Widespread popular interest in all things environmental
grew rapidly in the second half of the
twentieth century as knowledge of environmental
issues that had previously been confined to the
realm of natural science received greater exposure.
Educators at all levels embraced the issues and
numerous environmental interest groups emerged
to highlight the various problems that society
faced. Knowledge was spread through the millions
of words of copy produced annually by the print
media and the countless hours of audio and video
coverage provided by their electronic counterparts.
With technology creating an unprecedented ability
to communicate rapidly and easily, in a society
educated and interested enough to appreciate the
issues, the rapid growth in interest and concern
that took place was not particularly surprising. The
result has been the creation of a society that is
remarkably environmentally aware, with the preservation
and rehabilitation of the environment not
only of concern to individuals, but also an integral
part of government policy.