Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2015
Last exams 2025
The Environmental Movement
Written by: Alistair Marjot
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Development of the Environmental Movement
The environmental movement is the term used to describe humanity’s increasing awareness of the importance of conserving the environmental health of our planet
Although it takes different forms in different countries and across different groups of people, it is essentially a worldwide campaign to continue raising this awareness and to coordinate action to help reduce the negative effects humans are having on planet Earth
The environmental movement promotes sustainable development and the sustainable use of natural resources - this can be achieved by implementing changes in public policy and encouraging changes in our individual behaviours
Various historical events have been key in the development of the environmental movement
These events and influences have come from many different areas, including:
Literature
Media
Scientific research
Technological advancements
Major international disasters
International agreements
Literature and Media
Event | Year | Description | Effect on Environmental Movement |
|---|---|---|---|
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson | 1962 | A book outlining the harmful effects of the pesticide DDT passing along food chains to top predators | Led to widespread concern about the dangers of pesticide use and increased awareness of environmental pollution |
The Limits to Growth report | 1972 | A report, commissioned by the Club of Rome (a global think tank), outlining the effects of a rapidly increasing global population on Earth’s finite natural resources | Increased awareness of the dangers of unsustainable natural resource use (best-selling environmental publication in history) |
Gaia by James Lovelock | 1979 | The first book to suggest that Earth is like a ‘living organism’ (a self-regulatory system that maintains its climate and biology) | Showed how humanity has the power to upset the delicate balance of the Earth’s self-regulating processes, with potentially deadly consequences |
An Inconvenient Truth | 2006 | A documentary film of former US Vice President Al Gore giving a lecture on climate change and its consequences | The film got extensive publicity, reaching a huge worldwide audience and triggering a major shift in public opinion in the USA |
International Conferences and Agreements
Event | Year | Description | Effect on Environmental Movement |
|---|---|---|---|
Stockholm Declaration | 1972 | The first major United Nations (UN) conference on international environmental issues, held in Stockholm, led to this Declaration | Influential in setting environmental targets and shaping action at the local and international level |
Rio Earth Summit | 1992 | UN Conference on Environment and Development, attended by 172 nations - outlined that radical changes in attitudes towards the environment needed to limit the damage to the planet | Had a global impact - led to the adoption of ‘Agenda 21’ (a comprehensive action plan to ensure sustainable development) by over 178 parties |
Kyoto Protocol | 1997 | An international treaty building on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that committed state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions | 192 parties committed to reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) |
Rio+20 | 2012 | UN Conference on Sustainable Development, marking the 20th anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit - aimed to secure further political commitment from nations to sustainable development | Helped to assess progress on various internationally agreed targets (e.g. reduction of greenhouse gas emissions) and identify emerging environmental challenges |
Paris Agreement | 2015 | An international treaty agreed by 195 parties at COP21 - aimed to hold the increase in global average temperature to below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels | 50% cut in greenhouse gas emissions needed by 2030 - every country (including developing countries) agreed to set targets and regularly report on their progress |
Glasgow Climate Pact | 2021 | At COP26, an international agreement between 197 countries was reached, which reaffirmed the Paris Agreement's global temperature goal | First climate deal to explicitly commit to reducing coal use - a late intervention from China and India weakened the pact's wording to "phasing down" coal (rather than phasing it out) |
Environmental Disasters
Event | Year | Description | Effect on Environmental Movement |
|---|---|---|---|
Minamata disease in Minamata, Japan | 1956 | Chemical factories released toxic methyl mercury into waste water - mercury accumulation in fish and shellfish caused mercury poisoning in local people - severe symptoms (paralysis, death, or birth defects in newborns) | Raised awareness of the risks of industrialisation and the need for environmental regulations and checks to be imposed on industries |
Industrial accident in Bhopal, India | 1984 | Explosion at a pesticide plant - released 42 tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate gas, killing 10,000 people in the first 72 hours and 25,000 in total | Raised awareness of the risks of industrialisation and the dangers of chemical factories |
Chernobyl nuclear meltdown, Soviet Ukraine | 1986 | Nuclear reactor exploded - radioactive fallout covered large areas of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia - 336,000 people had to be evacuated and cancer incidence increased in surrounding area | Reinforced society’s fear and negative perceptions surrounding nuclear power |
Fukushima nuclear meltdown, Japan | 2011 | Earthquake-generated tsunami hit nuclear power station and caused a meltdown in three of the six reactors - 110,000 people evacuated | Japan temporarily halted all nuclear power to carry out new safety checks, leading to increased dependence on fossil fuels - contributed towards Germany’s decision to backtrack on its nuclear power plans and revert to fossil fuels |
Worked Example
Outline how one environmental disaster and one international agreement have contributed to the development of the environmental movement.
Answer
The Minamata disease and the Paris Agreement are two significant events that have had a major impact on the development of the environmental movement
Minamata Disease:
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Japanese town of Minamata was affected by a severe environmental disaster caused by industrial pollution. A chemical company had released large amounts of mercury into the water system, which caused a number of people in the area to develop Minamata disease, a neurological disorder that led to severe disability and death.
The incident drew international attention to the harmful effects of industrial pollution on human health and the environment, leading to increased public awareness and calls for stronger environmental regulations. The disaster sparked the formation of grassroots environmental groups in Japan and increased public pressure on the government to take action to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
Paris Agreement:
The Paris Agreement is a global treaty signed by 195 countries in 2015 to address the threat of climate change. It aims to keep global temperature rise below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5°C. The agreement represents a significant step forward in international efforts to combat climate change and has helped to mobilise public and political support for environmental action.
The Paris Agreement has been credited with accelerating the development and adoption of renewable energy technologies, as well as increasing public awareness of the need to transition to a more sustainable and low-carbon future. The agreement has also led to increased political pressure on countries to take action to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and has helped to continue developing the global environmental movement around the goal of addressing climate change.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You don't need to learn ALL of these historical events that have contributed to the development of the environmental movement! You could choose three or four of these events (it might be a good idea to select at least one from each of the tables above), learn what happened, and make sure you can explain why each one was important in shaping the environmental movement.
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