ABSTRACT
The differences and similarities among environmental movements in East Asia and Southeast Asia are heightened by comparative analysis. Three general characteristics are shared by Asia’s environmental movements: they encompass a diversity of ideas and approaches; they are socially constructed by different political and community groups to serve their own interests; and they illustrate processes of cultural indigenization. At the same time, however, environmental movements in each society maintain a distinct identity that is easily distinguished by the dominant thrust of their major proponents. Thus, three major paths of environmental movements can be identified—namely, the populist path in Taiwan, South Korea, and the Philippines; the corporatist route in Thailand; and the postmaterialist mode in Hong Kong. Before identifying and examining the major factors that explain the divergent paths of Asia’s environmentalism, let us first discuss the broad common characteristics shared by environmental movements in Asia.
