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For the younger generations, it may seem that environmentalism has always been a part of daily life. Children today have grown up learning the ways that they can preserve this planet along with their ABCs and 123s. Older generations may remember the growth of the green movement, which began to gain momentum in the 1960s and 1970s and eventually culminated in the global awareness and truly green homes that exist today. But the actual beginnings of environmental concern date back much farther than those first reports sixty years ago. As early as the days of Colonial America, scientists were examining the impact of pollution and industry on the earth’s ecosystem. Throughout the next century various individuals would find themselves at the heart of the movement. In addition to scientists, these individuals have included poets, politicians, spiritual leaders and artists. Here are a few pioneers in the study of ecology and environmentalism; without them, awareness of environmental matters may not be nearly the same as it is today and we may not even be aware of the impact that insulation, air sealing, and other energy-efficient efforts in homes and buildings have on energy savings.

1.Benjamin Franklin

As one of the forefathers of America and a great contributor to modern-day society, it probably will not come as a big surprise that Benjamin Franklin was one of the first major proponents of environmentalism, then known as conservationism. In the 1700′s Franklin led an active movement to restrict the dumping of waste in major water supplies. He also fought for the removal of tanneries, which use a number of devastating chemicals to create leather, from the innermost part of Philadelphia. Although he managed to pass several laws to prevent dumping and tanneries, they largely went disregarded. However, his actions are still considered one of the first major victories in environmentalism. In his will, Franklin stipulated the construction of a fresh water conduit in his home city, which eventually led to the foundation of the Philadelphia Water Commission. [1]

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin

2. Edward Carpenter


Largely known today for being one of the first major voices in the gay-rights movement, Edward Carpenter was also a philosopher who believed that the only right and proper course for mankind was to become “one with nature.”  A strong part of his beliefs was the assertion that civilizations were doomed to failure and a “disease” to mankind. Although this philosophy is largely socialist in nature, many environmentalists hold strongly to the idea put across in Civilization, Its Cause and Cure that only by becoming more closely involved with and concerned for the natural environment can mankind hope to save itself. Many students of Carpenter persist in their beliefs that only by disregarding the progress and focusing on preserving nature can mankind hope to save itself from destruction. [2]

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Carpenter

3. John Muir

Author of a well-known series of writings about his adventures in the Sierra Nevada mountains, John Muir was one of the first popular conservationists in America. Much of his life was dedicated to preserving national forests and through his appeals to both politicians and members of the public he quested for the establishment of both Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park as part of the National Park Bill of 1899.  He also co-founded what would become known as the Sierra Club, which helped to protect the parks created by this bill for years after their formation. Muir was also outspoken against the idea of preservation as opposed to conservation, believing that mankind should in no way tamper with these natural reserves. [3]

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir

4.Henry David Thoreau

Although not a scientist, the author Henry David Thoreau made one of the largest philosophical impacts on the environmental movement. His most famous work is Walden, in which he describes the years in which he lived in solitude in the forests surrounding Walden Pond. In addition to this work are a number of writings in which Thoreau made significant observations on the fields of ecology and environmental history. Many of the observations and predictions made in Thoreau’s writings would be confirmed years later by environmentalists. Walden is still considered to be one of the most popular of all writings centered on a natural philosophy. [4]

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau

5. President Woodrow Wilson

As creator of the National Park Service, Woodrow Wilson was one of the first presidents to make a significant contribution to conservation efforts. In 1916, the American public began to grow concerned when it was revealed that a number of native creatures were dwindling in numbers. Over hunting, expansion of the human population, and deforestation were becoming major factors in the decline of creatures such as  the American Bison and the Passenger Pigeon, which had recently become extinct. The National Park Service now oversees all national parks and conservation areas in the United States. [5]

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson

6. Ansel Adams

One of the most famous photographers in United States history, Ansel Adams was part of a movement that used the medium of photography to help spread the environmental ideas that had begun decades earlier in the works of philosophers such as Henry David Thoreau. Most notably a photographer of the American West, Ansel Adams used his images of the natural world to help convince others that it should be preserved. Adams’ work was a great contributor to the growing National Park Services, helping convince both politicians and civilians that these natural landmarks should be preserved. Because of the popularity of his photographs, Adams is considered to be largely responsible for the public face of the Sierra Club, of which he was a key member. [6]

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams

7.  Aldo Leopold

As author of one of the most influential books in the field of conservationism, Aldo Leopold helped to overturn the idea that mankind should assert his superiority over the animal kingdom. At one time assigned to hunt natural predators considered a threat to farmers in the area of New Mexico, Leopold came to respect the creatures he was assigned to kill and through this respect developed his idea of wilderness. In A Sand County Almanac, he expands on this idea by writing that the whole of an ecosystem should be preserved. In one example, he writes about how the killing of predator wolves carries serious implications for all parts of the system. His works are now considered the foundation of the science of wildlife management. [7]

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldo_Leopold

8. Rachel Carson

In 1962, Rachel Carson published what was to eventually become one of the first major written works in the field of environmentalism. Silent Spring was an examination of the pesticides used in the farming industry and the devastating effects these chemicals had on the environment. Because of this book, widespread attention was brought to the use of the pesticides. Carson attested that these chemicals were the cause of widespread ecological damage, including effects in the bird population and the spread of cancer. Because of the public attention this book brought to the issue, the use of DDT was banned in the United States in 1972 and later banned on a global basis. Since ceasing use of the product over forty years ago, scientists have reported marked changes for the better in the environment, including the rising population of the Bald Eagle. [8]

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson

9.Mohandas Ghandi and the Chipko Movement

As the group responsible for the term “tree-huggers”, the Chipko Movement was founded by a group of individuals in the 1970s and 1980s who were influenced by the teachings of Mohandas Ghandi. These groups used a unique form of non-violent protest to dissuade loggers from cutting down trees and destroying forests. Protesters attempted to save these areas by literally holding on to the trees, forming human chains, and surrounding areas of forest scheduled for destruction. The movement quickly spread from India to the United States and elsewhere in the world. Although largely abandoned as a form of social protest in the United States, the Chipko Movement has remained strong in India and continues to have an influential role in various ecological and social issues in the country. [9]

10. James Lovelock

A NASA scientist, James Lovelock wrote Gaia: A new look a life on Earth, in which he presented his Gaia Hypothesis.  In this work, Lovelock presented the planet earth and its entire ecosystem as a single organism, in which all parts both living and non-living work together for the sanctity of the whole. Using this theory, many environmentalists have been able to argue that the destruction or alteration of any part of this organic system can cause great damage to the environment at large. As one of greatest early theories in the study of environmentalism, the Gaia Hypothesis has taken on many forms and remains one of the most important theories in the study of modern ecology. [10]

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lovelock

Sources:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmentalism
2.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lovelock
3.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson
4.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldo_Leopold
5.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams
6.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson
7.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau
8.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir
9.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Carpenter
10.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin