Question

Discuss any five causes of environment movements you have studied.

Answer 1

1. Environmental movements have emerged as a reaction to several threats to ecological balance. The causes are interconnected and inevitable.
2. Rapid environmental degradation due to industrialisation, urbanisation and excessive use of technology is a prime cause of concern.
3. Rapid population growth has led to the indiscriminate use of natural resources. Major issues pertaining to land, water and biodiversity are adversely affecting the ecological balance of society.
4. Problems like deforestation, air pollution, marine and coastal problems, and soil pollution have become common manifestations of ecological imbalance. 
5. Scholars insist that the environmental movement in India is the product of the conflict between different ideological views. The theme of the interface between humans and nature is central to the movement. Gandhiji’s idea of Gram Swarajya is based on rationalism and self-sufficiency rooted in the indigenous soil with the aim of harnessing and sustaining our own sources, as against the model of Radical Marxism with a heavy reliance on modern science and technology, and viewing environmental degradation as rooted in the inequalities in society. Thus, the causes of the environmental movement are more than mere ecological; these are more economic and social.