Rise of Environmentalism Response Paper

American conservationism and environmentalism spurred new societal and governmental attitudes towards land and natural resources while reflecting the values of the early and mid-20th century, respectively. With the conclusion of the Progressive era and the beginning of American counter-culture movement in the 1960s, the United States’ approach to the environment shifted from conservation and management to enforced regulation and protection showing the impact of a changing American awareness of the environment.

Although environmentalism and conservationism both promoted responsible human management of nature, the movements vary in their core ideologies. Specifically, conservation has its roots in the economic value of nature whereas environmentalism seeks to protect the environment from humans. Conservation arose in the early 20th century amidst the Progressive Era and the Second Industrial Revolution and although it encouraged the sustainable use of resources, many of its efforts and practices were actually implemented for human benefit. Conservationists called for the control of certain wildlife for recreational and economic uses such as hunting and food and were not concerned with the ecological consequences of their efforts. Gaining popularity in the 1960s, environmentalism pushed for ecological sensibility and protection of the environment rather than its exploitation for economic advantage. Environmentalism sought the governmental regulation of wildlife in the late 1960s and 1970s to limit human manipulation of nature. Environmentalism also led to the growth of environmental protection groups which advocated for a symbiotic relationship between humans and the environment. Even though environmentalism and conservationism bot...

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...ntal movements. In particular, the political pressure to minimize governmental regulation, the budget constraints affecting all areas of governmental spending and doubts about the existence of climate change will require innovative strategies to continue the protection of the environment.

Works Cited

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