Environment

Environmentalism: A Global History: 8 key ideas

by Ramachandra Guha

The core ideas of Environmentalism: A Global History, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.

1. IDEA 1 OF 8

   Environmentalism has a global history

   Guha, an Indian historian, traces the history of environmental thought and activism across the world.

   He argues that environmentalism is not only a Western movement but has deep roots in many societies.

2. IDEA 2 OF 8

   It came in two waves

   Guha describes a first wave of environmental concern in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and a second wave from the 1960s.

   In his account, the second wave had a stronger public voice and a worldwide reach.

3. IDEA 3 OF 8

   Early thinkers warned of damage

   Guha describes early critics of industrial society, such as John Ruskin and agrarian thinkers, who worried about its effects on nature.

   In his account, their worries about machines, cities and lost countryside prepared the ground for later environmental ideas.

4. IDEA 4 OF 8

   Gandhi offered an alternative

   Guha discusses Gandhi's vision of simple village life as an alternative to industrial development.

   In his account, this vision favoured small communities, simple living and limited wants, in contrast with the pursuit of ever more goods.

5. IDEA 5 OF 8

   The poor have their own environmentalism

   Guha describes the environmentalism of the poor, movements by farmers, fishers and forest dwellers defending resources they depend on.

   In his account, their struggles are mainly about daily survival, not about protecting beauty, and so they differ from many Western movements.

6. IDEA 6 OF 8

   Indian movements stand out

   Guha describes movements such as Chipko and the struggle against the Narmada dams.

   In his account, these cases show villagers and tribal groups defending forests and rivers that sustain their lives. They became well known beyond India.

7. IDEA 7 OF 8

   Wilderness ideas differ

   Guha contrasts American wilderness thinking with movements in poorer countries focused on livelihoods.

   In his account, protecting untouched nature has been a major goal in rich countries, while many poorer countries focus on fair use of land and water.

8. IDEA 8 OF 8

   Many perspectives matter

   Guha argues that environmentalism must include voices from the Global South.

   In his view, a global history of environmental thought is incomplete unless it takes in the views of people from poorer regions.