by Gemma Wiseman

Created on: January 24, 2009

The birth of the "green movement" in Australia was the moment when the future of Nature's ecosystems especially in pristine "wilderness" areas - became a pawn on the political chessboard. Non government organizations, groups and individual activists may have been the instigators in the 1960's but, in time, the Greens Party (led by Bob Brown) and other governmental bodies became the formal voice. Green power became the vital heart beat of the environmental movement. By the end of the 20th century, "going green" was reaching into all human practices affecting the environment. The green movement meant being aware of Nature's needs and protecting them with minimal human contamination.

On the international scale, Australia joined the international network of Greenpeace in 1977, six years after it was founded in Vancouver, Canada.

The "Australearn" website has links to websites related to the green movement. They include Green Pages which is a comprehensive Eco-Directory, The Green Directory which promotes green products and Eco Tourism Australia.

In theory, the idea of so many in Australia (as in many countries round the world) wishing to join community, national and international forces in the varied forms of the green movement sounds laudable. But in practice, goodwill and well-meaning intentions stumble to find clear-cut, positive answers.

For example, the website of "Paradigm Oz" outlines one "hot" issue. Queensland's Cape York is under the microscope.
"The Wilderness Society has been campaigning for the Wild Rivers legislation since 2000. Cape York leader Noel Pearson, speaking in opposition to the Wild Rivers regime, raised issues of a conflict of understanding between white urban environmentalists and traditional owners."
Old "green" practices of the Aboriginal communities there vehemently contest the moral and cultural value of new "green" practices. Instead of both parties building on shared knowledge and understanding of the land, time is wasted in power struggles.

Further, the Australian green movement in the 21st century is burgeoning with little or no coherent, consistent, unifying progression. Two major examples involve all citizens' day to day habits.
1. The supermarket chains of Safeway and IGA are selling $1 shopping bags to reduce shoppers' reliance on their continual need to supply plastic bags. And yet, the effort seems to fall apart because instead of eliminating the plastic bags altogether, these cloth bags are only offered as an option. Of course,

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>