Environmental Art is a very broad term. It embraces a variety of practices and movements such as, and not limited to, land art, earth art, sustainable art, and conceptual art. As a movement, environmental art emerged in the 1960s. The leading artists associated with this type of art included Jean-Max Albert, Piotr Kowalski, Nils Udo and Robert Smithson. Although we associate environmentalism as a recent phenomenon, it is not a new concept. Early interest in the environment was a feature of the romantic movement in the early 19th century. The poet William Wordsworth had traveled extensively in the Lake District and wrote that it is a "sort of national property in which every man has a right and interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy." The origins of this movement can be traced to the industrial revolution when there was an outpouring of response to increasing levels of smoke pollution in the atmosphere. Even before that time, we could argue that environmental art began with the paleolithic cave paintings of our ancestors. The cave paintings represented aspects of nature important to early humans such as animals and human figures. Although currently there is no strict definition of environmental art, it spans scientific, social, and political areas and primarily addresses environmental issues. The movement also encompasses other topics of concern such as climate change and the climate movement. The impact of environmental art spans the globe and is represented by a range of organizations from regional grassroots groups to large entities with many different expressions that vary from country to country. Many of the artists who identify with the environmental movement have explored the relationship between mankind and the natural environment. These artists are often concerned about ecology, health, and human rights issues and dedicate their art to these subjects. The creators of environmental art help us understand nature, the eco-systems, the environmental forces and materials to be aware of, and the damaged environmental areas of concern. Needless to say, artists who are dedicated to pursuing the many areas of environmental art play an important role in the art world as well as our society. They raise awareness about the multi-faceted and serious environmental problems facing our planet.