Environmentalism

Concern and actions to limit negative human impacts on the environment are not new and the roots of which we now understand can be traced back to ancient civilizations. Contemporary environmentalism is associated with the arranged social and political movements that have emerged to promote particular environmental philosophies and practices. The history of contemporary ecological struggles present us with a clear picture of what can and cannot be expected of ecological reform within the confines of the system

- JAYDEV JANA

Mother Nature is the greatest of all incredible wonders. It refers to the physical world and everything within it, encompassing all living and non-living things that exist naturally. Each of the features of nature is in itself a wonder. We are deeply, often invisibly, reliant on it. From the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, nature enhances our well-being and freely provides the essentials of our survival. It underpins our economy, our society, indeed our very existence. In essence, "We are Nature and Nature is us."

In the words of Blaise Pascal: "Nature is an infinite sphere of which the centre is everywhere and the circumference nowhere." Nature and environment are deeply interconnected with some subtle differences depending on the context. Neil DeGrasse Tyson aptly said: "We are all connected; to each other, biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe atomically". Nature refers to the world's ecosystems, plants, animals, landscapes and natural resources, while the environment includes everything that surrounds and influences life, including air, water and human-made structures.

Environment includes not only natural elements but also the conditions and influences - both natural and human-made - that affect the life and well-being of organisms. However, when the question of conservation and ecology arises, the two terms are used synonymously. There is no singular universally agreed definition of environmentalism. In this article, environmentalism is used as a general term to refer to concern for the environment and particularly action, including protests, movements etc., or advocacy to limit negative human impacts on the environment.