11d. Comparing the Environmental and Anti-Nuclear Peace Movements

What similarities and differences can you identify when comparing the Environmental movement and the Anti-Nuclear movement (Module 9).

Similarities:

• involve most, if not all, sectors of society to some degree;
• are global movements, with concerns about crises that affect every part of the world;
• include mass action all over the world;
• permeated by anxiety and fear about global destruction and extinction;
• focus on present action for future ends – i.e. saving the planet for the next generations;
• depend on scientific research and education;
• tactics are similar – mass demonstrations, strikes, boycotts, civil disobedience, petitions, art and theatre, use of symbols, etc.;
• both demand political action and change from governments; and
• both faced sectors of society that denied the conflict and crisis.

Differences:

• the Anti-Nuclear movement, at least until the 1990s, was shaped by Cold War politics and fear of a third world war;
• the Anti-Nuclear movement led to successful, ongoing multilateral agreements between nations, which has not yet occurred with the Environmental movement (the Kyoto Protocol is the closest model but support has declined);
• the Environmental movement faces more opposition and discrediting from large corporations and sectors of industry;
• the Environmental movement is mindful (though not inclusively) of the rights of Indigenous peoples' rights and partners with Indigenous peoples on specific campaigns;
• as a mass global concern, the Anti-Nuclear movement was very diffuse and diverse; that is, many sectors of society and interest groups were (and are) involved. The Environmental movement is even more varied in its voice and message, given the wide range of issues included under the broad umbrella called the Environment; and
• the Environmental movement has made extensive use of social media and other outreach possible because of the internet, while the Anti-Nuclear movement (up to 1990s) relied on other methods of communication.

 

Stop and Ask

What are the aims/goals, methods/tactics, ideology/philosophy, and symbols of this movement?

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