Final answer:
The environmentalists in the 1970s expanded the earlier conservation movement agenda by addressing urgent concerns like global warming and biodiversity, supporting scientific consensus on environmental crises, and influencing public policies and international agreements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Broadening of the Environmental Agenda in the 1970s
The environmentalists of the 1970s broadened the agenda of the progressive-era conservation movement by emphasizing a wider set of concerns, including global warming, biodiversity loss, and the social aspects of environmental policies. This shift built upon earlier conservation efforts, which already hinted at resource scarcity and the intrinsic value of nature, but the new environmentalists approached the issues with a sense of urgency, informed by contemporary scientific understanding of climate change, ecological degradation, and their impacts on human wellbeing.
The earlier conservation movement, divided between the utilitarian viewpoint of Gifford Pinchot and the preservationist philosophy of John Muir, laid the groundwork for a sophisticated approach to environmental issues. The new environmental movement was marked by several pivotal moments, including the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the establishment of international bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the Earth Summit, all of which contributed to the expanded role of environmentalism in public discourse and policy.
Environmental policies, such as the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, strengthened the scientific community's role in conservation. These developments also coincided with growing public advocacy for environmental issues and the recognition of the interconnectedness of ecosystems, the economy, and human health.