Trends in Environmentalism

South Pass, Louisiana (USA).

At left we see an example of a disturbing trend, i.e., the precipitous decline in the number of Americans who consider themselves environmentalists.  According to this article, a 1989 Gallup poll reported that 76 percent of Americans considered themselves environmentalists, but by 2021 that had declined to 41 percent.

It’s possible, however, that this is a matter of semantics, as most of us (about 70 percent) favor public policies that control air, water and toxic waste pollution.

The author of the article linked above speculates: What has happened is that the image of environmentalism and environmental advocacy itself has become entwined in the political polarization that has infected all aspects of American political life.

That’s certainly true.  The anti-woke crowd stands in vehement opposition to anything that benefits humankind, and taking care of our planet is just one example.