Ecology Movement - Contemporary Manifestations

Contemporary Manifestations

At least since the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992, the discussion about sustainable development and sustainability has surfaced and partly replaced older ecological oriented ideologies. This and the establishment of a global anti-globalization movement in the late 1990s can be seen as follow-ups to the ecological movement. (See Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.) Additionally, there are many individuals and groups that believe in either a more political-lobbyist or more scientific, rather than activist approach.

Although Green parties have roots in the ecology movement, they are a separate movement. Political Greens have social justice concerns that go beyond ecology and ecological issues and matters. Today the term "ecology movement" is associated often with the more moral, more confrontational, and more rigorous stance taken by Greenpeace and other even more radical NGOs, e.g. Earth First, Earth Action, Sea Shepherd, in favor of the Precautionary Principle and strong fundamental preventive measures for biosafety, biosecurity and biodiversity. The methods of these groups often involve the idea of Direct action.