Environmentalism: Difference between revisions
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→History: This description clearly confuses the Democratic/Republican and liberal/conservative distinctions. Before the Reagan era, there were conservatives within the Democratic Party (Boll Weevils), and there were also liberals within the Republican
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(→History: This description clearly confuses the Democratic/Republican and liberal/conservative distinctions. Before the Reagan era, there were conservatives within the Democratic Party (Boll Weevils), and there were also liberals within the Republican) |
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== History == | == History == | ||
Until the 1990s, environmentalism was mainly a | Until the 1990s, environmentalism was mainly a concern shared by liberals and conservatives. Conservative Richard Nixon (EPA, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, etc.)<ref>https://www.nixonfoundation.org/2010/06/providing-americans-clean-air-and-water/</ref> passed the most comprehensive environmental bills of our time with broad bipartisan congressional support. Other notable conservatives who spoke in favor of environmentalism include Margret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, William Ruckelshaus, Patrick Moore (Greenpeace co-founder), Gifford Pinchot, Russell Train, and Sherwood Boehlert.<ref>https://www.acc.eco/blog/2018/10/11/the-top-eleven-american-conservative-leaders-who-embraced-environmentalism</ref> | ||
Although anti-environmentalism existed in small quantities prior to the 1990s, many if not most US conservatives turned against environmentalism slowly starting around 1995 after Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the House. Newt found he could win races easier by opposing shut-down of traditional energy companies, taking inspiration from a local John Bircher Democrat who opposed the EPA and national parks and consistently won in West Georgia.<ref>https://www.vox.com/2017/4/22/15377964/republicans-environmentalism</ref> | Although anti-environmentalism existed in small quantities prior to the 1990s, many if not most US conservatives turned against environmentalism slowly starting around 1995 after Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the House. Newt found he could win races easier by opposing shut-down of traditional energy companies, taking inspiration from a local John Bircher Democrat who opposed the EPA and national parks and consistently won in West Georgia.<ref>https://www.vox.com/2017/4/22/15377964/republicans-environmentalism</ref> | ||