1. Discuss the following question. Write about 250 words.

Historians continue to disagree about what ideas really motivated the environmental movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Based on your readings, how would you characterize the movement’s motivations?

2. Make a comment to the following respond. It only need 3-4 sentences.

 I really enjoyed the perspective of Adam Rome from the week 9 materials especially with reference to the discussion prompt. For those whom haven’t read it, I would highly encourage it. After two centuries of preparation, ecology busted on to the international scene during the infamous 1960s. At this point, the scientists were making names for themselves as society’s supporter. Ironically, the ecologists surfaced as they were considering the protectors of fragile life. “In 1969 the Environmental Action for Survival Committee at the University of Michigan began to sell button against the Vietnam War that began as “Give Piece a Chance”, but the buttons consequently turned into “Give Earth a Chance” buttons (Rome, p. 526). Environmentalism being the theme of Rome’s article is defined by calling into question different pillars of American life, the equation of progress with endless increases in consumption and the faith that science, technology, and economic growth would advance the social welfare. Rome’s version of environmentalism was more activist and youth-orientated, which spoke the language of empowering citizens to participate in decisions that affected their lives. It developed by towards a more contextualized history of the environmental movement, Rome considers the relationship between the rise of environmentalism to three important developments of the sixties; the revitalization of liberalism, the growing discontent of middle-class women, and the explosion of student radicalism/counter-cultural protest. These are the things I consider to be primary motivations behind the infamous environmental movement. Classmates should also read the Kirk article about counterculture, “In the late 1960s and 1970s, technologically minded counterculture environmentalists helped reshaped the American environmental movement, infusing it with a youthful energy and providing it with a new sense of purpose and direction” (Kirk, p. 378). Each of the articles and the multiple readings from week 9 allow for one to develop a proposal/characterization of motivations for this discussion prompt and look forward to hearing everyone’s views.