The modern environmental movement in the United States has been a significant social movement for decades. It is quite possibly one of the longest-running and most complex social movements the United States has ever seen. The fight for a clean and safe environment has been an ongoing struggle. It encompasses multiple levels including the sustainability movement, environmental justice, and the conservation movement. It is not only a social movement but also a scientific and political movement. While my focus is on the United States, this is a movement on an international scale with support at all levels, from large organizations to private citizens. I chose to conduct research on the modern environmental movement in the United States for several reasons. I was interested in learning more about the history of the modern environmental movement here in the United States. I feel that environmental protest has grown on a large scale in recent years and I wanted to see what has been done throughout our history and what the movement has accomplished so far. The meaning and scope of this movement are also very interesting to me. Within this movement there are over 6,500 national and 20,000 local environmental organizations, as well as approximately 20-30 million members. Also, the beginning of this movement dates back to the 1960s, I was interested in knowing what it meant for a movement to operate on such a large scale for so many decades. Its meaning is not only limited to longevity and large proportions, but also to its motivations. The argument that our planet is suffering because of human action and that without action there will only be further decline is a strong one. The importance of our environment is indisputable. A......middle of paper......ia. It is used as a symbol to help connect people with the life-threatening problems we are causing to our wildlife. Seeing an ad featuring a polar bear stranded on a melting ice cap tugs at your heartstrings and helps you see the urgency of a problem sometimes better than a fact sheet. The visual symbolism of the terrible situation is conveyed in a much more meaningful way when you see what all this science really means, in a way it can be more useful than any activism or rally, it raises concern in the consciousness of the common population. “Save polar bears” is now a common term used to help relate to environmental issues, particularly as they relate to global warming. As the modern environmental movement in the United States has spanned decades and grown to reach such a broad scope that it has undoubtedly had its victories and losses in terms of strategy and effectiveness.