Ecological Threat and the Founding of U.S. National Environmental Movement Organizations, 1962–1998

Abstract

This study examines the role of “ecological threat” in shaping the U.S. environmental movement. Statistical analysis combines founding data on 772 national environmental movement organizations with ecological data on air pollution levels and amphibian and bird populations. We examine these data longitudinally, from 1962 through 1998. Net of other social, economic, and political factors suggested by social movement theory, we find evidence of segmented effects in the expected directions: Declines in wildlife populations are associated with the foundings of wildlife and wilderness protection organizations while increases in air pollution are associated with the foundings of organizations focused on ecosystem well-being and public health. These findings help refine long-held assumptions about the relationship between ecological degradation and environmental activism, and demonstrate the broader utility of the threat concept for strengthening theories of social movement mobilization.