Environmentalism: Philosophy, Ideology And Social Movement

Environmentalism or also known as environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement. It concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment. Environmentalists advocate the lawful preservation, restoration and improvement of the natural environment, and may be referred to as a movement to control pollution, protect men, plant and animal diversity (Rowell, 1996).

Environmental issues are part of history. Since early development of modern world, environment has been a major concern as it was ruined horribly. People started to take environment for granted since it was perfectly preserved before by their ancestors who were living in traditionalistic way of life. Environmental concerns and

In between 600 B.C. and 500 B.C., Buddha and a Jainist teacher, Mahavir emphasized vegetarianism and compassion for all beings. Also, a well-known quote from him, “It is not enough to live and let live. You must help others live.” This is the idea embodied in the Jain word “ahimsa.” Both Jainism and Buddhism may have evolved from the beliefs and practices of the Bishnoi, Sindhi, and Thari people. Bishnoi is described as “the primary reason that desert wildlife still exists on the subcontinent” (Thapar,

During the beginning of industrial era, lots of labour were replaced with machine. Besides pollution, these people began to lose their job. Hence, this was the main reason of the Luddites Movement, a movement which the workers strived against the revolution. Luddites Movement somehow left a big mark in European history and considered as an important journey of environmentalism. In the late stage of Industrial Revolution, Henry Salt (1851 – 1939), vegetarian advocate, founder of the anti-hunting Humanitarian League in 1891, who was also an influential teacher of both George Bernard Shaw and Mohandas Gandhi. Gandhi Jawaharal Nehru to write the anti-hunting Humanitarian League into the Indian constitution to prevent animal suffering. Although others including Abraham Lincoln apparently used the phrase “animal rights” in various contexts, Salt is believed to have been the first person to advocate an animal rights