Environmental affairs encompassed a surprisingly wide range of events and activities. The issues around which controversy swirled permeated the economy and society, science and technology, personal values and national policy, immediate preoccupations and future generations. They reflected innovations in the private market and new public responsibilities in local, state, and national governments. It was remarkable that such massive changes infused such a large sphere of life in such a short span of time. Because these events were so central and pervasive, they highlight aspects of American society and politics that are well worth exploring.

The Transformation of Values

We begin with the centrality of value change. Some have argued that environmental objectives were superficial and peripheral rather than fundamental and central in American life. The evidence argues otherwise. The importance ascribed to the quality of one's environment can be understood only by comprehending changes that came to millions of people amid their daily activities at work, home, and play.

In the previous pages we attempted to understand the broader setting of these value changes, their social roots, their variation throughout the nation, and their roles in historical developments in the years after World War II. From this angle of vision the environmental interest was an expression of deeply rooted human aspirations for a better life. One cannot delve into the details of environmental action without observing the hope for personal and social achievement that lay at its roots.