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Overview
The term 'tree-hugger' originated in the 1970s with the Chipko movement in India, where villagers hugged trees to prevent commercial logging. The word later spread to the United States, gaining negative connotations in the 1990s before being reclaimed by younger generations.
Key Details
Origin in India
The Chipko movement (1973–1980) in the Himalayas involved rural villagers hugging hornbeam trees to protest commercial exploitation by the Indian government and an international company. The movement was inspired by Gandhian nonviolent resistance and led to a ban on tree cutting in the area.
Earlier Bishnoi Legend
According to environmentalist Vandana Shiva, in 1730 members of the Bishnoi faith in Khejarli died protecting Khejri trees from the ruler of Jodhpur. Historian Ramachandra Guha notes this story is a 'popular myth' without historical evidence.
US Usage
The term appeared in US writing as early as 1965, when an Associated Press article reported on conservationists protesting a highway through Jackson Park, Chicago. The word gained negative political use in the 1990s, notably when Newt Gingrich was labeled a 'tree-hugger' after appearing in a climate ad with Nancy Pelosi.
Modern Reclamation
Environmental author Leah Thomas states that Gen Z has embraced 'tree-hugger' as a positive term, associating it with ecofeminism and activists like Julia Butterfly Hill, who lived in a redwood tree for 738 days.
"Gen Z has embraced 'tree-hugger' as a positive term, associating it with ecofeminism and activists like Julia Butterfly Hill."
Background
The term 'tree-hugger' is used to describe environmentalists advocating for forest preservation. Its earliest known use is from the Chipko movement, where 'Chipko' means 'to hug' in Hindi. The movement combined social justice and environmental sustainability, according to historian Guha.