The Role Of Environmentalism In The Environment

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This paper will discuss the rise in concern for environmental issues, especially in the West, during the 1960’s and 1970’s. It will look at the rise in affluent middle class and consumerism in the 1960’s after the Second World War and analyze these as crucial factors in the rise of environmentalism. Since growth in technology and science was rapid during this period, the paper will examine both their positive and negative roles with regard to the environment. It will also look at Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring as a catalyst that forced people to address environmental programs at a time when visible negative effects of industrialization were spreading environmental awareness. The paper will then analyze the role of fear of overpopulation and…show more content…
These organizations armed themselves with public support and funding by leading high profile environmental campaigns that reached out globally through media. A prime example of these non-violent direct action environmental organization is Greenpeace who are historically notorious for being masterminds of media stunts. Even in it’s early days, Greenpeace undertook inventive strategic advertising and put up billboard adverts that said “Ecology? Look it up! You’re involved” to intrigue the rebellious youth. These adverts resonated with the idealistic youth group at the time by promoting ecology as a radical revolution that would move forward with their involvement. It was a hugely successful campaign especially with the advent of television, radio and the press. And with the formal formation of Greenpeace in 1972, they revolutionized the way environmental organizations maneuvered the…show more content…
While Greenpeace started as a hip and trendy organization that appealed to the youth, their scientific background attracted the older generation who trusted scientific rationalism. Addditionaly, n who trusted scientific rationalism. tion that appealed to the youth, their scientific background attracted the Additionally, they were able to deliberately create images that visually impacted people irrespective of their age, race or gender and unite them against environmental issues. The most infamous Greenpeace campaign is undoubtedly the Save the Whale campaign and it remains iconic to this day because of the picture of Greenpeace activists in speed inflatable boats positioning themselves between whaling ship operations and the sea mammals creates a striking image of activism. It is because of this very well strategized campaign management that Greenpeace was able to mobilize the environmental movement from a general romanticized hippie movement in the 1960’s to an actual socio-political campaign that could lobby and put pressure on governments to address environmental issues. This strategy of non violent direct action by Greenpeace activists emphasized the seriousness of the issue since the public could see that the activists were putting themselves in positions of danger to

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