The philosophy of environmentalism states that the wellbeing of the environment should be a major concern to humanity.

Environmentalists see people as one of many parts of the environment.  Because of this, they feel that humans must view the interests of the environment as the interests of themselves.

Humans are perceived by environmentalists as an interdependent part of the ecosystem.  Every species, no matter how large or intelligent or powerful, depends on others.  Human destruction of the environment is disastrous for some species, and therefore disastrous for the entire ecosystem.

There is a large split between environmentalists into the more conservative "shallow" ecologists and the "deep" ecologists.

The proponents of "shallow" ecology argue for respect for the environment on the basis of its value to humanity.  They argue that all generations of people should have the benefits of a clean environment for their enjoyment.

More extreme "deep" ecologists feel that every living creature has intrinsic value.  Therefore, even those actions that benefit humanity are unacceptable if they hurt the environment..

All environmentalists struggle to preserve the natural state of the environment.  They hope that nature will not be destroyed, and that future generations will have the same opportunities to experience it as we have today.

There are many powerful and politically active environmental groups.  The Sierra Club lobbies government policy makers, and informs the public, on environmental issues.  The more extreme Earth First! and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society occasionally even use force to protect the environment.

In addition to these environmentalist groups, many other activists have also formed such groups as Greenpeace, Clean Water Action, World Wildlife Fund, and the Earth Island.

Resource on environmentalism