Yes, environmental crisis is a recent phenomenon. The environment has been able to perform its functions without any interruption till the resource extraction was not above the rate of regeneration of the resource and the wastes generated were within the assimilating capacity of the environment. But today, environment fails to perform its third and vital function of life sustenance resulting in an environmental crisis.
The rising population of the developing countries and the affluent consumption and production standards of the developed world have placed a huge stress on the environment in terms of its two functions. Many resources have become extinct and the wastes generated are beyond the i absorptive capacity of the environment. As a result, we are today at the threshold of environmental crisis.