Environmental stewardship is a good way to sell environmentalism to the right. The idea that we own the land and don't want to recklessly destroy our own property is a powerful one.
As an aside I'd like to talk about a phrase that really jumped out at me. "The Left has spent their time pouring large amounts of resources into finding ways to change peoples’ values rather than harnessing the values they already have." That is in my opinion the greatest problem with all social engineering. The Soviets wanted to build a country on a New Man. But the Soviet Man never materialized. One of the reasons I favor free markets is that the expectation is that people will act in their own best interests. This is far more often the case than people acting in the best interest of the society or the state.
This plays into my own environmentalism. There are people who want to save the earth FROM humanity. I see that as dangerous and leading into very inhumane practices (China's failed one child policy for instance). I want to save the earth FOR humanity. I want the kind of material progress that is taken for granted in the USA to be possible around the world. I am generally more concerned with saving human lives than any particular natural resource. I wish more people were.
Environmental stewardship is a good way to sell environmentalism to the right. The idea that we own the land and don't want to recklessly destroy our own property is a powerful one.
As an aside I'd like to talk about a phrase that really jumped out at me. "The Left has spent their time pouring large amounts of resources into finding ways to change peoples’ values rather than harnessing the values they already have." That is in my opinion the greatest problem with all social engineering. The Soviets wanted to build a country on a New Man. But the Soviet Man never materialized. One of the reasons I favor free markets is that the expectation is that people will act in their own best interests. This is far more often the case than people acting in the best interest of the society or the state.
This plays into my own environmentalism. There are people who want to save the earth FROM humanity. I see that as dangerous and leading into very inhumane practices (China's failed one child policy for instance). I want to save the earth FOR humanity. I want the kind of material progress that is taken for granted in the USA to be possible around the world. I am generally more concerned with saving human lives than any particular natural resource. I wish more people were.
Great points! I think you hit the nail right on with your points!