Ecologism: Origins

Ecologism emerged as a distinct ideology in the late 1960s and early 1970s, following the publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson in 1962.
The rise of ecologism is linked with growing public awareness of environmental damage caused by industrial pollution.
It incorporated ideas about deep ecology and social ecology, suggesting that ecological problems are rooted in social and political structures.

Rachel Carson is credited with catalysing the modern environmental movement; her work highlighted the damage of pesticides on ecosystems.
Aldo Leopold, an influential American author and scientist, introduced the idea of a land ethic where humans co-exist harmoniously with nature.
Murray Bookchin, a social theorist, articulated the principles of social ecology, arguing that environmental problems are a direct result of hierarchical structures in society.

Ecologists drew upon Darwin’s ideas about natural selection and evolution to advocate for respecting and preserving the interconnections in nature.
Darwinian ideas helped to establish the tenet of holism in ecologism: the idea that everything in the natural world is interconnected and interdependent.

Ecologism became more prominent following global events like the Chernobyl disaster and Exxon Valdez oil spill which highlighted the environmental dangers of industrial activities.
Movements such as green politics and conservationism have their roots in ecologism and emphasise the need for a sustainable approach to human progress.

Books like Planet of the Humans, The End of Nature, and The Population Bomb greatly influenced public consciousness about environmental issues, contributing to the development of ecologism as a major political theory.

Concepts from Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism and Taoism also informed ecologism, especially ideas about the cyclical nature of life and the interconnectedness of all living things.