HIST102 - ENVIRONMENTALISM

What is the Anthropocene?

A proposed geological epoch that marks the period during which human activity has had a dominant influence on the Earth's systems.

What is the 'Great Acceleration'?

The rapid increase in human population, energy use, and environmental impact since 1950, which dramatically changed the Earth’s systems.

Why is the Great Acceleration considered unsustainable?

It relies on finite resources (e.g., rivers to dam, oil to burn) and is already showing signs of slowing, such as population decline in countries like China.

What is the 'critical zone'?

The Earth's surface layer where all life exists and which is being destabilized by climate change and human activity.

Why isn’t environmentalism considered a traditional ideology?

It lacks a unified doctrine and encompasses a wide diversity of movements, actors, and goals across different cultures and eras.

How does environmentalism transcend Cold War and post-Cold War divisions?

It persisted and evolved through both periods, unlike other ideologies that were often defined by Cold War alignments.

What unites global environmentalist movements?

A growing concern about humanity's relationship with the planet and efforts to mitigate environmental degradation.

What was the Green Revolution in India?

A 1960s–70s initiative introducing high-yield wheat and rice varieties and chemical fertilizers to boost food production and reduce famine.

What were the drawbacks of the Green Revolution?

Dependence on imported fertilizers, soil degradation, falling water tables, monocultures, and eventual return to food imports by the 1990s.

How was the Green Revolution tied to Cold War politics?

The U.S. supported it to prevent the spread of communism, framing food aid and agricultural reform as tools of geopolitical strategy.

Why did mining expand in the 1960s and 1970s?

Technological advances and capital investment enabled large-scale extraction in previously inaccessible regions.

How did this expansion affect Indigenous peoples?

Their lands were often exploited for resources, sparking environmental protests and legal battles over land rights.

Give examples of environmental protests related to Indigenous lands.

Mackenzie pipeline protests (Canada), uranium mining protests (Australia), and growing Indigenous-led legal campaigns.

Why did the Marshall Islands become a key site of anti-nuclear protest?

The U.S. used them for nuclear testing post-WWII, displacing inhabitants and causing long-term health and environmental issues.

What were some responses to nuclear testing in the Pacific?

Legal challenges, constitutional debates, and widespread protests, notably against U.S. and French nuclear tests in the region.

What sparked modern environmentalism in the West?

Economic growth in the 1950s–60s led to post-materialist values and concern for nature, spurred by events like pesticide damage.

What was Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring about?

The harmful effects of pesticides like DDT on wildlife and ecosystems.

When was the first Earth Day held and what did it signify?

In April 1970; it marked the mainstreaming of environmental awareness in the U.S. and globally.

When was Greenpeace founded, and by whom?

In 1972, by activists from the anti-Vietnam War movement.

What was the impact of the 1973 oil crisis?

It highlighted Western dependence on oil, spurred interest in alternative energy, and pushed environmental concerns into the mainstream.

How did the oil crisis relate to the Cold War?

It was partly a response by Arab nations to Western support for Israel, showing how geopolitics intersected with energy and environment.

How did the Chernobyl disaster impact environmentalism?

It revealed the dangers of nuclear energy, fueled global anti-nuclear movements, and discredited the Soviet state.

What was the significance of the ozone layer crisis?

It was one of the few major environmental issues where international cooperation led to meaningful success (e.g., the Montreal Protocol).

How did Green politics evolve in Germany?

From radical protest roots in the 70s to a moderate reform party by the 1990s, focusing on anti-nuclear energy and renewable policies.

What helped the German Green Party gain support?

Issues like acid rain damaging the Black Forest, and events like Chernobyl and Fukushima increased public concern.

How did the Ukraine-Russia war affect German environmental policy?

It exposed Germany’s dependence on Russian gas and challenged the Green Party's energy transition goals.

How did environmental values become mainstream by the 1990s?

Practices like recycling and sustainable consumption became socially expected, especially in middle-class communities.

What is the “eco-indigenous” movement?

Indigenous-led environmental campaigns emphasizing the link between ecological protection and cultural identity.

What deeper questions does climate change raise?

How humans understand themselves in relation to the planet—moving from domination to interdependence with Earth systems.

Why is climate change a political problem?

It exceeds electoral cycles, divides political ideologies, and requires difficult global cooperation.

What is the paradox between the West and China in climate politics?

China’s authoritarian system enables long-term planning for renewable energy, while Western democracies struggle with short-termism.