In the Boston Globe, Cathy Young notes that while Greenpeace Warriors love to vilify the global warming doubters (“shills of Exxon!”) the environmentalistism movement gathers support because its goals dovetail with traditional liberal values:
People can easily see economic motives to bend the facts and abuse the science. Ideological motives are less readily apparent, but no less real; and, for quite a few people, environmentalism has become a matter of not just ideology but quasi-religious zealotry.Furthermore, it’s important that climate change solutions be the right solutions:
Similarly, those on the left who embrace environmentalism as their substitute religion don't want to hear about scientific and technological solutions to climate change -- from nuclear power to geoengineering, the artificial manipulation of the global environment -- that do not include stepping up regulation and curbing consumption.Finally, let’s not forget the feel-good, self-esteem high of the American Left:
The principal feature of American liberalism is sanctimoniousness. By loudly denouncing all bad things — war and hunger and date rape — liberals testify to their own terrific goodness. More important, they promote themselves to membership in a self-selecting elite of those who care deeply about such things.... It's a kind of natural aristocracy, and the wonderful thing about this aristocracy is that you don't have to be brave, smart, strong or even lucky to join it, you just have to be liberal.If I use that quote a lot, it’s because liberals love to revel in their self-regarding solipsism but, like paying taxes, feel that somebody else should do the heavy lifting. If the global warming fanatics truly believe we’re on the cusp of a terraforming meltdown, the colleges would be jammed with environmental sciences majors searching for a solution. Instead, they’re picking up cans, playing hacky sack, and scolding the rest of us in the manner proscribed by Lord Protector Al Gore.
Update - Bad link fixed. That last quote was from P.J. O'Rourke.
6 comments:
"The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding."
~~ Louis D. Brandeis
About sums up the global warming nuts. This from a man who endorsed Eugenics and with O.W. Holmes ruled in it's favor.
If I use that quote a lot, it’s because liberals love to revel in their self-regarding solipsism but, like paying taxes, feel that somebody else should do the heavy lifting. If the global warming fanatics truly believe we’re on the cusp of a terraforming meltdown, the colleges would be jammed with environmental sciences majors searching for a solution. Instead, they’re picking up cans, playing hacky sack, and scolding the rest of us in the manner proscribed by Lord Protector Al Gore.
Ah, applesauce! When are you quitting your job and beginning your new career as an on-the-ground actuarial economist, taking personal responsibility for the reversal of Social Security's future woes?
I don't know at what point this became a central ploy in American discourse. That the act of identifying a problem automatically obligates the speaker to provide a full solution, or else step aside.
But that cracked premise really worked electoral wonders for the GOP in 2006, huh?
Hawking: Climate Change Worse Than Terror
From Associated Press
January 17, 2007 9:57 AM EST
LONDON - Scientist Stephen Hawking described climate change Wednesday as a greater threat to the planet than terrorism.
...Hawking warned that "as citizens of the world, we have a duty to alert the public to the unnecessary risks that we live with every day."
What a solipsistic, sanctomonious, all-talk-no-results scold! Just another liberal blabbermouth, promoting himself to the self-selecting elite without even needing to be smart.
I thought I was an actuarial for Social Security, chugging out a mountain of numbers.
You can lead a horse to water...
Meanwhile, Al Gore also chugs out a mountain of numbers. But he's a quasi-religious fanatic, and an elitist who does none of the heavy lifting.
Carry on rescuing us all, you brave, smart, strong and lucky Army Of One!
Bjorn Lomberg? Run away!
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