environmentalism

en·vi·ron·men·tal·ism

noun \-ˌvī-rə(n)-ˈmen-tə-ˌli-zəm, -ˌvī(-ə)r(n)-\

Definition of ENVIRONMENTALISM

1

:  a theory that views environment rather than heredity as the important factor in the development and especially the cultural and intellectual development of an individual or group

2

:  advocacy of the preservation, restoration, or improvement of the natural environment; especially :  the movement to control pollution

First Known Use of ENVIRONMENTALISM

circa 1922

en·vi·ron·men·tal·ism

noun \-ˌvī-rən-ˈment-^əl-ˌiz-əm, -ˌvī(-ə)rn-\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of ENVIRONMENTALISM

: a theory that views environment rather than heredity as the important factor in the development and especially the cultural and intellectual development of an individual or group

environmentalism

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Advocacy of the preservation or improvement of the natural environment, especially the social and political movement to control environmental pollution. Other specific goals of environmentalism include control of human population growth, conservation of natural resources, restriction of the negative effects of modern technology, and the adoption of environmentally benign forms of political and economic organization. Environmental advocacy at the international level by nongovernmental organizations and some states has resulted in treaties, conventions, and other instruments of environmental law addressing problems such as global warming, the depletion of the ozone layer, and the danger of transboundary pollution from nuclear accidents. Influential U.S. and British environmentalists have included Thomas Robert Malthus, John Muir, Rachel Carson, Barry Commoner, Paul R. Ehrlich, and Edward O. Wilson. In the social sciences, the term refers to any theory that emphasizes the importance of environmental factors in the development of culture and society.