Environmental movement

The environmental movement ( colloquially environmental movement ) is mainly focused on the natural and environmental social movement.

Action groups to environmental movement

The environmental movement can be to one or more collective actors condense ( mass movement ) in order to " solve " one of her as perceived problem under certain conflicts between humans and the environment in their senses. The individual players are not necessarily organized in only one environmental organization, although organizations may be part of the movement very well, if not often used interchangeably. Typical of such environmental movements are ( in the modern sense ) non-governmental organizations, such as BUND, Green League, NABU, Greenpeace, action groups and many others. Goal of most environmental movements and their supporters ( environmentalists ) is a fundamental change in the relationship man-environment. Action groups also play an important role in the organization of demonstrations, marches star and bike rallies - such as the annual demonstrations against factory farming and for agricultural policy under the slogan We are tired of it! or gentle mobility.

Environmental movements etc. can be distinguished by their specific ( thematic ) target position, their level of organization, its size, of their chosen strategies. They go through several phases of an ideal type, which extends from the first dealing with the problem, the theming (most especially rejection of developing environmentally harmful practices ) to the organization of these problems solved structures. Environmental movements that require enormous social changes, such as the energy or agricultural policy, in waves over a long period of time. Not infrequently, individual environmental initiatives of these movements are limited thematically and chronologically. They end if their objective, such as the prevention of a pig farm, a large slaughterhouse or a road project, has been reached. Another type of limitation is found approximately at the annual " Getting around without a car," for which see each preparation groups.

History of environmental movements

Joachim Radkau dates the beginning of the environmental movement in the modern sense to the debate surrounding the wood shortage around 1800. Fears of wood shortage, a supply crisis in the raw material wood came parallel to the " cult of nature " of the forest romanticism at times of enlightenment. In the wake of the German -speaking pioneer of afforestation and Japan 's eastern pioneer of sustainable forestry were. In the 1980s it came that account to a real historians dispute over the wood shortage as actual or feared only resource crisis and the associated ideological and economic backgrounds..

Radkau even assuming that the environmental movement a certain historical blindness and a distinct lack of interest in the roots and predecessors in their own culture. For today's European environmental scene is the American conservation movement that goes back well into the nineteenth century, the actual forerunner. The idea to consider special natural landscapes worthy of protection, came up with William Wordsworth and George Catlin in 1810 or 1832. 1864 the first protected area was at the instigation of John Muir's defined - in what is now Yosemite National Park in California.

In Germany, between the first environmental movement (which originated around the turn of the century from the 19th to the 20th century ) and the second environmental movement (about 1970 to the 1980s ) to be distinguished. The first environmental movement has it roots in the romance, the heritage protection movement, the Reform Movement and in the products arising out of anthroposophy biodynamic agriculture ( 1924). Nature conservation in National Socialism was characterized by an ideological overprinting with a folkish home concept and the blood - and-soil ideology.

The second environmental movement is one of the so-called new social movements. It originated in both Western and East Germany (DDR ), albeit in different ways. Was decisively influenced the second environmental movement through the changing values ​​and the spread of post- materialist value orientations. One of the oldest West German environmental initiatives was the citizen action environmental protection central Upper Rhine area ( BUZO ), founded in 1971 from the resistance to the expansion plans of the oil refineries in Karlsruhe- Knielingen by Hans -Helmut Wüstenhagen, who later became chairman of the Association of Citizens ' Initiatives for Environmental Protection ( BBU). In the GDR, standing next to the protest, for example, against forest damage in the Ore Mountains, or air pollution in Bitterfeld / Wolfen, always rebelling against the non-information policy of the government.

In Tübingen "Survival in the Nuclear Age " founded immediately after the lecture held on 26 November 1970 by Professor Harald Stumpf from the Institute for Theoretical Physics, the Committee on Environmental Protection, and shortly afterwards established next to the Bund, founded by Hartmut Gründler for environmental protection.

An important factor in growing second environmental movement were also consisting of 21 groups the Baden - Alsace citizens' initiatives, which had formed in the discussion on industrial equipment Marckolsheim, in the non-violent struggle for the nuclear power plant Wyhl were ultimately victorious, and the first major base of the later 600 citizen initiatives comprehensive BBU formed. The anti- nuclear movement was in the 1970s and 1980s in the public perception is an essential part of the environmental movement.

In the GDR, in which there were the late 80s over 60 environmental groups, there were focal points: the Religious Research home in Wittenberg, the Ecological Working Group of the Dresden church districts or the Environmental Library at Berlin Zion Church, and finally in 1988 the Green - Ecological network ark.

Political Ecology

In West Germany the following political consideration of the second environmental movement was ultimately very effective: not only the working people, but also nature was seen as threatened by the industrial economy. These thoughts of the alternative movement were moving into the initially formed from the opposition to nuclear energy ecology movement of the 1980s, which also themed a negligent waste disposal and incineration as the then industry-friendly chemicals policy, the destruction of forests and the tropical forest destruction, the threat to the Earth's atmosphere (ozone hole ) polluting forms of animal fattening, etc. other issues was gradually integrated into the environmental movement: ( Stölb 114). " after about environmental awareness, a new group of people had come to the nature, there is also a relationship to the peace movement, to emancipating women's groups developed".

For the East German environmental movement was the political in socialism criticism. The GDR socialism could not, the " remnant of capitalism " (as he liked to call environmental problems ) to fix; and he made "ecology" a taboo subject. In this respect alone was picking up on the theme criticism - for the Stasi " hostile - negative".

" Leading science " of this movement, the ecology or the Political Ecology. By the word " ecology" but used in the daily vernacular found its meaning changed. The first neutral ecological science has a positive connotation, so that was "organic " is synonymous with " environmentally friendly, clean, considerate, biodegradable, harmless " etc.

Cultural forms

In their origins and heyday, the second environmental movement developed in the 1970s and 1980s characteristic subcultural forms that reverberate to this day. As a rule, their supporters (often also called " tree huggers " called ) also pursued on environmental protection beyond reformist goals, in a " alternative lifestyle " which were reflected. The " greenies " were in the early years mostly part of a left- dominated youth culture spectrum increasingly differentiated itself in the late 1970s. Was particularly marked the demarcation for the simultaneous disco scene and the poppers. The ranging green movement developed a distinctive aesthetic that evolved from the hippie aesthetic and was dominated by natural materials and exotic patterns and batik. The clothing style was deliberately casual, hair were like long, worn open and little domesticated.

The East German environmental movement, insofar as it was independent, came from the Protestant churches. To some extent resembled the lifestyle of their members of the West - ranging green movement; for the churches and their traditional members that was partly a shock. However, there were different colorations: from rather anarchist (such as the East Berlin " Environmental Library " ), to more civil (eg Dresdner Environmental Working Group ).

Politicization

Some conservation organizations are institutionalized remnants of the first environmental movement, the second environmental movement in West Germany found its institutional precipitation, inter alia, in the establishment of a Ministry of the Environment, the Federal Environment Agency and the establishment of the Green Action Future ( GAZ ) in 1978. 1980, "The Greens " as established the first federal party from whom, in 1982, the ODP seceded. In the GDR, the political institutionalization began as a church: Between 1987 and 1989, representatives of peace, environment and justice groups and representatives of all the Christian churches met to " Ecumenical Assemblies ". Thus, a new quality and commitment was achieved for all three subject areas. 1989/90 to split the East German environmental movement on the question of whether there should be an ecological party. Proponents founded the Green Party in the GDR, the opponents of the party's founding merged in network Green League. A striking feature of all the programs founded in 1989 and 1990 DDR parties were the strong Ecology shares. The New Forum, the Initiative for Peace and Human Rights ( IFM) and democracy were now together, the Alliance 90, which merged with the West German Greens in 1993. The Green Party in the GDR had this step completed in 1990.

With increasing acceptance of the environmental movement took in the 1980s and 1990s, attempts by the modern right-wing extremists and the new right to bring environmental and nature protection again with nationalist, racist and anti-Semitic content in combination and, at the ideological traditions of nature conservation, particularly homeland security to tie, which appeared also the Nazis connection capable. In Baldur Springmann about Oliver Geden saw the attempt to combine right-wing, ecology and spirituality. On the Nazi homeland and concept of nature, among other things, the right-wing Heimattreue German youth involved.

Well-known environmental activists

The following list of environmental activists and environmental activists can naturally not be complete; further environmental activist * inside are also in category: find person ( Environment and Conservation ).

• John Muir, a pioneer of the environmental movement in North America, co-founder of the idea of national parks and co-founder of the Sierra Club
• Julia Butterfly Hill, Waldschützerin in collaboration with members of the environmental group Earth First! , When she was not a member.
• Rachel Carson, biologist and author of the book " Silent Spring " (1961)
• Al Gore, former U.S. Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize 2007
• Yann Arthus -Bertrand is an internationally known photo - journalist, founder of the Ecological Society Good Planet and the Action Carbone to reduce greenhouse gases.
• Monika Griefahn, former organizer of the Greenpeace campaign against the chemical pollution of the North Sea, Lower Saxony, later Minister of the Environment
• Herbert Gruhl, author of the book " A planet is being plundered - The horrors balance of our policy" and conservative politician (CDU, Green Action Future, The Greens, ODP )
• Alwin Seifert, conservationist, pioneer and key figure of organic farming in the era of National Socialism, BN Chairman 1958-1963
• Hartmut Gründler, founder of the Tübingen Federal Environmental Protection 1971 and the AK life protection 1972, 1977 self-immolation in protest against the government official "lies", especially at the Asse II
• David McTaggart, longtime Director of Greenpeace International
• Wangari Muta Maathai, winner of the Right Livelihood Award in 1984, the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 and the founder of the reforestation project Green Belt Movement
• Abi Kusno subordinated, an Indonesian activist for the protection of the rainforests
• José Lutz Berger, Brazilian activist, and later politician, recipient of the Right Livelihood Award in 1988
• Paul Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd
• Kumi Naidoo, South African human rights and environmental activist, since the fall of 2009 Director of Greenpeace International
• Horst Stern, critical journalist and author, founder of the journal Nature
• Wilhelm Bode, " Heath Pastor ", campaigned for the preservation of the Lüneburg Heath. Co-founder of the nature reserve Lueneburg Heath.
• Alfred Toepfer, initiator of nature parks in Germany, fighters for the preservation of the Lüneburg Heath
• Bernhard Grzimek, fighter for the zoological species protection and conservation of the Serengeti, wildlife filmmaker, director of the Frankfurt Zoo
• Heinz Sielmann, wildlife filmmaker, television presenter, Foundation curator, fighter for the preservation of the Green Belt
• Hubert Weinzierl, co-founder of the Bund conservation Bavaria (BN ) and the Bund the environment and the Earth Germany ( BUND)