Russia and Its Neighbors - Comparing Environmental Policies in 16 Countries - page 234

to educate young people about nature and give opportunities for out-
door communal living. It was loosely tied to the official Socialist Youth
Union. It grew rapidly and was extremely popular among teenagers. With
political repression so heavy, some people joined for an outlet against the
government more generally, not just for environmental values. Another
group during the 1970s and 1980s was the Ecological Section, originally
part of the Academy of Sciences. Members were scientists and experts,
numbering as many as 400. A third nature group was Tis, named for the
yew tree, which had sent a letter of protest to the country's president in
1971. The group had broadcast a radio program reading extracts from
Rachel Carson's topic. 7 The government took a benign attitude toward
Brontosaurus and other nature groups because they were not overtly
anti-regime, cooperated with the Socialist Youth Union, promoted healthy
outdoor activities, and discouraged consumerism.
In the late 1980s environmental protest increased. Dirty air and water
epitomized the failure of the government and industry. Strip mining of
brown coal destroyed the mountains. Acid rain damaged the forests, poorly
managed or protected anyway. Untreated sewage flowed into the rivers.
Newspapers and magazines pointed to the problems. Group membership
was up. The Czech Union for Nature Protection had 26,000 members.
Young leaders found links to Western groups like Greenpeace and Friends
of the Earth. All across Eastern Europe, reformers ranked the environ-
ment alongside human rights, peace, and religious freedom.
During the September and October of 1989, Czechoslovakians closely
followed protests in East Germany. As the authority of the East German
regime disintegrated, its citizens were allowed to travel to other East Bloc
countries, allegedly for “vacations,” but in fact as a subterfuge for emigra-
tion to the West. Many entered the West German embassy in Prague to
apply for visas, until it overflowed. After a few weeks, the Czechs simply
put the refugees on trains to the West. Meanwhile, in Berlin, mass protests
occurred at the Wall, culminating on the night of November 9, when the
government opened the gates so the East Germans could walk out.
Czech events were only a few weeks behind those in Berlin. Environ-
mental grievances were the pretext. Brontosaurus held bigger rallies
and sharpened its complaints. On November 11, thousands rallied in
Teplice to protest air pollution and two days later thousands rallied in
Prague to defend a park. Over the next two weeks the demonstrations
became larger and incorporated groups beyond the environmentalists.
On the 16th thousands of students rallied in Bratislava, and the next