How Environmental NGOs have changed

     An NGO, or non-governmental organization, is one that can exist on local, national, and international levels. The environmental NGOs can all range in their political views, and all have different agendas in changing the environmental policy in the United States. Ranging from large national groups to smaller local groups with local concerns, many groups today focus on the old U.S. conservation movement, (National Geographic Society, Audubon Society) all American organizations with worldwide influence.

     Overall the scope of the NGO movements has been progressing since the early 19th century. In this period, many were focused on the conservation movement, which included fisheries and wildlife management, water, soil conservation, and sustainable forestry. This conservation movement has prolonged its existence and continues still today, including sustainable yield of limited natural resources, biodiversity and preservation of wilderness. The modern environmental movement, beginning from the 1960s was primarily concerned with issues of pollution, and over time has become broader in scope to include all human activity and how it affects the landscape.  

     Starting from the Progressive era between the 1890s-1920s, urban environmental health reforms included obtaining a clean water supply, more efficient removal of raw sewage, and reduction in crowded unsanitary living conditions. Today, the health reforms have moved more towards the physical well being of the human body. Such concerns have to do with nutrition, preventative medicines, and aging. 

     All in all these movements encompass the main idea of the sustainability movements, in that it is important to recognize how anthropogenesis will in turn affect the Earth's landscape. Started in 1980 and mainly focusing on the Gaia theory, the sustainability movements focus on the value of the Earth and its interrelations with humans and human interaction. The most important message to take away, if anything, is that humans are affecting the Earth more than they know, or would like to admit. In any case, it is extremely important to be aware of the decisions that are made, and how they will in turn affect us in the future. Whether or not you join an NGO is not relevant, people can make a huge difference simply by changing their own habits first.

-Daniel L.