Environmentalism As Religion, Religion As Environmentalism

[♦ nivek ♦]

Environmentalism as religion, religion as environmentalism

Liberty & Power

by Steven Horwitz

 

"I give you the subject header of an email that just came across our

faculty/staff listserv, courtesy of the Chaplain's Office: 'Christian

Ash Wednesday: Why not give up carbon for Lent?' Now the idea was not

literally to 'give up carbon' altogether, although that would make

Rand's characterization of environmentalism as 'death worship' much

less hyperbolic than I've always believed it to be. Rather, it was an

exhortation to reduce energy usage on the margin. Still, it does serve

as a reminder of what many have seen as the disturbing parallels

between much of organized religion and popular forms of

environmentalism." (02/06/08)

 

http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/47132.html

[florduh]

I've always thought extreme environmentalism, particularly the Global Warming sect, was indistinguishable from religion. By extreme I mean the people who view the human race as a pox upon the Earth. The world would be a beautiful, perfect place if evil Man hadn't ruined it.

 

Now, I am quite into preserving the natural world as much as possible myself, but I don't have to hate myself in the process for owning a car and driving on paved street. Fanaticism always makes the headlines, but the movement may really be growing due to political pressure and ad campaigns. One article that provided me a little balance some time ago is this one:

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jh...4/09/do0907.xml

 

I don't think we humans have a greater impact on this planet than the rest of the evolutionary factors the Earth has seen over the millennia. The global warming mantra or "the sky is falling" concept is a lot like waiting for the Rapture. I don't believe any of the prophets of doom. It's a business I don't have to buy from.

 

- Chris

[Guest Marty]

I've always thought extreme environmentalism, particularly the Global Warming sect, was indistinguishable from religion. By extreme I mean the people who view the human race as a pox upon the Earth. The world would be a beautiful, perfect place if evil Man hadn't ruined it.

 

That Leech I was ranting about the other day is EXACTLY like this...I even would tell him back in the day how he would make a perfect xtian.

 

That said though, humans are somewhat of a pox for mother earth at this point in time. We are fast approaching 6.5 billion people on the planet, and a mere 50 years ago there were only 2.5 billion. That is some crazy growth. It is not just the extra mouths to feed, but the extra sewage generated by the extra people, not to mention the other resources so many people consume. We are straining this planet well past what it can comfortably support.

 

Now, I'm not a freak-o environmentalist, but I do kinda view us as a mold growing on a piece of bread. We will just keep growing and consuming without thinking of anything untill there is nothing left. Reminds me alot of that story "Who moved my cheese".

 

*EDIT* I think this is more a function of the fact that we are wired to see only short term cause/effect. Something that benifits us now will be utilised, without much thought as to what will happen 100 or 10,000 years in the future because we will not be around then. It's not that we can't extrapolate into the future, just that we usually don't.