Unique Environmentalism : A Comparative Perspective

This study emphasizes the importance of different environmental cultures and of political conjunctures in a single country of which different environm- tal groups take advantage.

their collective action. The more unique the case, the more we need to study it not only to understand the case itself but also to understand the structure and limits of environmentalism in general. We hope that we have been able to show the value of this research strategy. The way we have organized our study is different from the Rootes study (2003). This study emphasizes the importance of different environmental cultures and of political conjunctures in a single country of which different environm- tal groups take advantage. We are not arguing against the fact that branches of environmentalism have features in common across countries (e.g., animal rights and antinuclear movements). However, we would not go as far as the Rootes study. We argue that looking at political conjunctures, even if important, does not tell the whole story. Researchers need to understand the broader context in which political conjunctures and environmental culture operate.