As I have attempted to live a bit of a greener lifestyle I have been dismayed at the incessant leak of politics into the attempt to be a conservationist. My friends on the right think I am going left wing nutbar on them, and those I talk to in the green movement seem to think I believe global warming is both a scientific fact and man made.
I find it unfortunate that if we are dealing with scientific fact there needs to be such partisanship surronding matters, but I do not think we are when it comes to global warming. Do greens really think conservatives and businesses are so "greedy" that they would ignore such a problem if the science behind it were truly confirmed? Well perhaps they do, but I don't believe so. Additionally, I am always put on guard when disagreement is met with ad honomin attacks and appeals to authority. We are after all discussing facts about our environment and the Earth, not some religious belief. If the facts are as strong as the global warming disciples believe then why is there such appeal to emotionalism, degrading of their opponents, and appeal to half baked or disputed science?
I am happy to call myself a conservationist. Saving energy and materials, and developing technologies to provide for more less expensive energy in the future makes sense to me. Screaming about the sky falling and the world needing to don a green hair shirt in the name of green holiness does not. Particularly troubling is the lack of belief that even if such is needed the choice should be a colentary one. If I wish to donate to A Real Tree, or recycle, or use CFLs then I may pay the extra and do so. Forcing me, or anyone, to do so, and on half baked scientific fact at that, is dictatorial and irrational.
I hope as I strive to conserve what I enjoy from Mother Nature that I can find fellow workers who are more interested in helping out the environment, rather then blindly following the latest green fad or trying to convert me to the way of the green hair shirt.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment