Abstract
Contrary to earlier predictions (Downs 1972), the environmental movement has endured as a strong social movement, and now enjoys a relatively comfortable mid-life maturity. The consequences of this maturity are several. The movement can rely on complex and favorable legislation and a well-developed body of movement-supportive judicial decisions. The movement is less reliant on public adversary protest strategies than in earlier days. It can count on more established review procedures, such as environmental impact statements, to provide itself and the public time to review actions of interest. Maturity also means that not all movement issues will meet with a strong countermovement response. In addition, issues may broaden. For the environmental movement, earlier wilderness and rural area preservation issues have been joined by urban community issues, such as the one under study here. In this sense, then, the mature environmental movement has come to town.
Research and preliminary analysis were completed while the author was on sabbatical leave, and a Visiting Professor of Forest Resources, University of Washington. This article was completed while the author was a Visiting Scholar, Institute for Marine Studies, University of Washington. Susan Stiles Gale provided helpful suggestions and editorial assistance. The author is solely responsible for all opinions expressed.
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Gale, R.P. (1987). The Environmental Movement Comes to Town: A Case Study of an Urban Hazardous Waste Controversy. In: Johnson, B.B., Covello, V.T. (eds) The Social and Cultural Construction of Risk. Technology, Risk, and Society, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3395-8_9
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