Many of us take this responsibility serious.
And, since liberals have been most passionate in advocating for these things, we owe them a debt of gratitude.
However, governmental environmentalism is one of those areas where the principle of "too much of a good thing is not good," and the law of unintended negative consequence (LUNC) raises its ugly head. What started out as a pragmatic approach for humans to live sustainably in a healthy and beautiful world, and where mankind and the earth were viewed as friends, has since, in the main, run a-muck towards eco-extremism, where even the very existence of man is viewed as a curse and enemy of the planet, if not also the universe. As John Hayward explains: "Another component of that shift in attitudes is the way humanity changes from wise steward of natural resources to planet-wrecking menace in the eyes of the environmental community.....environmentalism became anti-human. They came to view humanity as a plague. Its industries were regarded as toxic, unclean, almost Satanic."
I also like how Jerry Taylor sardonically puts it: "The political terrain on which the environmental debate is conducted today is defined almost entirely by the premises of the orthodox environmental community. They maintain that ecological resources are by definition public commons that must be centrally planned and stewarded by bureaucratic agents lest they be recklessly despoiled by industry. Moreover, central planners must have not only nearly complete veto power over private actions that might affect the environment; they also must be empowered to stipulate how much pollution is acceptable and exactly how each business is to go about controlling emissions and even, in some circumstances, how products are manufactured. The inescapable differences between millions of pollution sinks, environmental carrying capacities, and manufacturing processes are inevitably blurred and “averaged” in one-size-fits-all regulations that — while not always efficient or environmentally optimal — at least have the virtue of requiring fewer than a million regulators."
Ironically, in their zeal to save the environment, "green" advocates have often made the environment worse. According the knowyouknow.net here are some specific examples: government-mandated recycling "produces more pollution than making new paper, glass, and plastic! 13 of the top Superfund hazardous waste sites were once recycling center." Biofuels "actually have a bigger carbon footprint than simply using fossil fuel, because they require the clearing of land for agriculture, AND the farmers use fossil fuels to run their farm equipment." Hybrid car "batteries are so bad for the environment that you probably can’t drive one long enough to make up for the damage, before the battery goes bad and you need a new one, causing the problem all over again." Forest Fires:"Laws preventing the clearing of wood from “wild” areas, combined with efforts to prevent small forest fires, set up “tinderbox” situations, and are the reason the gigantic wildfires end up engulfing large areas." Styrofoam: "It requires more energy to make food wrappers out of recycled paper than it does to make them out of Styrofoam…so people who have pushed companies into doing so are creating a LARGER carbon footprint, and wasting more energy
What’s more, it requires more paper than Styrofoam, to do the same job, so that recycled paper/cups/whatever produce more trash. They also do not biodegrade, even though made of paper." And the list goes on (see linked web page above for additional examples and documentation).
[Update: 5/7/2017: Climate of Unintended Consequences: Biofuels]
[Update 8/19/2015: Clean Energy Job Act did Little but Enrich Consultants]
In the weeks to come, I will examine specific environmental causes like global warming, recycling, Agenda 21, green initiatives, population control, DDT, liberal energy policies, etc., but here I wish to list the LUNCs of environmentalism in general:
For an explanation as to why these Leftist energy LUNCs occur, please see: Gov: Wrong Tool for the Right Job - Strength in Number, Elitism and Specialization, and Cold Nanny as well as The Politics of Compassion, Emotions, Ignorance, Denial, Blame-Shifting, and Victimization
Documentation:
Federal Budget FY 2013, environmental expenditures:
To see just how bloated government environmentalism has become, here are the 2013 budget expenditures for several key environment-related federal departments or agencies: EPA $8.13 Billion; Dept of Energy $28.4 billion; Dept. of Interior $$11.7 billion. In addition:
Costly and deleterious expansion of government (power and land grabs):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_movement_in_the_United_States#Federal_legislation_in_the_1970s
http://stockman.house.gov/media-center/blog-posts/environementalisms-seven-deadliest-most-destructive-power-grabs
http://perc.org/articles/environmental-federalism-2
http://capitalresearch.org/pubs/pdf/v1296610422.pdf
http://www.dailyiowan.com/2009/04/24/Opinions/11194.html
http://perc.org/blog/where-environmentalism-went-wrong
http://www.washington.edu/uwpress/search/books/DRALOV.html
http://www.thenewamerican.com/reviews/books/item/6445-newts-contract-with-the-earth-pseudo-science-big-government
http://junksciencesidebar.com/2011/10/10/shocking-costs-of-environmentalism/
Abuse of power and potential totalitarianism:
http://epaabuse.com/
http://epaabuse.com/403/videos/the-anti-human-mindset-of-environmentalists/
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/epas-abuse-power_590334.html
http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/041213-651763-irs-reads-emails-while-epa-shares-farmer-data.htm
http://sigmundcarlandalfred.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/scorning-the-propaganda-of-fear-are-the-politics-of-environmentalism-totalitarian/
http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2013/04/19/keystone-xl-opponents-hypocritically-talk-property-rights
http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/lt1800/the-regulatory-landscape-in-america-a-morass-of-re
http://epaabuse.com/3735/book-reviews/new-book-surveys-radical-environmentalists-anti-human-movement/
http://netrightdaily.com/2012/09/government-of-by-and-for-the-epa/
http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/584658/Prevent-EPA-s-Abuse-of-Power.html?nav=511
http://www.freedomforallseasons.org/FishMythsRonEwart/Another%20victim%20falls%20to%20government%20abuse.htm
http://drtimball.com/2012/un-abuse-of-precautionary-principle-lets-them-ignore-corrupt-climate-science/
Fraud, Hoax, Scam, and waste of tax dollars:
http://www.middlebury.net/op-ed/global-warming-01.html
http://www.akdart.com/warming9.html
http://washingtonexaminer.com/national-editorial-obama-keeps-rolling-the-dice-on-green-energy/article/2524497
http://libertywatch.info/localgovernment/city-of-loveland/renewable-energy-fraud-waste-and-environmental-degradation/
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/02/24/Auto-Battery-Company-Repays-824K-in-Wasted-Stimulus-Funds
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Scientists-side-with-Drakes-Bay-oyster-farmer-3242873.php
http://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/benefit_vs_cost.htm
http://www.globalclimatescam.com/category/real-science/
http://www.energytribune.com/71647/obamas-bonfire-of-green-energy-inanities#sthash.0ZTAPB5R.dpbs
http://capoliticalnews.com/2013/04/17/democrats-waste-to-harm-environmentwaste-money-with-paper-bags/
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/shovel-ready-san-fran-205075-translocate-one-shrub-path-stimulus-project
http://scottrhymer.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/academic-fraud-government-complicity-and-environmental-stupidity-in-california/
http://www.fightingmalaria.org/article.aspx?id=1946
http://web.williams.edu/HistSci/curriculum/101/garbage.html
http://bigthink.com/dangerous-ideas/14-recycling-is-a-waste
Doesn't work, and is harmful to the environment and humans:
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/fischer/070921
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/08/a-carbon-tax-would-harm-us-competitiveness-and-low-income-americans-without-helping-the-environment
http://environmentblog.ncpa.org/how-the-rise-of-trendy-environmentalism-is-harming-the-environment/
http://www.rightwingnews.com/column-2/environmentalism-and-human-sacrifice/
http://butnowyouknow.net/truth-vs-myth/going-green-is-bad-for-the-environment/
http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/government-versus-the-environment#axzz2VqcPE2ZY
http://www.amazon.com/Eco-Fads-Trendy-Environmentalism-Harming-Environment/dp/0615486142
http://bennett.com/blog/2005/08/environmentalist-junk-science-kills/
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/07/21/environmentalists-bad-for-the-environment-former-leader-says/
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/_commentary-saving_the_environ.htm
http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/10/06/electric-cars-hurt-environment/
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Delusions-Environmentalist-Critique-Environmentalism/dp/0822314746
http://fosterfriess.com/campfire-blog/2012/06/27/environmentalists-hurting-the-environment-and-actual-humans/
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/erikajohnsen/2012/05/13/federal_forest_fire_policy_powerful_environmentalists_hurting_the_environment
http://www.intellectualconservative.com/article3340.htmlhttp://www.intellectualconservative.com/article3340.html
http://antigreen.blogspot.com/2012/01/environmentalists-are-bad-for.html
http://www.crisismagazine.com/2013/how-environmentalism-harms-the-poor
http://pushback.com/issues/environment/environmental-fraud/
http://bigthink.com/dangerous-ideas/14-recycling-is-a-waste
http://www.thelandofthefree.net/conservativeopinion/2010/06/14/environmentalism-hurts-the-environment/
Self-admitted failure:
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/science-matters/2012/05/the-fundamental-failure-of-environmentalism/
http://www.thebreakthrough.org/images/Death_of_Environmentalism.pdf
http://www.corporateknights.com/article/are-environmentalists-hurting-their-own-cause
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/environmental_failure_a_case_for_a_new_green_politics/2075/
http://worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/the-failures-of-environmentalism-20-years-after-the-promises-of-rio-summit/c1s5629/
http://socialistworker.org/blog/critical-reading/2010/12/01/failure-mainstream-environment
http://itstheecologystupid.com/2012/09/09/failure-of-environmentalism/
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/politics/news-redeeming-our-metaphors-why-environmentalism-failing
http://www.heartsandminds.org/articles/envir.htm
http://www.wpi.edu/News/TechNews/010214/radicalism.shtml
At odds with the economy, bad for the poor, infringe on civil rights:
http://www.nationalcenter.org/NPA357.html
http://web.mit.edu/polisci/mpepp/environment_&_economy.htm
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kevin-mooney/2009/10/19/anti-human-environmentalism-jeopardizes-civil-rights-american-freedom-
http://www.crpe-ej.org/crpe/images/stories/media/4-1-11_Cap-n-Trade_OpED_FINAL.pdf
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/08/a-carbon-tax-would-harm-us-competitiveness-and-low-income-americans-without-helping-the-environment
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/may/11/greg-johnson-environmentalists-agriculture-poor/
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/05/13/environmentalists-are-hurting-the-us-economy/
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/fischer/070921
http://www.good.is/posts/how-carbon-trading-hurts-the-poor
http://www.herinst.org/sbeder/envpolitics/pacific2.html#.UbYx_NiABEI
http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/maritanoon/2013/05/05/environmentalists-killing-us-economy-n1587340/page/full
http://www.newgeography.com/content/00671-how-elite-environmentalists-impoverish-blue-collar-americans
http://news.heartland.org/editorial/2004/04/01/environmentalists-unrealistic-demands-hurt-poor-and-minorities
http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/ead/pub/032/032_c2.pdf
http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/how-environmentalist-extremism-hurts-the-poorest-developing-countries/
http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/021313-644355-obama-unveils-job-killing-cap-and-tax-plan.htm
http://www.governing.com/columns/eco-engines/Do-Environmental-Regulations-Hurt.html
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1847409,00.html
http://www.gallup.com/poll/161594/americans-prioritize-economy-environment.aspx
http://www.netbalance.com/blog/b/environment-vs-economy
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/goldsmi.htm
http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2013/05/environmentalists-are-hurting-the-us-economy-2647658.html
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp4.htm
Corruption and junking up of science:
There is a simple formula to explain how environmentalism has corrupted and junked-up science: 1) liberal philosophies, like environmentalism, governs the mainstream media, 2) the mainstream media helps set public opinion, 3) public opinion sets politics, 4) politics sets governmental funding, 5) government funding helps set scientific agendas, 6) scientific agendas set which scientific theories get monitized, published, and credibalized, and 8) Scientists conform to the agenda, or perish. In short, in order to keep from perishing, many scientists have paid their meal-tickets by echoing back to liberals and the public what they want to hear, regardless whether it defies good science or not. Call it: systemic confirmation bias. Here's the evidence:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/5438844/Scientists-faking-results-and-omitting-unwanted-findings-in-research.html
http://scottrhymer.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/academic-fraud-government-complicity-and-environmental-stupidity-in-california/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Global-Warming-Blunder/dp/1594033730
http://www.sweetliberty.org/issues/environment/ozonefreon_fraud.htm
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/12/27/climate-change-and-the-corruption-of-science-where-did-it-all-go-wrong/
http://www.pocatelloshops.com/new_blogs/politics/?p=5513
http://www.greenworldtrust.org.uk/Science/Debate.htm
http://ricochet.com/main-feed/Ike-s-Warning-Beware-the-Corruption-of-Science
http://junkscience.com/
http://drtimball.com/2012/un-abuse-of-precautionary-principle-lets-them-ignore-corrupt-climate-science/
http://shoutfirst.blogspot.com/2009/12/junk-scienceenvironmentalism-corruption_09.html
http://www.galileomovement.com.au/scientific_untruths.php
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrybell/2013/02/05/in-their-own-words-climate-alarmists-debunk-their-science/
http://www.thebatt.com/2.8482/environmentalists-and-junk-science-fuel-kyoto-protocol-1.1212781#.UbektdiABEI
http://www.sciencecorruption.com/ATN183/00358.html
http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2013/03/15/how-junk-science-distorts-what-we-read-and-the-way-were-governed/
http://www.amazon.com/Science-Public-Policy-Corruption-Environmental/dp/1847204708
http://drtimball.com/2011/corruption-of-climate-science-has-created-30-lost-years/
http://www.middlebury.net/op-ed/global-warming-01.html
http://www.c3headlines.com/2010/03/did-ipcc-learn-its-corrupt-science-methods-fearmongering-from-californias-carb-or-was-it-viceversa.html
Well-funded propaganda, obfuscation, and mis-information:
http://oilprice.com/The-Environment/Global-Warming/The-Danger-of-Misinformation-about-Climate-Change.html
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Consumer-Energy-Report/2012/0728/The-big-money-of-environmentalism
http://rogueoperator.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/big-green-money-machine-environmentalist-propaganda-dwarfs-paid-climate-skepticism/
http://www.akdart.com/enviro4.html
http://akinokure.blogspot.com/2009/04/faggy-nineties-environmentalist.html
http://www.cornwallalliance.org/blog/item/fact-checking-green-propagandain-the-world-and-in-the-church
http://www.desmogblog.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Skeptical_Environmentalist
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/04/fact-checkers-rip-obama-group-claim-on-climate-change-hoax-vote/
http://www.redstate.com/2013/04/30/dishonest-environmental-scientists-have-pretty-much-killed-earth-day/
http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/lt1800/environmental-extremists-use-hysteria-and-misinfo
Hypocritical:
http://feelfriendly.com/criticism-of-environmentalism-briefly-discussed-and.html
http://www.tjsl.edu/the-jeffersonian/news/2012/10/environmental-hypocrisy
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,315721,00.html
http://grist.org/article/klingle/
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/07/08/environmentalist-hypocrisy
http://www.greenmuze.com/climate/heat/861-are-you-an-eco-hypocrite.html
http://freebeacon.com/green-energy-black-water/
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/12/5048191/dan-walters-san-franciscos-environmental.html
http://politicaloutcast.com/2012/08/environmentalist-hypocrisy-and-excessive-carbon-footprints/
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/03/08/environmental-hypocrisy.html
http://perc.org/blog/where-environmentalism-went-wrong
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_movement_in_the_United_States#Elitist
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/taylor-hughes/2012/06/25/environmental-hypocrisy-rio-20
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2011/02/16/environmentalist_hypocrisy_exposed_yet_again
https://theheartlander.wordpress.com/tag/environmentalist-hypocrisy/
http://dailycaller.com/2010/04/22/the-plight-of-hypocritical-celebrity-environmentalists-slideshow/
http://www.saywhatistruth.com/science.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/elah-feder/environmentalists-hypocrites_b_970386.html
http://www.grinningplanet.com/2007/03-13/environmental-hypocrites.htm
http://justjohnwright.com/general/environmentalist-hypocrisy/
Unethical, Anti-human, Elitist, quasi-religious:
http://www.climate-resistance.org/2009/11/why-environmentalism-is-unethical-anti-human-and-elitist.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe4A-TvtR4g
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304510004575186343555831322.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/13/biofuels-targets-unethical
http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/ID/2818/Crichton-Environmentalism-is-a-religion.aspx
http://www.reformed.org/webfiles/antithesis/index.html?mainframe=/webfiles/antithesis/v1n2/ant_v1n2_environ.html
http://www.globalwarminghysteria.com/environmentalism-as-religion-/
http://uddebatt.wordpress.com/2008/04/25/the-environmentalist-creed-anti-human-anti-scientific-anti-technology/
http://www.aei-ideas.org/2013/02/why-naive-enviornmentalism-is-like-religous-fundamentalism/
http://objectivistindividualist.blogspot.com/2009/12/unbearable-smugness-of-elitist.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/opinion/new-religion-of-environmentalism/nQfRD/
http://www.cfact.org/2013/01/22/environmentalist-says-humans-are-plague-on-earth/
http://projectquinn.com/the-unethical-practice-of-greenwashing/
http://www.amazon.com/Greener-Faith-Religious-Environmentalism-Planets/dp/0195396200
http://www.nationofchange.org/obama-s-unethical-end-run-1364478244
http://archive.org/details/WhoseLandIsItTheGreatElitistLandGrabAndEnvironmentalistLaws
http://www.theinterim.com/issues/population/anti-human-life-environmentalism/
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01866762
http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politicsinvesting/910-does-being-green-make-you-unethical
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/publications/WorkingPapers/Papers/40-49/WP49_carbon-trading-caney-hepburn.pdf
http://leadingcompany.smartcompany.com.au/strategy/whitehaven-hoax-a-harmful-unethical-act/201301133423
