JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST: A CONTINUITY OF ECOLOGICAL CHALLENGES

Abstract

While ecological challenges are more and more systematically placed at the heart of the news, with the multiplication of activist groups carrying out sometimes violent actions of protest, it is usual to consider that environmental degradation is relatively recent. It is true that the first alarmist reports date from the early 1970s. However, numerous historical studies underline that ecological challenges were extremely significant as early as the Middle Ages in Europe, which forced political authorities to intervene to successfully limit environmental degradation in cities. A review of history sheds light on current issues, highlighting the importance of political interventionism to meet ecological challenges.