Timeline of Environmentalism

A timeline of major actions in the environmental movement.

Pre-1900s

• 6th Century BCE: The Athenian Polis votes to protect nearby hills and mountains around Athens from deforestation and overgrazing as possibly the first acts of environmental protection in history.

1900s

• 1936: The CNT oversees green projects in Revolutionary Spain, including the construction of greenhouses, reforestation, permaculture and the shutting down of polluting metal factories.
• 1971: The four-year long Green Ban movement begins across Australia, where construction workers refuse to work on projects harmful to the environment or local communities.
• 1976: The Franklin River Campaign begins in Tasmania, Australia to block the construction of a destructive dam. It is highly successful over its 7-year run.
• 1977: The Xapuri Forest Campaign begins in Brazil, as timber workers attempt to protect forests from deforestation and gain better working conditions.
• 1980: Earth First! is founded to stop environmental destruction across the world via direct action.
• 1982: The Itoiz Ecovillages are founded in rural Spain, to show the world what a sustainable society might look like.
• 1988: Environmentalists successfully block the destruction of the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia.
• 1992: The Earth Liberation Front is founded in Brighton, England to use direct action and guerilla warfare to defend natural ecosystems.
• 1994: The Zapatista Revolution and resulting Chiapas Conflict have strong elements of environmentalism among indigenous participants, notably the EZLN.
• 1995: The Junin Anti-Mine Movement begins, a 12-year long campaign to protect a community in Ecuador from mining.
• 1995: The Cascadia Free State is built to protect forests in Washington, USA
• 1995: The Global Ecovillage Network is founded following a conference in Scotland.
• 1998: The Minnehaha Free State is built to protect forests and indigenous land from highway construction.

2000s

• 2001: Can Masdeu is founded as a squat in Barcelona, Spain to raise awareness around climate change.
• 2002: The Esqul Anti-Mine Movement begins as citizens in Argentina stop the construction of a new gold mine.
• 2005: Argentinians block the construction of environmentally destructive paper mills along the Uruguay River.
• 2008: Indigenous Peruvians strike to protect the rainforests.
• 2008: The Xingu River Campaign begins as indigenous Brazilians attempt to protect the Xingu River from damming.
• 2009: Unist'ot'en is founded by indigenous Americans in so called 'British Columbia, Canada' to protect forests from oil development.

2010s

• 2010: The Las Crucitas Anti-Mine Movement begins as citizens in Costa Rica work to stop the construction of a new a gold mine.
• 2011: The Cherán Revolution is partially inspired by efforts to protect local forests from deforestation.
• 2011: The Puna Anti-Mine Movement begins as citizens in Peru stop the construction of a new silver mine.
• 2011: The Cajamarca Anti-Mine Movement begins as citizens in Peru work to stop the construction of a new gold mine.
• 2011: Isiboro Secure Park is defended from destruction by armed indigenous militants in La Paz, Bolivia.
• 2012: The Rojava Revolution is deeply influenced by environmentalism.
• 2013: The Gezi Park Uprising attempts to protect city parks and rural forests in Turkey from destruction.
• 2016: The 'Make Rojava Green Again' campaign begins to protect and restore the environment in Rojava.