The Death of Environmentalism

Veteran enviros Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus want to reframe and reconceptualize the modern environmental movement. They argue that environmentalism, like other single-issue progressive movements, need to articulate a vision and set of values that are broad in scope and focused on long-term objectives. More than anything, they say, the movement needs to take a “collective step back to rethink everything.” I agree completely. These guys are willing to face hard facts: Americans don’t care that much about environmentalism; Americans see the world much differently than they did as little as a decade ago; of the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on the global warming issue, little has been spent “to engage Americans as a proud moral people that they are”; environmental and progressive leaders operate on outmoded assumptions and often prescribe technical policy fixes rather than an inspiring vision (that truly resonates with people). In an interview Nordhaus says, “They need to rethink their politics to make it morally compelling. They need to start talking about a future people want to be a part of.” Exactly. More of this please.

Read their “controversial” essay The Death of Environmentalism. The urgency of their message couldn’t get more more critical…

January 25th, 2005