Environmental Movement: Grassroots to Government

Essay by dancinsqrl07University, Bachelor'sB+, April 2009

download word file, 21 pages 5.0

Is our earth in danger? Is our changing earth the fault of humans or is it just one nature's inconveniences? Is the taking care of the earth a moral or political issue? These are all burning questions that the Environmentalist Movement takes a firm stance on. They argue that our earth is in danger and it is because of society's harmful effects on it. Activists affiliated with the movement feel it is a moral issue base on the fact that harmful effect on the environment might translate to harmful effects for futures to come. However environmentalists feel that the environment should be a political issue as well. Their goal like any other social movement is to influence public policy and ultimately achieve rights, in this case rights for nature. Through the use of different frames and strategies as well as working within the system the Environmentalist Movement is shaping up to be one of the most successful social movements in American History.

The earliest years of the Environmental Movement can be traced back to the 1800's. But the biggest development of the Environmentalist Movement was the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970. Congress and the White House worked together to establish the EPA with the rise of the public's wish for cleaner water, air and land (EPA). Before the EPA the federal government did not have the resources to combat the issue of air pollutants, in turn this made this task more daunting because of the damage that was already caused to the environment (EPA). In addition the clean air act followed, this act improved the awareness that the previous two air acts lacks lacked.

Thereafter earth day was established on April 22nd, 1970. Earth day was always one of the goals of former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord...