Encyclopedia Britannica defines environmentalism as a “political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities; through the adoption of forms of political, economic, and social organization that are thought to be necessary for, or at least conducive to, the benign treatment of the environment by humans; and through a reassessment of humanity's relationship with nature. In various ways, environmentalism claims that living things other than humans, and the natural environment as a whole, are deserving of consideration in reasoning about the morality of political, economic, and social policies.”

Implicit in the foregoing definition is the belief that human activity – most notably business activity in capitalist economies – is harmful to the environment. This view is founded on the premise that profit-based economic systems are inherently plagued by greed and a willingness to exploit the environment to whatever degree is necessary for maximum profit, without regard for any resultant ecological harm. Consequently, many environmentalist groups are hostile to capitalism and embrace socialism as a preferable economic system.

An alternative perspective holds that environmental protection is a public good that is not different in kind from any other public good, like uncongested highways or national defense. From this premise, it follows that the more money or economic prosperity a society has, the more it can afford to pay for goods such as these. Thus capitalism, which produces more wealth than any other economic system, is not intrinsically the enemy of the environment.

In addition to the aforementioned debate, this section of DiscoverTheNetworks explores the biocentric (as opposed to anthropocentric) agenda of radical environmentalism, a movement whose goal is not the advancement of human health, human happiness, and human life, but rather the advancement of a world where “nature” is deemed to have “inherent value” that ought to be revered for its own sake, irrespective of any benefit to mankind. Radical environmentalists espouse “deep ecology,” which asserts that the environment is an end in itself in which man is an intruder. From this axiom, they reason that any human action that changes the environment is necessarily immoral. They consider man – capitalist man in particular – to be a rapist and despoiler of nature by his very essence. As a consequence, man is to be prohibited from using nature for his own ends. But radical environmentalists invoke the doctrine of intrinsic value not against wolves that eat sheep, or beavers that gnaw trees; they invoke it only against man, only when man wants to use natural resources for the advancement of some business endeavor. Thus they tend to oppose the development of such things as Alaskan oil, offshore drilling, nuclear power, logging, housing, and commerce. 

An alternative perspective holds that the environment is good primarily because it is good for people; that mere life in all its various forms is not an end in itself; and that humans should protect those parts of the environment, like the air they breathe and the landscapes they cherish, which are of value to them – but not arctic mudflats or obscure fish simply because they exist. In this perspective, the key question to ask about any thing being pondered for environmental protection is whether its existence is of any benefit to mankind.

In this section of DiscoverTheNetworks:

The category titled Radical Environmentalism: Goals, Worldview, and Tactics explores the hidden agendas that motivate many environmental organizations. As Michael Berliner writes in "The Scourge of Earth Day": "The fundamental goal of environmentalism is not clean air and clean water; rather, it is the demolition of technological / industrial civilization. Environmentalism's goal is not the advancement of human health, human happiness, and human life; rather, it is a subhuman world where 'nature' is worshipped like the totem of some primitive religion. In a nation founded on the pioneer spirit, environmentalists have made "development" an evil word.... No instance of the progress that brought man out of the cave is safe from the onslaught of those "protecting" the environment from man, whom they consider a rapist and despoiler by his very essence."

The category titled Anti-Capitalism & Anti-Private Property examines how radical environmentalists commonly view free-market capitalism as inherently inimical to a healthy natural environment. By logical extension, these same critics tend to favor socialist economic models.

The category titled Global Warming, Climate Change, Air Pollution, Kyoto Protocol examines the environmentalist movement's warning that human industrial activity and its polluting by-products will ultimately result in cataclysm.

The category titled Reconsidering Radical Positions chronicles the personal ideological journeys -- "transformations" is not too strong a word to describe what some of them experienced -- of individuals who at one time identified themselves as members of the environmentalist Left and who proudly allied themselves with the worldviews and crusades that defined it. In the accompanying articles, these individuals recount their personal odysseys, discussing the nature of their former beliefs and detailing the pivotal events that first caused them to question the validity of all they had previously held politically sacred.

The category titled Unintended Consequences of Environmentalism explores how policies that are ostensibly designed to protect the natural environment sometimes result in unforeseen disasters.

The category titled ANWR, Oil Drilling, and Oil Reserves explores the issue of whether or not the United States should drill for oil not only in the known reserves of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge of northeastern Alaska, but also elsewhere in the U.S.  Supporters point out that harnessing those reserves would help make the U.S. less dependent on foreign oil, while critics contend that such undertakings would have severe environmental consequences.

The Cap-and-Trade category evaluates legislative measures that would set a limit, or cap, on carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use. Under such measures, utility companies, oil companies, and manufacturing facilities would be given allowances based on past emissions or some other formula. Those companies that emit less carbon dioxide than permitted by their allowances could sell the excess to those that do not.

The Coal category examines the importance of coal as an energy source, though coal is commonly condemned by the environmentalist Left as a source of much pollution.

The Alternative Fuels category explores the merits and drawbacks of the "renewable" forms of energy -- mainly wind and solar -- that the environmentalist Left commonly advocates as "clean" energy.

The category titled Nuclear Energy examines the issue of nuclear power, its feasibility as an energy source, and claims that are commonly made about its alleged dangers.

The category titled DDT / Pesticides / Malaria examines the environmentalist movement's contention that DDT and other pesticides pose many health hazards to human beings, animal life, and the natural environment, and thus should play no part in diease-prevention efforts.

The category titled Junk Science, Media Hype, Scaring the Public explores the many ways in which propaganda founded on pseudo-science or faulty premises can frighten people into believing that a public health hazard or an environmental crisis is imminent, if not already underway.

The category titled Environmentalism in Education examines how the tenets of radical environmentalism are incorporated into school curricula at every level of education, thereby indoctrinating ever-growing numbers of young people.

The category titled Eco-Terrorism examines the use of violence and vandalism to harm industries that allegedly degrade the natural environment.

The category titled Endangered Species examines how environmentalists' concern for plants and animals allegedly on the verge of extinction can have far-reaching consequences vis a vis private property rights.

The Biotechnology category explores the controversial matter of using living organisms or their products to modify human health and the human environment. As most commonly applied today, the term "biotechnology" connotes a wide range of methods -- such as gene-splicing or genetic modification -- used to manipulate organic materials for the purpose of maximizing food production.

The category titled Deforestation explores the environmentalist movement's claim that the commercial logging industry has caused the extinction of tens of thousands of animal species and irreversible damage to the world's overall ecology.

The category titled Recycling examines the myths and facts about recycling, and about its utility as a means of helping to preserve natural resources.

The category titled Organic Foods examines research regarding the reputed health benefits of organic foods.

The category titled Hurricane Katrina and Environmentalism examines the role that environmentalists played in derailing the construction of levees that could have prevented Hurricane Katrina from devastating New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in August of 2005.