By the mid 1980s, many environmentalist groups had developed, the members of which were willing to alter their lifestyles and encourage or force others to do so, in order to try and halt environmental damage (Buttel, 1978). It is difficult to give a precise coverage: what follows is intended to serve as a brief introduction. The expansion of green (environmentally concerned) thinking has coincided with the weakening of communism and socialism; indeed, some claim it played a significant role in that decline. Many greens see economic growth and consumerism as tainting both Western capitalist economies and those developed from socialist states. Less radical green philosophy can be embraced by existing politics, from liberal to dictatorship; radical deep green beliefs demand fundamental changes in politics, worldviews and ethics.