at the past paints a picture of where environmentalism started, its trends, and what it looks like and means today.
Humans have had a close relationship with the environment since the very beginning of our existence. Many cultures across the globe have documented environmentalism practiced in ancient lore, ceremonies, art, and music. The modern environmental movement, however, that most of us are familiar with began in the early 1800’s, in Europe.
Romanticism was a concept that began placing emphasis on that natural world. The focus was on the beauty of nature, flora and fauna, and the emotional and intellectual relationship that humans have with their surroundings. Early environmental science was inspired by the notions of romanticism, and was a foundation for the curiosity of the planet and how it functions.
In the late 1800’s, the Industrial Revolution began to surface concerns for the natural world, as no protections were in place to protect air and water quality. This time period was essential to the global economy as we know it, yet was also essential to the environmental awareness that is present today.
At the time of the Industrial Revolution’s peak, land was being converted into factories and infrastructure at a rapid rate. The loss in habitat spawned one of the first environmental activist groups, The Society for the Protection of Birds, in 1889, and The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, in 1894. The idea behind these groups was to raise public awareness for early conservation and wildlife protection.
Activism for the environment has proven to be an efficient and successful method for building environmental protections. After years of public outcry and scientific support, mass areas of land began to be protected nationally in the United States. A place of exceptional beauty and value, Yellowstone National Park, was granted as the first national park in the United States following inspiration from John Muir, the most widely known environmentalist of that era. Muir is also famously known for founding The Sierra Club, which still operates today.
Then, in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson founded the National Park Service, which was deeply supported by a growing environmental movement. The goal was to grant areas that hosted irreplaceable beauty and biodiversity protections from development and degradation. The National Park Service is now, “an agency of the federal government of the United States that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properties with various title designations.”
History is filled with stories of influential individuals and groups inspired by the natural world. Generation after generation, more individuals and groups than ever before in history continue to use activism and information to progress political and social change to protect and conserve resources, land, and wildlife. Society poses many environmental threats, of which individuals feel responsible to mitigate.
By definition, an environmentalist is, “a person who is concerned about protecting the environment.” Many may argue, especially in political settings and in our modern world, that environmentalism is inherently partisan. However, by definition, environmentalist ideals and perspectives are abundant in most of us. Socially and politically, environmentalist progressions may be in our best interests, and history would certainly agree.
To be an environmentalist simply means to have concern for the natural world and to hold any form of belief that ecosystems and the environment hold enough value, whether scientifically, religiously, intrinsically, or otherwise, to be protected.
