Environmentalism had gotten off to a fast start in the
1970’s, and environmental groups had registered
several notable successes, when Congress passed leg-
islation to protect air and water quality and to deal
with hazardous wastes. Gradually, however, a back-
lash had developed, as the costs of environmental
legislation began to be felt. Meanwhile, Ronald Rea-
gan came to the presidency in 1981 determined to
reduce governmental regulation, including environ-
mental regulation. The environmental movement
thus faced several challenges during the 1980’s.
Some of the initial public enthusiasm for environ-
mentalism had waned. The decade’s two Republican
administrations often opposed further environmen-
tal efforts and, at times, even sought to roll back
some of the environmental legislation of the previ-
ous decade. Divisions concerning goals and tactics
that had previously existed among environmental-
ists came into the open, making it difficult for vari-
ous groups to maintain a united front. On the other
hand, the open attack on the movement fostered by
some political leaders led to a renewed sense of ur-
gency among activists who continued their efforts to
preserve the environment.The Election of Ronald Reagan Overall, environ-
mentalists could claim several successes during the
1970’s, as Congress passed legislation to deal with
various environmental problems. Although many
Americans considered themselves environmental-
ists, most did not belong to organized environ-
mental groups at the beginning of the decade. None-
theless, the ten major environmental groups had
gained members during the 1970’s. This growth in
membership began to pose problems for some orga-
nizations. As they gained members and financial re-
sources, both from member dues and from founda-
tion and corporate sponsorship, they also added336 Environmental movement The Eighties in America
A 1980 Earth Day celebration in Lafayette Park, Washington, D.C.(AP/Wide World Photos)