Environmentalism (Civ4)/Civilopedia

Environmentalism is the civic which describes a society in which every effort is made to remain in balance with nature. Emphasis is placed upon renewable resources and energy, and every possible item is recycled. This, of course, describes the ideal; no modern society on earth of any size can as yet achieve perfect harmony with the world around it.
There are many benefits to environmentalism, not the least of which is that it would ensure that mankind will not suffocate under the weight of its own greed and pollution. The population of a fully "green" society would live longer and healthier lives, secure in the knowledge that their children and grandchildren would enjoy the same beautiful world that they did.
Unfortunately, such changes will come slowly, if at all. Rich and powerful nations are extremely reluctant to cut back on the resources they consume, and loathe to implement the kind of political and market reforms that such an economy would require. Meanwhile, the poorer countries wish to attain all of the power and wealth currently enjoyed by the rich: to them a smokestack is a symbol of progress, not of the ongoing destruction of the earth. Radical change will have to wait for the time when the magnitude and imminence of disaster is visible to everyone.