The Green Movement

1243 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The Impact of Globalization on environment

The Green Movement

I

Recently,

Medical attention was sought for a 23-month-old toddler because of anorexia, weight loss, irritability, profuse sweating, peeling and redness of his fingers and toes, and a miliarial rash. The diagnosis was mercury poisoning, and an investigation of his environment disclosed that he had been exposed to mercury from broken fluorescent light bulbs. (Tunnessen 786)

Fluorescent light bulbs pose a serious danger to our health as well as significant risk of contaminating our environment.

Mercury and other heavy metal poisoning, as well as habitat contamination and destruction, could become commonplace if we don’t proceed cautiously in implementing Green solutions. To understand the problems with many of the Green solutions, how we got to this point, and what we can do it fix it we need to understand what the “Green Movement” is.

Today’s Green Movement has its beginnings in the Transcendentalists writings of the 1830’s, 1840’s and later. In 1835 Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote the essay Nature, beginning the American Transcendentalism writing period. Several transcendentalist writings of this era contributed greatly to the formation and foundations of what became the modern Green Movement, such as Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, published in 1854, and Maine Woods, published in 1864. In Maine Woods, Thoreau called for the conservation of nature and the federal preservation of forests.

The most influential writing of this period was former congressman George Perkins Marsh’s Man and Nature, published in 1864. Clark University claims, “He is considered to be America's first environmentalist. Over a hundred years ago he warned of our destructive ways” (n.p.).

This book was a major influence leading to laws tha...

... middle of paper ...

...d and Heinz Sell. Revolution in lamps: a chronicle of 50 years of progress (2nd Ed.). Lilburn, GA: The Fairmont Press, Inc., 2001. Print.

Lamptech. www.lamptech.co.uk. 26 Nov. 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. .

Tunnessen, Walter W., Keven J. McMahon and Michael Baser. "Acrodynia: Exposure to Mercury From Fluorescent Light Bulbs." Pediatrics 79.5 (1987): 786. Print.

UNFCCC, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Status of Ratification. 26 Nov. 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. .

University, Clark. Clark University | Marsh Institute. 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. .

Wikipedia. Silent Spring - Wikipedia. 03 Nov. 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. .

Show More
Related

  • Lead Toxicity in Children

    1448 Words  | 3 Pages

    White, R., Feldman, R., and Travers, P. Neurobehavioral Effects of Toxicity Due to Metals, Solvents, and Insecticides. Clinical Neuropharmacology, Vol. 13, No. 5, 1990, pp. 392-412.

    Read More

  • How Can the United States Lessen its Dependence on Fossil Fuels?

    1536 Words  | 4 Pages

    For new or retrofit construction, every choice can lead to energy savings; energy that is derived primarily from fossil fuels. The typical household LED replacement for a 60w light lasts about 50,000 hours. Pretending that an incandescent could also last that long, it would consume about 3,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy whereas the LE...

    Read More

  • Candle Making Through the Centuries

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...les were replaced by fluorescent lights and light bulbs as major light sources, the candle making industry is still burning bright. Candles in varying colours, shapes and sizes are still manufactured and used in different manners like in religious ceremonies, birthday celebrations, aromatherapy, and home decorations.

    Read More

  • Conservation In The Progressive Era

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Conservation movement was a driving force at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was a time during which Americans were coming to terms with their wasteful ways, and learning to conserve what they quickly realized to be limited resources. In the article from the Ladies’ Home Journal, the author points out that in times past, Americans took advantage of what they thought of as inexhaustible resources. For example, "if they wanted lumber for their houses, rails for their fences, fuel for their stoves, they would cut down half a forest at a time; and whatever they could not use or sell they would leave to rot on the ground. They never bothered their heads to inquire where more wood was coming from when this was gone" (33). The twentieth century opened with a vision towards the future, towards preserving the land that had previously been taken for granted. The Conservation movement came along around the same time as one of the first major waves of the feminist movement. With the two struggles going on: one for the freedom of nature and the other for the freedom of women, it stands to follow that they coincided. As homemakers, activists, and citizens of the United States of America, women have had an important role in Conservation.

    Read More

  • The Development of the American Conservation Movement

    1601 Words  | 4 Pages

    John Muir helped the development of the American conservation movement during the late nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. The creation of the National Park Service, the creation of several major national parks, including Yosemite National Park and the creation of the Sierra Club were all because of John Muir. In the late nineteenth century America was in a stage of expansion and economic development that used as well as threatened much of the natural world. Much of the economic development was in the form of industrialization that took its toll of the environment with both its consumption of natural resources as well pollution. This expansion and economic development had adverse consequences on the environment of the United States. During this time of development many became aware of the damage being done to the natural world and attempted to prevent or limit this damage being done. It is during this time of both industrialization and spiritual awakening that the conservation movement arose with one of its most famous activists, John Muir.

    Read More

  • Environmentalist Movement Dbq

    224 Words  | 1 Pages

    Throughout the nineteenth century, Americans advanced westward at an unparalleled pace. Motivated by greed, these pioneers plundered through the previously plush territory, believing the nation’s resources to be inexhaustible and failing to contemplate possible consequences. In particular, anxious lumbermen and ranchers rapaciously ravaged the land in pursuit of instant profits. Fortunately, a few prudent people recognized the need for protective legislation. This nascent environmentalist movement was officially recognized when the federal government claimed responsibility over the preservation of the nation’s natural resources in 1877, with the passage of the Desert Land Act. Though this legislation was insignificant in itself, its creation

    Read More

  • Henry Thoreau and Science

    4617 Words  | 10 Pages

    Henry Thoreau, like Goethe before him, showed a lasting interest in science. (2) He belonged to the Boston Natural History Society from 1850 onwards, and read widely in the current scientific literature. Beyond this, Thoreau was intensely interested in the scientific puzzles suggested by his own rambles around Concord, Massachusetts. In the years following Walden’s publication he observed more systematically and tested his hypotheses more rigorously, and published one of the first scholarly discussions on forest succession. Some historians rate Thoreau as one of the founders of the modern science of ecology. (3)

    Read More

  • Environmental Issues In Silent Spring

    2441 Words  | 5 Pages

    In 1989, seventy five percent of Americans identified themselves as environmentalists, and the number has continued to grow since then (Walls 1). Environmentalism is now the most popular social movement in the United States, with over five million American families donating regularly to environmental organizations (Walls 1). Environmentalists today focus on what kind of world they hope to see in the future, and largely deal with limiting pollution and changing consumption rates (Kent 1 and 9). Modern environmentalists also have much different issues than those Carson’s America faced. With climate change becoming more threatening each year, protection of the natural world is needed more than ever. Pollution has caused the warmest decade in history, the deterioration of the ozone layer, and species extinction in extreme numbers (Hunter 2). It not only threatens nature, but also human populations, who already suffer from lack of clean water and poisoning from toxic chemicals (Hunter 16). Unlike environmental actions in the 1960’s, which were mostly focused on protection, a massive increase in pollution has caused efforts to be focused on environmental restoration (Hunter 16). Like in the time of Silent Spring, environmentalists are not only concerned with one country. Protecting the environment remains a global issue, and every nation is threatened by the

    Read More

  • Teratogens and Developmental Psychology

    373 Words  | 1 Pages

    Exposure to medications or drugs during pregnancy can result in abnormalities such as withdrawal symptom, respiratory problems, growth retardation, developmental retardation, congenital heart defects, caudal deficiency and CNS defects. Known prenatal birth defects resulting from environmental toxins such as Lead, mercury or PCB’s are miscarriage, CNS damage, spasticity, mental retardation, skin discoloration and low birth weight.

    Read More

  • Essay On Muir

    1148 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since the rise of the American environmental romanticism the idea of preservation and conservation have been seen as competing ideologies. Literary scholars such as Thoreau and Muir have all spoke to the defense of our natural lands in a pristine, untouched form. These pro-preservation thinkers believed in the protecting of American lands to not only ensure that future generations will get to experiences these lands, but to protect the heavily rooted early American nationalism in our natural expanses. Muir was one of the most outspoken supports of the preservation ideology, yet his stylistic writing style and rhetoric resulted in conservation being an adopted practice in the early 20th century

    Read More

  • Global Warming is a Theory, Not a Fact

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pogue, David. "New Reasons To Change Light Bulbs." The New York Times 21 Mar. 2013, New York ed.: B1. Print.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Henry David Thoreau And Walden

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    When thinking about the transcendental period and/or about individuals reaching out and submerging themselves in nature, Henry David Thoreau and his book, Walden, are the first things that come to mind. Unknown to many, there are plenty of people who have braved the environment and called it their home during the past twenty years, for example: Chris McCandless and Richard Proenneke. Before diving into who the “modern Thoreaus” are, one must venture back and explore the footprint created by Henry Thoreau.

    Read More

  • Incandescent Bulb Essay

    2221 Words  | 5 Pages

    Since its adoption in the late 19th century, Edison’s incandescent light bulb has seen remarkably little change and development. In comparison to other technologies, its growth has been almost non-existent. In fact, today’s bulbs operate under the very same principle that Edison’s did: incandescence. Incandescence is the basic principle that heated objects, like the tungsten filament of a light bulb, radiate light. While it is often the simplest solution that is the most successful, it is not always likely to be the most efficient. Traditional incandescent bulbs waste nearly all the energy they consume as heat, leaving very little to be used in the production of light making them one of the least efficient technologies we use every day. Despite this, incandescent bulbs dominate residential lighting with a large role in commercial lighting as well. Americans have always prided themselves on being leaders of technologic advancements and are responsible for some very impressive technology. The semiconductor industry for example, has grown over a million times more efficient in just the past fifty years [CITE]. This reputation makes it surprising that an American technology so radical at the time of its development and so widely adopted in our society has remained so static in time. This paper’s focus is the attributes of this technology that have resulted in such stagnant growth and to investigate other technologies, specifically compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs), which could finally bring this market into the 21st century. Additionally, it looks at policies implemented by the government whose intention is to speed up the adoption of this technology and what the growth of this industry might look lik...

    Read More

  • Light Bulb Essay

    886 Words  | 2 Pages

    Light bulb is one of the most influential inventions in the word. It makes us work more productive at night and helps us enjoy more activities at night. It significantly change people lives all over the world. The born of light bulb also helped us by making more inventions that related to light, such as phones, televisions, and computes. By using light bulb, we actually reduced the probability of having fire accidents because if we don’t have light bulb, we will use candles instead which can cause fire easily. There are a lot more benefits we get from light bulb, and all of these are credited to Thomas Alva Edison.

    Read More

  • The Benefits of the Green Movement

    1086 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Green movement began in the Western World during the 1970’s around the time of the Vietnam War. The green movement is a social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvements to the current health of the environment. The Green movement also promotes the conservation, restoration, and the overall improvement of our environment. Many people disagree with the green movement and its values because they don’t see the immediate benefits from them. However, supporting the green movement by recycling, researching alternative energy sources, and mandating eco-friendly laws will lead to a better, greener, country.

    Read More

More about The Green Movement

Open Document