''The Ecologist'' is a British environmental journal, then magazine, that was published from 1970 to 2009. Founded by

Edward Goldsmith Edward René David Goldsmith (8 November 1928 – 21 August 2009), widely known as Teddy Goldsmith, was an Anglo-French environmentalist, writer and philosopher. He was a member the prominent Goldsmith family. The eldest son of Major F ...

, it addressed a wide range of environmental subjects and promoted an ecological systems thinking approach through its news stories, investigations and opinion articles. ''The Ecologist'' encouraged its readers to tackle global issues on a local scale. After cessation of its print edition in July 2009, ''The Ecologist'' continued as an online magazine. In mid-2012, it merged with ''Resurgence'' magazine, edited by

Satish Kumar Satish Kumar (born 9 August 1936) is an Indian British activist and speaker. He has been a Jain monk, nuclear disarmament advocate and pacifist.'' ''Now living in England, Kumar is founder and Director of Programmes of the Schumacher College ...

, with the first issue of the new '' Resurgence & Ecologist'' appearing in print in September 2012. ''The Ecologist'' was based in London.

History

''The Ecologist'' emerged from the first wave of environmental awareness that followed the seminal book ''Silent Spring'' by Rachel Carson, which highlighted the dangers of bio-accumulative pesticides within food chains, and that culminated in the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment at Stockholm in 1972. This period also saw the establishment of leading environmental organisations such as

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

and

Friends of the Earth Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) is an international network of environmental organizations in 73 countries. The organization was founded in 1969 in San Francisco by David Brower, Donald Aitken and Gary Soucie after Brower's split wi ...

. ''The Ecologist'' was created in 1970 by

as a forum for himself and other academics to publish papers that were deemed too radical to be published in other magazines or the mainstream press. It progressed from a small academic journal with an initial circulation of only 400, to one of the world’s leading environmental affairs magazines with monthly sales (including subscriptions and newsstand) of 20,000. As the magazine grew, its coverage became broader and its style more journalistic. ''The Ecologist'' covered topics including food, climate change, news, corporate affairs, chain stores, chemicals, pesticides and the corporatisation of the mass media. It was accused of being both left and right wing in its agenda, but did not follow the doctrine of any specific movement. It claimed to help readers ‘rethink basic assumptions’ about the world. On 8 April 2009, ''The Ecologist'' announced that it was relaunching solely online and that the July issue would be its last print edition. The website launched on 19 June 2009. Publication of ''The Ecologist's'' online, monthly newsletters ceased with the May 2012 issue. In June 2012 ''The Ecologist'' merged with ''Resurgence Magazine''. A new, merged ''Resurgence & Ecologist'' print publication appeared in September 2012. ''The Ecologist'' continues to publish online with new articles added daily. As global concern and campaigning around climate change has increased, ''The Ecologist'' has focused more firmly on climate change and its consequences, becoming more 'activist' in its approach and orienting its content towards campaigners for climate justice. Its 2023-6 Strategy document outlines:

The environment movement has, because of climate breakdown, become increasingly aware and concerned about the impacts of the fossil fuel economy on society and on nature. The Ecologist provides information that is vital to all the campaigns attempting to end the fossil fuel economy and usher in an era of renewable energy and regenerative alternatives from degrowth policies to Green New Deals.

It has also developed a more explicit anti-capitalist line than under Goldsmith's leadership, with its 2023-6 Strategy document arguing: "the impacts of unregulated capitalist economies on the natural environment globally are devastating, representing an existential threat to human societies and life itself in the medium to long term."

Publishing landmarks

In 1972, ''The Ecologist'' published ''

A Blueprint for Survival ''A Blueprint for Survival'' was an influential environmentalist text that drew attention to the urgency and magnitude of environmental problems. First published as a special edition of ''The Ecologist'' in January 1972, it was later published in ...

'' (1972), to which an entire issue was dedicated. Writing in ''

the Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

newspaper'', former contributor Fred Pearce described it as "a radical green manifesto that went on to sell 750,000 copies and kept the magazine financially afloat for years." A recommendation of the ''Blueprint'' led directly to the creation of the

PEOPLE Party The Green Party, also known as the Green Party UK, was a Green political party in the United Kingdom. Prior to 1985 it was called the Ecology Party, and before that PEOPLE. In 1990, it separated into three political parties: * the Green Par ...

which became the

Ecology Party The Green Party, also known as the Green Party UK, was a Green political party in the United Kingdom. Prior to 1985 it was called the Ecology Party, and before that PEOPLE. In 1990, it separated into three political parties: * the Green ...

and then the

Green Party (UK) The Green Party, also known as the Green Party UK, was a Green political party in the United Kingdom. Prior to 1985 it was called the Ecology Party, and before that PEOPLE. In 1990, it separated into three political parties: * the Green Part ...

. ''A Blueprint for Survival'' follows through the consequences of what happens when humans disrupt the ecosystems in which they exist. It explains that when these systems are disrupted, they alter other ecosystems all over the world. Written in an age before

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

was understood, ''A Blueprint for Survival'' stands as one of the earliest forecasts of many of the environmental problems the world faces today. In the '

Monsanto The Monsanto Company () was an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Monsanto's best known product is Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, developed in ...

' issue of September 1998, ''The Ecologist'' assembled a selection of articles critical of agri-business giant Monsanto’s environmental record. ''The Ecologist's'' printing firm at the time, Penwells, feared libel

litigation - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil act ...

from Monsanto and pulped the 14,000 copies of the edition. The issue was ultimately printed by a small London printer and went on to become the most-sold issue of ''The Ecologist'' ever.

Key people

Edward Goldsmith, founder of ''The Ecologist'', was born in 1928 in Paris and was the first major influence on the publication. With the inheritance left to him by his father, Major

Frank Goldsmith Francis Benedict Hyam Goldsmith (22 November 1878 – 14 February 1967) was a British Conservative Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1910 to 1918. He served in World War I. In 1918, he moved to France, where he e ...

, Edward fulfilled his idea of creating a magazine which doubled as a platform for academic writers who were concerned about the world around them. Thirty-nine years later ''The Ecologist'' was still a source of information on issues such as climate change,

globalisation Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...

and sustainable economics. Edward Goldsmith was the editor from its foundation in 1970 until 1990, and then again from 1997 until 1998 whilst supporting his nephew,

Zac Goldsmith Frank Zacharias Robin Goldsmith, Baron Goldsmith of Richmond Park, (born 20 January 1975) is a British politician, life peer and journalist serving as Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environment s ...

. Former editors include Nicholas Hildyard, Peter Bunyard, Patrick McCully , Sarah Sexton, Simon Fairlie,

Paul Kingsnorth Paul Kingsnorth (born 1972) is an English writer who lives in the west of Ireland. He is a former deputy-editor of ''The Ecologist'' and a co-founder of the Dark Mountain Project. Kingsnorth's nonfiction writing tends to address macro themes l ...

(deputy editor), Malcolm Tait (managing editor), Harry Ram (managing editor), Jeremy Smith and Pat Thomas. When Hildyard left in 1997, Edward Goldsmith’s initial intention was that the Board of the

International Society for Ecology and Culture Local Futures (formerly the International Society for Ecology and Culture) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to raise awareness about what it identifies as the root causes of contemporary social, environmental, and economic crises. The ...

(ISEC), directed by Helena Norberg-Hodge, should manage ''The Ecologist''. Instead, Zac Goldsmith, who was then working for ISEC, became editor, as the other members of ISEC were occupied with other projects. Zac Goldsmith, born in 1975, joined at 22 years old as an intern before becoming editor of ''The Ecologist''. In the 10 years that Zac Goldsmith was editor, he developed ''The Ecologist'' into a more conventional-looking publication that could compete visually with other current affairs titles, while still maintaining its diverse content. In 2005 he became advisor to

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

leader

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...

Quality of Life Policy Group Quality may refer to: Concepts *Quality (business), the ''non-inferiority'' or ''superiority'' of something *Quality (philosophy), an attribute or a property * Quality (physics), in response theory *Energy quality, used in various science discipl ...

, and in 2010 became

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...

. His influence continued in supporting ''The Ecologist'' financially but Goldsmith stepped down as editor in June 2007, saying, "The magazine has to remain impartial and feel free to have a go at the Government and at the Conservatives. So I can't both be the editor and a parliamentary candidate." Andrew Wasley, who joined the organisation in 2010, edited ''The Ecologists website and newsletters.

Oliver Tickell Oliver Tickell is a British journalist, author and campaigner on health and environment issues, and author of the book ''Kyoto2'' which sets out a blueprint for effective global climate governance. His articles have been published in all the broa ...

was appointed as the editor in October 2013.

Brendan Montague Brendan may refer to: People * Saint Brendan the Navigator (c. 484 – c. 577) was an Irish monastic saint. * Saint Brendan of Birr (died 573), Abbot of Birr in Co. Offaly, contemporaneous with the above * Brendan (given name), a masculine given na ...

became the editor in October 2017.Brendan Montague is website editor at ''The Ecologist''
/ref> Contributors to ''The Ecologist'' have included Jonathon Porritt, Mark Lynas, Paul Kingsnorth, who was the magazine's deputy editor from 1999 to 2001, Tom Hodgkinson, Joss Garman, Chris Busby and Georgina Downs.

Circulation

In its magazine format, ''The Ecologist'' had an average circulation of 20,000 per issue. In its online incarnation, in addition to the website there was a weekly e-newsletter and a monthly subscriber PDF newsletter, the last issue of which was published in May 2012. ''The Ecologist'' has a

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...

page at ‘The Ecologist – Official Page’ and a

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

account at ‘the_ecologist’ with over 100,000 followers.

References

External links