An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the

natural environment The natural environment or natural world encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally, meaning in this case not artificial. The term is most often applied to the Earth or some parts of Earth. This environment encompasses ...

through changes to environmentally harmful human activities". An environmentalist is engaged in or believes in the philosophy of

environmentalism Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad Philosophy of life, philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment (biophysical), environment, par ...

or one of the related philosophies. John Muir - from Library-of-Congress (cropped)

The environmental movement has a number of subcommunities, with different approaches and focuses – each developing distinct movements and identities. Environmentalists are sometimes referred to by critics with informal or derogatory terms such as "greenie" and "tree-hugger", with some members of the public associating the most radical environmentalists with these derogatory terms.

Types

The environmental movement contains a number of subcommunities, that have developed with different approaches and philosophies in different parts of the world. Notably, the early environmental movement experienced a deep tension between the philosophies of conservation and broader

environmental protection Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment by individuals, organizations and governments. Its objectives are to conserve natural resources and the existing natural environment and, where possible, to repair da ...

. In recent decades the rise to prominence of

environmental justice Environmental justice is a social movement to address the unfair exposure of poor and marginalized communities to harms from hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses.Schlosberg, David. (2007) ''Defining Environmental Justice ...

, indigenous rights and key environmental crises like the climate crises, has led to the development of other environmentalist identities. Environmentalists can be describe as one of the following:

Climate activists

The public recognition of the climate crisis and emergence of the climate movement in the beginning of the 21st century led to a distinct group of activists. Activations like the School Strike for Climate and Fridays for Future, have led to a new generation of youth activists like Greta Thunberg,

Jamie Margolin Jamie Margolin (born December 10, 2001) is an American climate justice activist. She is the Co-Executive director of Zero Hour. Education Margolin attended Holy Names Academy. She currently studies film at the New York University Tisch Sc ...

and Vanessa Nakate who have created a global youth climate movement.

Conservationists

One notable strain of environmentalism, comes from the philosophy of the

conservation movement The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental, and social movement that seeks to manage and protect natural resources, including animal, fungus, and plant species as well as their habitat for the f ...

. Conservationists are concerned with leaving the environment in a better state than the condition they found it distinct from human interaction. The conservation movement is associated with the early parts of the environmental movement of the 19th and 20th century.

Environmental defenders

Greens

The adoption of environmentalist into a distinct political ideology led to the development of political parties called "green parties", typically with a leftist political approach to overlapping issues of environmental and social wellbeing.

Water protectors

Notable environmentalists

Artist, naturalist, Sergio Rossetti Morosini, Pico Bone, Brigadeiro Mountain, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2017

Some of the notable environmentalists who have been active in

lobbying In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, whic ...

for

and conservation include: * Edward Abbey (writer, activist, philosopher) * Ansel Adams (photographer, writer, activist) * Bayarjargal Agvaantseren (Mongolian conservationist) * Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad (environmental activist and economist of Bangladesh) *

David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and author. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural histor ...

(broadcaster, naturalist) * John James Audubon (naturalist) * Sundarlal Bahuguna (environmentalist) * Seyyed Hossein Nasr (writer, philosopher) *

Vic Barrett Vic Barrett (born ) is an American climate activist. He is a plaintiff in ''Juliana v. United States'' and appeared in a documentary about the case, ''Youth v. Gov''. Activism After experiencing Hurricane Sandy, Barrett started eating with ...

(climate activist) * Patriarch Bartholomew I (priest) * David Bellamy (botanist) * Ng Cho-nam (Hong Kong environmentalist and Associate Professor of Geography at University of Hong Kong) * Thomas Berry (priest, historian, philosopher) * Wendell Berry (farmer, philosopher) * Chandi Prasad Bhatt (Gandhian environmentalist) *

Murray Bookchin Murray Bookchin (January 14, 1921 – July 30, 2006) was an American social theorist, author, orator, historian, and political philosopher. A pioneer in the environmental movement, Bookchin formulated and developed the theory of socia ...

(anarchist, philosopher, social ecologist) * Wendy Bowman, Australian environmental activist * Stewart Brand (writer, founder of Whole Earth Catalog) * David Brower (writer, activist) * Molly Burhans (cartographer, activist) *

Tahir Qureshi Tahir Qureshi ''Mangrove Man'' or ''Mangroves Hero'' of Pakistan (1946-2020 Urdu بابائے مینگروز پاکستان ) was a senior Pakistani environmentalist and coastal ecosystem expert at the IUCN International Union for Conservation ...

Mangrove Man or Mangroves Hero of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. Pakistani environmentalist. * Lester Brown (environmentalist) * Kevin Buzzacott (Aboriginal activist) * Michelle Dilhara (actress) * Helen Caldicott (medical doctor) * Joan Carling (Filipino human rights defender) * Rachel Carson (biologist, writer) *

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

(King of the Commonwealth Realms) * Chevy Chase (comedian) *

Barry Commoner Barry Commoner (May 28, 1917 – September 30, 2012) was an American cellular biologist, college professor, and politician. He was a leading ecologist and among the founders of the modern environmental movement. He was the director of th ...

(biologist, politician) * Mike Cooley (engineer, trade unionist) *

Jacques-Yves Cousteau Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (, also , ; 11 June 191025 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful Aqua-Lung, open-circuit SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus). T ...

(explorer, ecologist) * Faiza Darkhani (c. 1992), Afghani environmentalist,

women's rights activist Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

, and educator * John Denver (musician) * Leonardo DiCaprio (actor) * René Dubos (microbiologist) * Paul R. Ehrlich (population biologist) *

Hans-Josef Fell Hans-Josef Fell (born 7 January 1952) was a member of the German Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/ the Greens from 1998 to 2013. He served as spokesman on energy for the Alliance 90/The Greens parliamentary group, a member of the Environmental ...

(German

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundati ...

member) *

Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Jane Fonda, various accolades including two ...

(actor) * Rolf Gardiner (rural revivalist) *

Peter Garrett Peter Robert Garrett (born 16 April 1953) is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician. In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil. As a performer he is known for his sign ...

(musician, politician) * Al Gore (politician, former

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice p ...

) * Tom Hanks (actor) * James Hansen (scientist) * Denis Hayes (environmentalist and

solar power Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic ef ...

advocate) * Nicolas Hulot (journalist and writer) *

Robert Hunter Robert Hunter may refer to: Arts * Robert Hunter (painter) (died 1780), Irish portrait painter * Robert Hunter (encyclopædist) (1823–1897), British editor of the ''Encyclopædic Dictionary'' *Robert Hunter (author) (1874–1942), American sociol ...

(journalist, co-founder and first president of

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 ...

) * Tetsunari Iida (

sustainable energy Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as green ...

advocate) * Jorian Jenks (English farmer) *

Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner is a poet and climate change activist from the Marshall Islands. Early life Jetn̄il-Kijiner was born in the Marshall Islands and raised in Hawaii. She received her B.A. from Mills College in California and her MA in Pacif ...

(poet and climate activist) * Naomi Klein (writer, activist) * Winona LaDuke (environmentalist) *

A. Carl Leopold Aldo Carl Leopold (December 18, 1919 – November 18, 2009) was an American academic and plant physiologist, son of Aldo Leopold, a noted ecologist. He is known for his research on soybeans which led to techniques allowing insulin to be dried ...

(plant physiologist) * Aldo Leopold (ecologist) *

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

(aviator) * James Lovelock (scientist) *

Amory Lovins Amory Bloch Lovins (born November 13, 1947) is an American writer, physicist, and former chairman/chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. He has written on energy policy and related areas for four decades, and served on the US Nationa ...

(energy policy analyst) * Hunter Lovins (environmentalist) * Mark Lynas (journalist, activist) *

Desmond Majekodunmi Desmond Olumuyiwa Majekodunmi (born June 1950) is a Nigerian environmentalist. He is the chairman of the Lekki State Urban Forest and Animal Shelter Initiative (LUFASI), and a radio show host of the Green Hour on Nigeria Info 99.3 FM. Majekodu ...

(environmentalist) * Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (activist) * Peter Max (graphic designer) * Michael McCarthy (naturalist, newspaper journalist, newspaper columnist, and author) * Bill McKibben (writer, activist) *

David McTaggart David Fraser McTaggart (June 24, 1932 – March 23, 2001) was a Canadian-born environmentalist who played a central part in the foundation of Greenpeace International. An excellent all-around athlete, as a young man he won three consecutive C ...

(activist) * Mahesh Chandra Mehta (lawyer, environmentalist) * Chico Mendes (activist) * George Monbiot (journalist) * Sergio Rossetti Morosini (naturalist, activist) * John Muir (naturalist, activist) * Luke Mullen (actor, filmmaker, environmentalist/activist) *

Hilda Murrell Hilda Murrell (3 February 1906 – on or before 24 March 1984) was a British rose grower, naturalist, diarist and campaigner against nuclear power and nuclear weapons. She was abducted and found murdered five miles from her home in Shropsh ...

(botanist, activist) *

Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. The son of Lebanese immigrants to the U ...

(activist) * Gaylord Nelson (politician) *

Yolanda Ortiz (chemist) Yolanda Ortiz (1923 or 1924, Tucumán – 22 June 2019, Buenos Aires) was an Argentine doctor of chemistry. She was the first Secretary of Natural Resources and Human Environment of Argentina, appointed by then-president Juan Perón in 1973. She ...

, Argentine environmentalist * Eugene Pandala (architect, environmentalist, natural and cultural heritage conservator) * Medha Patkar (activist) *

Alan Pears Alan Pears, Member of the Order of Australia, AM, is an environmental consultant, and a pioneer of Efficient energy use, energy efficiency policy in Australia since the late 1970s. In the 1980s, Pears worked on the Home Energy Advisory Service, sta ...

(

environmental consultant Environmental consulting is often a form of compliance consulting, in which the consultant ensures that the client maintains an appropriate measure of compliance with environmental regulations. There are many types of environmental consultants, b ...

and energy efficiency pioneer) * River Phoenix (actor, musician, activist) * Jonathon Porritt (politician) * Phil Radford (environmental, clean energy and democracy advocate,

Executive Director) *

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporate ...

(musician) *

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

(former

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

) * Hakob Sanasaryan (biochemist, activist) * Ken Saro-Wiwa (writer, television producer, activist) *

Shimon Schwarzschild Shimon Schwarzschild (December 19, 1925 – November 10, 2021) was a German-born American environmental activist. His work contributed to the establishment of a nature preserve in Assisi, Italy.Cynthia Hanson (3 November 1986)"Bringing the Bird ...

(writer, activist) * Vandana Shiva (environmental activist) * Swami Sundaranand (yogi, photographer, author and mountaineer) * David Suzuki (scientist, broadcaster) * Candice Swanepoel (model) *

Shōzō Tanaka was a Japanese politician and social activist, and is considered to be Japan's first conservationist. Tanaka was politically active in the Meiji Restoration and leader in the Freedom and Popular Rights Movement. In Japan's first general electi ...

(politician and activist) *

Saalumarada Thimmakka Saalumarada Thimmakka, also known as Aala Marada Thimmakka, is an Indian environmentalist from the state of Karnataka, noted for her work in planting and tending to 385 banyan trees along a forty-five-kilometre stretch of highway between Hulika ...

* Henry David Thoreau (writer, philosopher) * Greta Thunberg (activist) * Jo Valentine (politician and activist) * Harvey Wasserman (journalist, activist) *

Paul Watson Paul Franklin Watson (born December 2, 1950) is a Canadian-American conservation and environmental activist, who founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an anti-poaching and direct action group focused on marine conservation activism. Th ...

(activist and lecturer) * Franz Weber (environmentalist and animal welfare activist) * Henry Williamson (naturalist, writer) * Wangari Maathai (Kenyan environmentalist, Nobel Laureate) * Vanessa Nakate (Ugandan youth climate justice activist, UN SDG 13 Young Leader) * Nyombi Morris (Ugandan youth environmental activist, CNNbr>Environmentalist of tomorrow
* Sakhawat Ali, Pakistani environmentalist, heritage conservator and

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...

* Yusuf Baluch ( Climate Justice Activist)

Extension

In recent years, there are not only environmentalists for natural environment but also environmentalists for human environment. For instance, the activists who call for "mental green space" by getting rid of disadvantages of internet, cable TV, and smartphones have been called "info-environmentalists".

References

External links

The Environmentalist
- News blog by Greenpeace. {{Portal bar, Politics, Environment, Society Political occupations