The thing is being eco-conscious makes us feel good, so you're not going to like it if someone tells you how grossly inefficient something like recycling can be. I'm not going to get into it because there's not a lot of use in arguing about something that most people put a lot of blind faith into without any solid background. I recommend anyone interested read a smart and funny article about environmentalism by Dr. Stephen Landsburg, economist and professor at the University of Rochester. He's my idol.Why I Am Not An Environmentalist: The Science of Economics Versus The Religion of Ecology
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"Environmentalism" is a pretty broad topic. If recycling sucks, perhaps that should have been the subject of your review.
I have no use for those ELF guys who set Jeep Cherokees on fire, or Al Gore and his dubious climate models (and the 5 million yuppies who kiss his ass every day), but the fact remains that most countries in the world, especially the third world, are chopping down their forests, washing their topsoil downstream, and destroying biodiversity that could, in the long run, be worth millions to the pharmeceutical and eco-tourism industries.
Nature makes humans happy and whole. And if economics can (charitably) be called a science, so can evolutionary aesthetics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biophilia
Sorry. There was a typo.
I think his point that the current middle-class American environmentalist ideology is both a distinct political stance and a quasi-religious belief that transcends (or ignores) reason is a good one. But his dismissal of his childrens' teachers' "provincial" upbringing is smug and obnoxious, and his refusal to discuss which aspects of their agenda he found so objectionable is a cop-out, and a lazy abuse of the pluralist ethic. As long as people are going to live together, they'll benefit from more dialogue, not less, and hiding in black boxes doesn't do anyone any good. Ms. Environmentalism and Mr. Economics are going to have to get together really soon and have a baby called Realism, or we're all gonna be in trouble.
Often times Landsburg goes on a tirade forgetting to explicitly point out what things he finds objectionable, however I think it's evident there's a group with a moral superiority who place their own values above others. To have people pushing their beliefs on me as morally superior is certainly akin to the Fundamentalist Christians in the Right. They prey on people's fears using myths and superstitions to move people toward action. I think that's his underlying tone and it's absolutely right on. Many environmentalists are more concerned with the ideology of environmentalism and less concerned with legitimate answers to problems.
Also, who is to say these third world countries aren't happy to wash away some soil in exchange for higher incomes and a better standard of living? You can't really place a higher value on the rainforests tomorrow because in the future they could boost other industries (because then you're implying whatever industries are making the most of those forests today are less important, and perhaps that's because you would enjoy a boost in eco-tourism tomorrow, while I might enjoy more paper today). It's a matter of competing preferences between us, but neither one of us is right or wrong because of that. The issue is that there are costs (unintended consequences) often associated with technological innovation. The purpose of economics is to balance those two things in the most efficient manner possible. I'm happy to accept some level of pollution in exchange for some level of income. There's a balance somewhere. Also, I considered economics a science soon after I almost flunked out of Game Theory.
Ooooo, controversy. Fun!
Thanks for cleaning up my mess of deleted comments.
I'd like to continue this conversation, but I'm on my way out the door to French camp so I'm kinda short on time. I'll try to summarize Mr. Landsburg's arguments in point form for further consideration, but it might take me a day or four to get to it.
Unless, of course, you want to beat me to it :D
No problem, I'll be waiting. I'm glad you're friendly when it comes to differences of opinion. Is that a Canadian attitude? If so, you're making me like Canada more.
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