While recycling is a part of "green living" it is only one facet as green living has many. Green living involves the concern of air and water pollution, waste conservation, and wildlife protection as well. The term "going green" when discussing eco-friendly living is fairly new, but the Environmental Movement is quite old. In this paper, I will discuss the origin of the Environmental Movement, its cultural context, major themes and ideas of the movement, its successes and failures and lasting influences. .
Origins of the Movement.
The definition of the Environmental Movement is a social/political one mainly concerned with conserving the environment as well as improving its state (1). The United States entered the Second World War and used a nuclear weapon for the first time in history. The use of such a destructive force struck fear in the hearts of our enemy and friends alike. A vast amount of people was concerned with the threat of a nuclear war and its effect on the environment as well as generations to come. It was this fear that drove a determined people to become activists. Therefore, out of the ashes and remnants of the atomic bomb birthed the "Age of Ecology." However, it was not until the 1970's did the German Anti-Nuclear War Protest take place and serve as the catalyst for the Environmental Movement (2). .
Cultural Context.
When we think of racism we usually think of people one set of people against another set of people due to the color of their skin or religious belief. Unfortunately, racism exists on many different planes, even ecological ones. In the 1960s and 1970 it was not unusual to find low-income or minority communities in close proximities of toxic waste dump sites; this is "environmental racism." Environmental racism is the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on people of color (3). Environmental racism, sadly, still goes on today.
