By: Chloe Huckins

Environmental degradation has been on the radar longer than many might realize. By the late 1800s, individuals like the author Henry David Thoreau had become aware of the impact humans were having on nature.[1] His book Walden, or Life in the Woods was one of the first written works to raise public awareness concerning environmental preservation.[2]

By the early 1900s, President Theodore Roosevelt had initiated a wave of governmental reforms that would shape the beginning of environmental conservation in the U.S. Roosevelt’s understanding of common resources fueled his motivation to protect the landscapes he himself cherished.[3]

The 1970s brought new government regulations including The Clean Air Act (1970), the Endangered Species Act (1973) and Safe Drinking Water Act (1974).[4] These and other legislature incited push back by anti-conservation groups such as the Reagan administration and conservative organizations like the Heartland Institute that argued that human need and expansion is greater than environmental degradation.[5]

By the 1990s, individual households were becoming an integral part of the new green movement with decisions like recycling, composting, grocery shopping and efficient means of traveling.[6] Cities began to implement bans on commodities deemed harmful and the federal government continues to mandate levels of efficiency.[7]

However, ongoing research in Life Cycle Assessments suggests that some products such as cloth bags, ceramic mugs and CFL light bulbs considered environmentally friendly are in fact more costly (in terms of energy) than their alternatives.[8]