Ecofeminism And The American Environmental Movement In The 1960s And 1970s

In the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries,the development of modern industry promoted the economic prosperity of the United States and undermined the natural environment of the United States.Under the influence of the progressive movement,American women began to pay attention to social issues,participate in environmental protection,put forward the concept of ecological and environmental protection,and sprouted the earliest ecofeminism ideas.In the 1960 s,ecofeminist scholar Rachel Carson used a book--Silent Spring to ring the alarm of the American environment,arouse the environmental enthusiasm of the American people and lay the ideological foundation for the rise of the environmental movement in the1960 s and 1970 s.Her overall ecological concept also became the basis of the ecofeminist theory.During this period,women were mainly engaged in wildlife protection,urban environmental beautification,etc.Zoologist Dian Fossey and First Lady Bird Johnson were the representatives.They contributed to the protection of the natural environment of the United States,practiced the theory of ecofeminism,led ecofeminism gradually go deep into the hearts of the people.In the 1970 s,industrial pollution became more and more serious,and nuclear energy application problems frequently occurred.Therefore,the environmental protection movement turned the attack to industrial waste pollution and nuclear pollution.Outstanding female environmental activists such as Lois Gibbs and Karen Silkwood became the backbone of the anti-pollution struggle.They reflected the environmental appeals of the grassroots and promoted the development of environmental justice.Affected by their activities,ecofeminist scholars such as Rosemary Ruether and Caroline Merchant began to think about social issues and proposed suggestions for reforming the social development model,further deepened the ecofeminism theory.Ecofeminism is not only a product of women’s environmental awareness and environmental protection activities,but also promotes and guides the development of environmental protection movements,and self-improvement in the process of environmental protection movement.Although there are many shortcomings in the theory and practice of ecofeminism,we should absorb the essence of their thoughts,draw lessons from the experience of the American environmental movement,pay attention to women’s role in environmental protection,and encourage women to participate in China’s environmental protection cause.