Nowadays, discourses on environmentalism are most closely associated with liberal politics. According to the Pew Research Center’s survey in December 2024, 24 percent of Republicans self-identify as environmentalists, while for Democrat and independent voters, the proportions are 50 and 44 percent. Being “political” is not limited to these three perspectives, but they seem to be the only feasible options in a legislative system dominated by the two-party system. Furthermore, the current President of the United States — a Republican — has publicly denied global warming and rejected climate regulatory policies. However, these trends do not make environmentalism an inherently “liberal” or strictly political issue.
To discuss the politics of environmentalism in the United States, we should trace its history from the late 19th century. Environmentalism came into the spotlight in the 1890s, during the Progressive Era, which was characterized by the effort of reformers to address issues of industrialization, political corruption, and monopolies. Environmentalism during the Progressive Era was a conservation movement spearheaded by writers and hunters. Its most notable proponent was Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President, who established the United States Forest Service and five National Parks. Roosevelt’s conservation efforts were motivated by the issue of market hunting, which was done large-scale and for profit. Market hunting in the 19th and 20th century caused a drastic decline in North American game species’ population, including species like the waterfowl. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act passed in 1918, making it illegal to possess or sell over 1,000 species of native migratory birds. A 19th and 20th century conservationist such as Roosevelt may not be seen as an environmentalist in the 21th century, because he was more interested in conserving species to allow sustainable and efficient hunting from our end than in the ethical consideration of how we should treat nonhuman species. At the same time, these conservation efforts had a tangible and long-lasting impact, recovering waterbirds and wood ducks from overhunting, and creating natural preserves that continue to exist today.
Roosevelt was a Republican. The Republican and Democratic parties in the early 20th century were vastly different from how they are perceived today. The Republican party emerged in the 1850s as a progressive group that favored strong federal action to abolish slavery and promote economic growth. On the other hand, the Democratic party was a conservative group that defended slavery. They maintained significant support from southern conservatives until the “ideological shift” between the two parties, which occurred during the Civil Rights movement. Today, the Democratic party is associated with favoring strong federal power, while the Republican party opposes it.
The current administration follows this new trend. Trump’s environmental policies have aimed to maximize domestic energy production through complete deregulation. Examples include reversing the pollution requirements set for fossil fuel production and limiting the scope of the Environmental Protection Agency by stopping their calculation of monetary benefits of air pollution rules. Trump also eliminated the protection of native species that was granted by the conservation-era Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
It is difficult to think of environmentalism as anything but political when the current Republican administration allows the environment to be exploited unregulated. However, what environmentalism stands for does not need to be dictated by which party proclaims it as their mission. The same Republican party that was at the forefront of conservation in the 1900s is also the one that is permitting crude oil companies to exploit Venezuelan resources after capturing their leader in 2026. Environmentalism, if it is to be a reliable and aspirational ideal that we can work towards, should not permit the kinds of contradictions that we see in politics. Therefore, environmentalism is not liberal or conservative, but a collective issue.
~ Benjamin Ha `27
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