Encyclopedia Britannica defines environmentalism as a “political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities; through the adoption of forms of political, economic, and social organization that are thought to be necessary for, or at least conducive to, the benign treatment of the environment by humans; and through a reassessment of humanity's relationship with nature.” 

Implicit in such a definition is the belief that human activity -- most notably business activity in capitalist economies -- is harmful to the environment. This view is founded on the premise that profit-based economic systems are inherently plagued by greed and a willingness to exploit the environment to whatever degree is necessary for maximum profit, without regard for any resultant ecological harm. Consequently, many environmentalist groups are hostile to capitalism and embrace socialism as a preferable economic system.

An alternative perspective holds that environmental protection is a public good that is not different in kind from any other public good, like uncongested highways or national defense. From this premise, it follows that the more money or economic prosperity a society has, the more it can afford to pay for goods such as these. Thus capitalism, which produces more wealth than any other economic system, is not intrinsically the enemy of the environment. 

This section of DiscoverTheNetworks focuses on groups that subscribe to the biocentric (as opposed to the anthropocentric) agenda of radical environmentalism, a movement whose goal is not the advancement of human health, human happiness, and human life, but rather the creation of a world where "nature" is deemed to have "inherent value" that ought to be revered for its own sake, irrespective of any benefit to mankind. Radical environmentalists espouse "deep ecology," which asserts that the environment is an end in itself and that man is an intruder -- if not a rapist and despoiler -- who should have no greater priority than any other species. From this axiom, they reason that any human action that changes the environment is necessarily immoral. 

To view in-depth profiles of groups that are part of the modern-day radical environmentalist movement, click the link titled "ENVIRONMENTALIST GROUPS" at the top of this column, or the link titled "GROUP PROFILES" at the top of the RESOURCES column located on the right side of this page.

The RESOURCES column also contains links to articles, essays, and videos that explore, in depth, a variety of topics related to the environmentalist movement. It examines:

• the hidden agendas that motivate many environmental organizations. As Michael Berliner writes in "The Scourge of Earth Day": "The fundamental goal of environmentalism is not clean air and clean water; rather, it is the demolition of technological / industrial civilization. Environmentalism's goal is not the advancement of human health, human happiness, and human life; rather, it is a subhuman world where 'nature' is worshipped like the totem of some primitive religion. In a nation founded on the pioneer spirit, environmentalists have made 'development' an evil word";
• how radical environmentalist groups commonly view free-market capitalism as inherently inimical to a healthy natural environment. By logical extension, these same organizations tend to favor socialist economic models;
• the environmentalist movement's warning that human industrial activity and its polluting by-products will ultimately result in cataclysm caused by such phenomena as "global warming" and "climate change";
• the question of whether or not the United States should drill for oil not only in the known reserves of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge of northeastern Alaska, but also elsewhere in the U.S. (Supporters point out that harnessing those reserves would help make the U.S. less dependent on foreign oil, while critics contend that such undertakings would have severe environmental consequences);
• legislative measures that would set a limit, or cap, on carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use in various business sectors;
• the many ways in which propaganda founded on pseudo-science or faulty premises can frighten people into believing that a public health hazard or an environmental crisis is imminent, if not already underway;
• how eco-terrorist groups use violence and vandalism to strike an economic blow against industries that allegedly degrade the natural environment;
• how environmentalists' concern for "endangered" plants and animals allegedly on the verge of extinction can have far-reaching consequences vis a vis private property rights;
• the environmentalist movement's claim that the commercial logging industry has caused widespread deforestation and the extinction of tens of thousands of animal species; and
• the role that environmentalist groups played in derailing the construction of levees that could have prevented Hurricane Katrina from devastating New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in August of 2005.