The paper attempts to juxtapose the theoretical debate on sustainability and the practical issues pertaining to two well-known environmental movements in the Indian Himalayan region of Tehri-Garhwal. A brief review of the current debate on sustainable development is followed by a search for the reasons behind the growth of consciousness about sustainability in the forest protection movement called Chipko and a movement against a high dam at Tehri. While the presence of indigenous consciousness of sustainability at micro-levels is undeniable, the success of these movements in generating it at the macro level is linked with the leadership's capability to extract supporting arguments in their favor, from modern ecological sciences.