Written by Keith Nickolaus, CRBA Writers Team

When you think of environmentalism, you might picture protests or climate reports — but it actually shows up in all kinds of everyday places. From farming and food to clean energy, public health, the arts, and even outdoor fun, caring for the planet is part of how we live and work. This post challenges us to to see environmentalism in a bigger context and a shared one beyond partisan divides and transcending the silos of activism — connected to what we do, to how we live and thrive, and to how we steward the amazing natural world gifted to us.

You don’t need to be a climate expert or wear hiking boots every weekend to care about the planet… Environmentalism has grown to go well beyond one profession, one party, one sector of human activity and exchange, and beyond one type of person, lifestyle, creed, or nation.

When people hear the word environmentalism, they often picture urgent protests, intense political partisanship, climate scientists crunching data, or science-deniers on social media calling green activists alarmist and brainwashed….

So, let’s take a deep breath and look beyond the noise for a moment; let’s smell the roses too, listen to the bird song, take in the natural scenery… (Feel good?)

In reality, environmentalism is woven into the fabric of daily life — what we see and enjoy, what we do, discover, make, eat, ponder, study, paint, photograph, or report on.

Today, environmental values are reshaping entire industries and influencing how we think about everything from public health to personal wellbeing. Whether we realize it or not, environmentalism isn’t a fringe concern, a myth, or fake news — it’s about taking a closer look at the wonders of the natural world, being good stewards of the resources the earth lavishes upon us, and making policies that promise the best future possible — for all of our children, for their children, and beyond.

Farming, Food, and the Future

You don’t have to look far to see how agriculture is evolving in response to environmental concerns. From regenerative grazing to vertical farms in urban warehouses, food producers are increasingly turning to sustainable farming practices.

Sustainable practice is more than a buzzword. Across the agriculture sector farmers, researchers, and larger communities are joining in the work of prioritizing soil health, reducing emissions, finding ways to eliminate the use of pesticides and herbicides harmful to nature and humans while testing alternatives to synthetic fertilizers and deploying technology to use water more efficiently.

Local food movements and farm-to-table restaurants are part of the shift, too — emphasizing shorter supply chains and less packaging. And with rising awareness of the environmental toll of industrial meat production, more people are exploring plant-based diets or seeking to transition ranch production to a more decentralized landscape that advantages local producers and meat processors to make food chains and ranch operations more resilient, and make meat production more humane, ecologically sound, more sustainable…

Two farmers are inspecting harvested cucumbers in a dense field of green crops. — Photo by Wanasanan Phonnaun on Unsplash

With climate change reshaping where and how crops can be grown and livestock raised, farmers, scientists, and consumers alike are recognizing that sustainable food systems are not idealist, but essential. While the impacts of climate change on food production are worrisome, the pending crisis is also an opportunity for farmers, scientists, researchers, inventors, entrepreneurs, and journalists to contribute to lasting innovations in food production and food economies.

Clean Energy and Greener Living

The shift toward clean energy is no longer just an aspiration nor unnecessary. From air pollution to global warming to reducing the impacts of coal mining on the landscape, on water, and on workers’ health, innovations in the energy sector are underway — creating new economic opportunities and pointing us toward cleaner energy production.

Solar panels are going up on rooftops, wind turbines are dotting rural landscapes, and electric vehicles are quickly becoming commonplace. As prices drop, the sun’s energy is harnassed more effectively, and battery technology improves, homeowners and businesses are choosing to electrify everything from stoves to heating systems.

Government policies and tax credits are helping to drive innovation and adoption, but so is public interest. Whether motivated by cost savings, air quality, or climate concerns, people are looking for alternatives to fossil fuels. Today these environmental efforts are creating jobs and innovation in sectors that didn’t even exist a decade ago.

Clean Air, Clean Water, and Public Health

Environmental issues are also public health issues. Communities living near highways, factories, or oil refineries often experience higher rates of asthma, cancer, and other health problems — especially low-income and historically marginalized populations.

Protecting clean air and water has long been central to environmental efforts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state-level agencies play critical roles in setting and enforcing standards.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of RSB Environmental

But grassroots movements are also crucial. Activists have helped spur badly needed efforts to change how we think about the environment and about our practices and policies — calling for accountability and responsible reforms when water is contaminated, when smog fouls the air, when a focus on short-term profits eclipses long-term harms to the environment and human health and the need to find more sustainable approaches.

All people enjoy and benefit from living in cleaner environments, but too often poorer communities, even poorer nations, have been ignored and turned into the dumping grounds of industry and consumer culture. In response, environmentalists remind us to look at global environments and global inequalities, appealing to leaders and consumers alike to take action to clean up all environments, not just those where the most affluent live, work, and play.

Recreation, Wilderness, and Wellbeing

The outdoors provide us not only with resources to live on, they also offer priceless spaces for rest, recreation, inspiration, physical activity, and adventure.

Public lands and seashores, hiking trails, and local and national park systems offer protected environments for outdoor play and adventure that also help ensure a larger scope of environmental protection — supporting biodiversity and safeguarding natural beauty for future generations.

Today, even outdoor recreation companies and industries are realizing that unsustainable practices only lead to an economic dead end, and that environmental advocates and concerned consumers not only enjoy the outdoors but realize we all need to do more to protect the outdoors. As a result these companies are also embracing lessons from the environmental movement, upgrading their fabrication methods and marketing programs, reducing waste, and reinvesting a portion of profits into conservation efforts and the work of environmental nonprofits.

Art, Culture, and the Natural World

Whether you see raw evolutionary forces at work or sublime order and design, nature and wilderness tend to inspire exceptional feelings of awe or delight, or both. This makes nature a timeless source of inspiration for art and culture. From the poetry of Walt Whitman and the photography of Ansel Adams to countless other painters, photographers, and writers, **there is a boundless kinship between nature, human experience, and human culture**.

Ansel Adams in Yosemite, courtesy of the Ansel Adams Gallery, Yosemite National Park

However, as human activity encroaches more and more on nature, this legacy is in jeopardy. A common desire to rally in defense of nature has brought art and environmentalism into shared cultural spaces, with many artists and environmentalists finding common cause in calling attention to the treasures we’re putting at risk.

Many modern artists inspired by this bond between nature and the human spirit are using their work to highlight environmental issues. From large-scale installations about sea-level rise to intimate wildlife photography exhibitions, visual culture is playing a role in how we understand and respond to ecological change.

Documentary films, climate-focused exhibits, and public art projects can reach people in ways that science reports can’t. They tell stories, evoke emotion, and build connections — making complex issues more accessible and urgent.

Waste, Recycling, and the Circular Economy

Recycling bins have become a fixture in homes and offices, but environmental thinking about waste now goes further. The emphasis has shifted toward reducing waste in the first place — rethinking packaging, eliminating single-use plastics, and designing products with reuse in mind.

More companies are also adopting circular economy principles, where materials are reused and repurposed rather than tossed: zero-waste shops, bulk refill stations, and plastic-free packaging are gaining traction — not just as trends, but as smarter ways to manage resources.

Like it or not, we can think of our collective waste as a mirror of our values. So when you look in that mirror, if you don’t love what you see, you’re either an environmentalist already or you’re all ready to become one!

A Shared Responsibility

Environmentalism is no small silo of activism. It has grown to go well beyond one profession, one party, one sector of human activity and exchange, and beyond one type of person, lifestyle, creed, or nation.. It’s already embedded in agriculture, energy, art, health, industrial production, transportation, and more. It shapes how we live — and how we might live better.

**Climate Action Event, San Francisco Bay Area**

The Climate Reality Project, Bay Area Chapter

You don’t need to be a climate expert or wear hiking boots every weekend to care about the planet. Wherever you are — at work, at home, or in your community — there’s a place for environmental awareness, action, and for good stewardship of the wondrous living planet we live on.

Because the environment isn’t “out there.” It’s part of us, sustains us, and inspires us — all of us.

Environmentalism: How It Connects Us — To Our World, Our Work, and to Those Around Us or Across the Globe