“The Death of Environmentalism—Global Warming Politics in a Post-Environmental World,” by Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus, excerpted on the left, was released at the October 2004 Environmental Grantmakers Association conference in Hawaii. It has been discussed in publications ranging from the New York Times to The Economist. The two are founding partners of American Environics, a research and strategy company.… return to article
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Reader Comments (13)Page 1 of 1 pagesI disagree with Mr. Shellenberger’s notion of what “the big question” is. IMHO, the big question is: how do we re-capture our government back from its conservative corporate corrupters? That’s the biggest question of all. Once that is accomplished, most social problems will begin to solve themselves without much stratagizing.
Posted by Lefty on Jun 23, 2005 at 6:08 AM This article is just categorically incorrect. It’s pure political fiction. Global warming has discredited in numerous scientific articles. SUV’s and other large cars are, actually, more fuel-efficient than smaller cars. In point of fact, this administration has helped the forests of this great land by producing less fossil fuels and emissions. And the president is committed to reforming the restrictive environmental laws currently in place to ‘free up’ companies so they can really help the environment, despite opposition from the ruling Democrats. In point of fact, the liberal media has conspired with the ultra-left to spread disinformation about the environment. They hate America, and what we stand for. They can’t take it that we won the election and they didn’t. Now, stop aiding the terrorists and join me, Satan… ok wait-lemme just take my heart meds…
Posted by dick c. on Jun 23, 2005 at 6:42 AM Seriously, though, the lynchpin to contemporary politics is international trade. Whatever its other merits or problems, free trade has the habit of inhibiting governments from spending and regulating the economy, by allowing investors to pack up and leave if they don’t like how things are handled, and through deflationary pressures. In order to pave the way for a realistic revival of progressive policies, the first major task will be to regulate international capital flows. But in order to do that, you first need a political movement strong enough to challenge 50 years of free-trade multilateralism. But to be strong enough to do that, the progressive movement must have tangible benefits to offer people. But to have that, you need to regulate capital controls. But to… you see the problem.
Posted by Matthew K. on Jun 23, 2005 at 8:33 AM Matthew K.;
It’s my opinion we should be positioning ourselves for the coming collapse of global capitalism. It’s going to hit the ordinary US citizen particularily hard as our credit driven consumer economy has nothing to fall back on, and all the crows come to feed on our rotting corpse.
The old slogan of ‘Think Globally, Act Locally’ will acquire new meaning, as well as the SOF dictum to ‘live simply that others may simply live’.
Posted by luminous beauty on Jun 23, 2005 at 11:14 AM Mathtew,
That is just so much neo-liberal bull shit that could only be uttered by someone with very limited life experience.
A few years extra years in the real world, maybe spent experiencing how most folks of the barely working class have to struggle to make ends meet on their ever decreasing salaries would serve you well. Abstract speculation is all well and good. Can it hold up to the empirical test? The political lynch pin is and ought to be preserving the quality of life here, in our own backyards before we go off meddling in other people’s affairs. Your trust in capitalists is absurdly naive.
---a working class opinion
Posted by works for a living on Jun 24, 2005 at 4:36 AM Works:
What are you talking about? Did you actually read what I wrote? There was nothing even vaguely “neoliberal” about it. I never advocated “meddling in other people’s affairs,” nor “trust in capitalists.” Please re-read the comment.
Luminous:
Global capitalism may or may not collapse. We should be prepared for either eventuality.
Posted by Matthew K. on Jun 24, 2005 at 8:43 AM I must have been on an acid trip
when I posted the above comments.
It was precisely the 50 year failure
of all liberal, Keynesian and New
Deal-Great Society policies that
brought the Right to power.
Government at all levels is the
problem, not the solution.
Matthew K, you will collapse long
before capitalism.
Why do you take up so much space to
say so little ?
Posted by Lefty on Jun 30, 2005 at 2:06 PM The big disappointment with democrats is that they have not seen fit to challenge the GW administration loud or hard enough. Now we have Iraq,no foreign policy or diplomacy.
Progressives probaly became a bit complacent and with no party to represent them. Below are a number of issues but are they progressive, moderate or left issues.
When it comes to environmental issues moderates from both sides of the aisle were smart enough to
realize the advantage of environmental protection. Now there is no both sides of the aisle to count on so I believe going local is where the the issues will be won. The current administration simply does not give a damn.Environmentalists need to become very active and begin educating the public all over again. We have a generation or two who grew up not in the late 60’s through the 70’s so may not understand
why we must be concerned. On the other hand the polluters have changed their approach and how they market themselves...they did not become complacent.There is a lot of talk about abortion. It should always be the woman ‘s right to choose. Then so many say it’s the female’s problem and should not be allowed to choose because the woman decided to have unprotected sex...what a bunch of BS and a great distraction from things such as environmental issues.
The man more often than not gets a ticket to ride free. Did the man also decide to have unprotected sex or was the man just stupid? Men in most cases are rarely pursued most likley because men are the majority of decision makers. Most of our elected decision makers are probaly as horny as any woman as some have “other” children that substantiate the fact.
This whole issue of abortion rights is certainly distracting from more important issues such as the neocons ripping off the the nations bill paying group aka the middle class. Every time this issue is presented by a politician someone needs to say mind your own damn business and bring jobs back to america, provide socialized medicine, bring on public financing of state and federal elections, do away with electronic voting because computers can be programmed to say any damn thing, get on with complete funding of public education,the pollution of our environment AGAIN, bring on alternative energy and stop wasting our money and killing innocent humans, including our soldiers, in Iraq. The so called 40 year old war against drugs is bogus so bring the money home and spend it on all of the veterans benefits that GW BUSH has wiped out. NO SOCIAL SECURITY MONEY TO WALL STREET.
Since Wal-Mart is waging war on public education no more local,state or federal tax exemptions for them. Cut them off and stop shopping Wal-Mart.
Posted by merrill on Jul 3, 2005 at 12:07 PM One more thing..Environmemtal destruction began with the Reagan administration and his corporate cabinet. Additionally the bogus Christian Coalition began to take over the republican party
and Jerry Falwell is convinced that is now the case which according to Jerry required a bundle of dough and 25 years. Now environmentally regulations are being flushed down the toilet.Real republicans need to wise up and stop voting for someone just because they call themselves republicans. Many real republicans are without a party.
All of the above have created problems for the environment and many other areas.
Posted by merrill on Jul 3, 2005 at 12:21 PM Patronize WalMart’s and boycott those
state brainwashing factories known as
“public schools.”
Socialized medicine is a horrible idea,
Merrill is living in the left dark ages.
Read Capitalism by George Reisman and see
the light.
Posted by Martin on Jul 8, 2005 at 1:32 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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