The modern US environmental movement began as a?

The modern U.S. environmental movement indeed began as a broad bipartisan effort, especially during the 1960s and 1970s, when environmental concerns gained significant traction across various political lines. Key legislation, such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the early 1970s, received support from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, demonstrating a unified approach to addressing environmental challenges.

However, over the years, this initial bipartisan consensus has become increasingly fractured. Environmental issues are now often deeply entwined with political ideologies, leading to contentious debates and intense lobbying efforts from various interest groups. For example, climate change legislation has faced notable opposition along partisan lines, with some members of Congress prioritizing economic concerns over environmental regulations. This division reflects how discussions around environmental policy have shifted from cooperative efforts to more polarized positions, underscoring the contentious nature of today’s political landscape regarding environmental issues.

In this context, the answer that highlights the fracturing of the original bipartisan support into a contentious debate accurately captures the current state of the environmental movement in the U.S., as it continues to be a highly debated and heavily lobbied issue.