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Green Activism
From WikiVerde
More on Green Activism
- Green Nations
- Green Legislation
- Green Celebrities/Activists
- Save The Trees- Campaigns Around The World
- Earth Day Around the World
- Current Events In Green Activism
Who's Working and How Well
Numerous individuals and groups in the political, entertainment and business environment have made efforts to increase the level of activism in the field of environmentally favorable activities and actions. Wherever there are plans to improve the planet we live on, there are groups that are working to promote those plans. It is unfortunate that not everyone agrees with the efficacy of the various activists and their promotional activities. A review of some of the environmental areas where the activists exist and how well their goals are being met include people and groups in the areas of air, water, climate, animals, and energy production and control.
Animal Rights
Significant publicity has been achieved by spokespeople well known in the entertainment world particularly in regards to animal rights. At the same time, there are an increasing number of laws against 'green activists' branding them as eco-terrorists and prosecuting them under terrorism laws. For example, in New York state, clandestine taping of animal facilities is illegal. This law removes one of the most powerful aids in the fight against animal testing. Actions against dairy, meat and egg production facilities are also being prohibited under new laws, so that activists can no longer protest treatment of animals in such facilities.
Clean Air
The fight for the Clean Air Act was successfully led by the Sierra Club and is now a law in the United States. Many people don't recognize how recently the air was much murkier than it is today. Activists locally and nationally led the fight to reduce emissions from automobiles, factory smokestacks and other areas by a significant amount. Cleaning up of the air we breathe has effects upon emissions creating smog and harmful particulates in the air which may impact the global warming arguments. To a lesser extent, laws passed against smoking indoors in public buildings in many states are an adjunct to clean air activism.
Clean Water
Many communities are leading the battle for clean water. Because rural areas are more likely to be agricultural, contamination from agricultural fertilizers and chemicals is much more common than in urban areas. Often, activists who are fighting to increase the consciousness level about water contamination are parents who are concerned about the water they've provided for their children. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is the governmental agency which helps activists in the fight for clean water and for environmental cleanup by guilty businesses and organizations.
Energy Conservation
Activism in the field of energy conservation is often practiced more by young people in a community than by their parents. School children routinely nag their parents into recycling. Other children become tyrants about turning off unused lighting and not running multiple electricity hogging entertainment devices in the home at the same time. Yet utility companies are becoming more attuned to the need to drastically reduce the consumption of energy before inroads in the increase of oil production for energy purposes can be completed.
Oil Reserves
Statisticians are very concerned about the level of oil reserves present below the surface of the earth. Numerous varying--in fact contradictory--calculations have been completed about the amount of oil in the country's oil reserves and where those supplies are located. The depletionists don't recognize that different venues for the reserves in oil are available.
Global Warming
Significant arguments are being identified both for and against the theory of global warming, but there is certainly no lack of proponents of the need to do something about the phenomenon of global warming. Books have been written for readers from age eight up to scholarly tomes of demonstrated charts and graphs in support of the concept. Former U. S. Vice President Al Gore is beating the drum about the dangers of global warming. His movie and lecture series across the United States has created much interest in the subject once again.
Ozone Layer
Individual and group activism such as Friends of the Earth made a tremendous difference in the legislative actions on the books in most states. While the group did not win every battle, they won enough of them to make the concept of holes in the ozone layer at the poles of the earth more or less public knowledge. Greenpeace is probably the best known of the activist groups in every part of the earth. Twenty five years of political and environmental activism--generally successful--have led to the result of a fairly good awareness of the issues even among those who don't choose to be part of the activist groups.
Endangered Species
There is no question that the population of animals that inhabit the world is decreasing. More species are added to the general list of endangered species each day. Fortunately there are a few thrilling victories for those who were able to bring the light of publicity on species large and small that come under the heading "endangered species." Big name entertainers have discontinued wearing animal furs such as fox, chinchilla, beaver, or mink. Examples include such celebrities as Pamela Anderson.
Acid Rain
Because of the particulates being released into the atmosphere of the community or rural area, rain water has taken on a decidedly acidic pH level. Rain that is mildly acidic which falls on buildings, vehicles and people is not healthy. Besides ruining the appearance of the structures and statuary where such rain falls, its presence in water which we use for drinking and cooking as well as bathing, is decidedly dangerous. In fact, the level of danger is not understood at present due to the fact that other green campaigns are not studied as a unit, but rather as a single product or symptom which is not considered as part of a entire problem. For example, the particulates in the atmosphere from factory smoke is included in the rain that falls into ground water supplies through water stream run off, eventually finding their way to the ocean where they are consumed by fish and other sea creatures.
