Society in the 1970s - Culture and the birth of environmentalism

Question 1

What was the CND and how did this influence Environmentalism

Answer 1

• Greatest protest movement of the late 1950s and 60s was the CND
• CND was the forerunner of other movements that worked outside the traditional framework of politics and tried to involve people in direct action
• This provided background for the emergence of the environmental movement

Question 2

What was environmentalism?

Answer 2

• Environmentalism covered a multitude of issues affecting the planet: industrial pollution, protection of wildlife, organic farming, and the dangers from radiation and nuclear waste
• New word ‘ecology’ emerged

Question 3

How did the individuals and organisations encourage environmentalism initially?

Answer 3

• 1962, Silent Spring, by Biologist Rachel Carson, had enormous international impact
• outlined the decline of wildlife in farming countryside thus encouraged idea of keeping nature green + protecting it
• 1963 Hun Saboteurs organisation carried out direct action against cruelty of foxhunting
• 1967 wreck of giant oil tanker, Torrey Canyon + similar incidents encouraged demands to clean up oil industry

Question 4

The CND was originally a protest against atomic weapons: what did it turn into?

Answer 4

• a new form of anti-nuclear protests campaigned against use of nuclear power because of the long-term damage in dealing with radioactive nuclear waste
• 1968, The Population Bomb, by Paul Ehrlich, dramatised the threat to the environment from overpopulation.

Question 5

What environmental campaigns/groups were formed?

Answer 5

• Friends of the Earth formed in US 1969 and expanded to include Britain in 1971
• The British Ecology Party (later green party) formed in 1973
• Greenpeace UK formed in 1977

Question 6

Examples of nuclear incidents ?

Answer 6

• Between 1957 and 1979 there had been five incidents at the nuclear power station Sellafield
• Partial nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island, New York further increased anxieties

Question 7

When and why was there outrage from people and particularly animal rights protesters?

Answer 7

• 1975 beagles in labs were being forced to smoke 30 cigarettes a day to study effects
• Animal rights protesters carried out violent attacks on pharmaceutical labs from 1973
• The Animal Liberation Front, formed in 1976, adopted extreme violence

Question 8

How did the media encourage environmentalism?

Answer 8

• 1979 David Attenborough’s Life on Earth series used a new technique of colour photography and gained massive audiences worldwide
• Same year, James Lovelock gained many supporters for GA/G theory about the interconnection of ecological issues
• Environmental concerns reflected in popular culture
• The book Watership Down published in 1972 - bestseller

Question 9

Describe the Ecology party?

Answer 9

• Teddy Goldsmith published A Blueprint for Survival in 1972 - advocated for self-sufficiency and a de-industrialised society
• Formed political platform peoples party 1973 - later ecology party
• By end of 1970s environmentalism carved a permanent place in political scene
• unlike other social change its influence was rapid, dramatic and most importantly long term.