True environmentalists want to save the earth, fake ones want to slay an enemy

It’s really not good to pick on certain classes of people, because generalizations of any scope at all are normally harmful. It is far too easy to go from a benign one like “all humans breathe” to the easy, petty, misinformed ones like “all xxxx’s drive like idiots”. It is almost a certainty that some element of the “xxxx” subset includes a highly skilled driver that could kick my ass.

Having said that, engineers are safe to go after, because they are emotionless like Terminators. They would shoot down a generalization with a cold stare and a comment that, statistically, said stereotype is unlikely to be true in every instance. The fun part about engineering stereotypes though is that it is safe to dwell on the legendary devotion to efficiency. Their university years, when not stone-cold drunk, aim at the engineering ethos of efficient construction, minimization of waste, and rational use of materials.

Hanging around with real environmentalists is very similar, a trait that reinforces a stereotypical similarity to engineers, but also breaks the mainstream generalization. Real environmentalists tend to have a consistent focus on making things better, more efficient, or with a smaller footprint. They tinker, they plant things, they study R–values of insulation, they drive slowly, they find creative ways to reuse what is otherwise junk to many people.

The beauty of what they do is that they truly care about the earth and the environment. They don’t like seeing more mountains levelled to get a supply of some metal or mineral when they know there are dumpsters full of it. They don’t like burning 10 gallons of fuel when they know 5 can do the same thing with a bit of effort or thought.

The reputation and title of true environmentalists has, however, been stolen. New armies of people have adopted the title because it feels good, and they like to live in association with the hard-earned stereotype of efficiency of environmental stewardship, but they have other objectives in mind. We now see a breed of self-styled “environmentalist” that seeks to destroy an enemy.

It’s not hard to see this, in fact it’s impossible not to. Many of the examples are so clear as to be almost farcical. Witness Green New Deal advocates who have an agenda that refuses to allow for carbon capture and sequestration. As even the UN/IPCC point out, carbon sequestration is required under all their scenarios . How is it possible to exclude something that is clearly beneficial to the environment, in a policy built around the environment?

It’s not hard at all to fight carbon capture, if the goal isn’t really protecting the environment. The goal of the carbon capture-exclusion is to punish and exterminate traditional energy companies. Proponents of the GND that want to exclude carbon capture therefore are not environmentalists, they are ideologues.

Please keep this distinction in mind when reading about “environmentalists”. True environmentalists are a noble breed, dedicated to minimizing their footprint on earth, and utilizing resources wisely. They are devotees of efficiency. Fake environmentalists have a tell, a burning hatred of various elements of society and a wish to destroy. It is well worth the while to sort the wheat from the chaff, particularly when the chaff is running for office.

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