Green movement

Green movement
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Name	Green movement
Founded	20th century
Ideology	Environmentalism, social justice, ecosocialism, conservation
Headquarters	Worldwide

Green movement

The Green movement emerged in the 20th century as a global constellation of activists, parties, and organizations focused on environmental protection, biodiversity, and sustainability, with roots in conservation, anti-nuclear activism, and social reform. Early influences include Silent Spring advocates, Rachel Carson, and campaigns against nuclear testing and atomic energy; later developments saw links to the formation of Green political parties and transnational networks such as the Greenpeace founding and the creation of the European Green Party. The movement has engaged with international agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, and has shaped public debates alongside actors such as World Wildlife Fund, Friends of the Earth, and indigenous organizations.

History

The history traces from 19th-century conservationists such as John Muir and the establishment of the Yellowstone National Park precedent to 20th-century figures like Aldo Leopold and events like the publication of Silent Spring and protests at Greenham Common. Postwar environmentalism coalesced into organizations including Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund, and Greenpeace, and into political formations such as the German Green Party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) and the Values Party in New Zealand. The 1970s and 1980s saw mobilizations against nuclear power and for anti-nuclear movement goals, while the 1992 Earth Summit and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol institutionalized environmental diplomacy involving actors like United Nations Environment Programme and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The 21st century has brought youth-led campaigns inspired by figures and events like Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future strikes, and legal strategies through courts such as the European Court of Human Rights and national judiciaries.

Ideology and Principles

Core principles derive from strands of environmental ethics championed by thinkers like Rachel Carson, Aldo Leopold, and E. O. Wilson, and integrate ideas from movements such as deep ecology, ecofeminism, and ecosocialism. Policy platforms promoted by Green parties and NGOs often include renewable energy transitions aligned with technologies from solar power and wind power sectors, biodiversity protections supported by conventions like the Convention on Biological Diversity, and sustainable development agendas referencing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Economic and social policies have intersected with proposals from Amartya Sen-influenced development theory and critiques of neoliberalism associated with activists at events like the World Social Forum. Ethical commitments also engage indigenous rights exemplified by leaders and institutions such as Standing Rock Sioux Tribe responses to projects like the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Organizations and Political Influence

Transnational organizations such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth International, World Wide Fund for Nature, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature have campaigned on issues from chemical pollution to species extinction. Political parties include the German Green Party, Australian Greens, Green Party of England and Wales, Green Party (United States), and the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico, with umbrella bodies like the Global Greens and the European Green Party. The movement has influenced policymaking through engagement with institutions such as the European Commission, national legislatures (for example, the Bundestag), municipal governments like Portland, Oregon and Freiburg im Breisgau, and multilateral forums including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations. Prominent activists and leaders associated with organizational efforts include Wangari Maathai, David Suzuki, Vandana Shiva, and founders of Greenpeace such as Bob Hunter and Paul Watson.

Major Campaigns and Activities

Major campaigns have targeted issues including anti-nuclear protests at sites like Sellafield and policies shaped after incidents such as the Chernobyl disaster and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Conservation campaigns have focused on protecting species like the tiger and institutions such as the Amazon rainforest, with coalitions involving Rainforest Alliance and indigenous federations such as Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin. Climate mobilizations include the Climatic Research Unit debates, youth strikes exemplified by Fridays for Future, and mass protests at summits such as the COP21 demonstrations surrounding the Paris Agreement. Direct-action and nonviolent civil disobedience campaigns have been organized by groups like Extinction Rebellion and Earth First!, while litigation strategies have been pursued in cases such as those brought to the International Court of Justice and national high courts by organizations including ClientEarth.

Regional Variations

In Europe, parties like Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and networks such as the European Green Party have entered coalition governments in countries including Germany and Ireland, influencing policies in the Bundestag and Dáil Éireann. In North America, movements have manifested through NGOs such as the Sierra Club and municipal initiatives in cities like Vancouver and San Francisco, as well as party efforts by the Green Party (United States). In Africa, activists and organizations such as the Green Belt Movement led by Wangari Maathai have worked on reforestation and community development, while continent-wide policy engagement occurs through bodies like the African Union. In Asia, campaigns address air pollution in Beijing and deforestation in Borneo, with regional actors including Friends of the Earth Japan and grassroots indigenous groups. In Latin America, movements have opposed extractive projects such as those involving Chevron Corporation litigation and defended territories through alliances with organizations like Movimiento al Socialismo-linked indigenous parties in parts of Bolivia.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques have come from political actors across the spectrum, trade union leaders concerned with industrial impacts in places like Rheinmetall-dominated regions, and scholars debating the movement’s positions on economic policy drawing on critiques from proponents of neoliberalism and advocates of just transition frameworks. Controversies include debates over technological options such as nuclear power versus renewables, tensions between conservation priorities and indigenous land rights in conflicts resembling the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe protests, internal party disputes exemplified in leadership struggles within Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and candidate controversies in the Green Party (United States). Legal and strategic disputes have arisen around direct action tactics used by groups like Earth Liberation Front and the implications for public perception during elections and international negotiations like the COP process.

Category:Environmental movements