Environmental movement needs to get selfish
There is a new breed of environmentalist emerging, one that has traded in altruistic ideology for a form of pragmatic fatalism.
Mark Jaccard — the Simon Fraser University professor who shocked his environmental buddies when he did an about face in his 2005 book Sustainable Fossil Fuels advocating oil, gas and even coal as humanity’s best long-term source of sustainable energy — is one.
In his new book, Hot Air: Meeting Canada’s Climate Change Challenge, Jaccard predicts consumerism will quadruple the world’s energy consumption by 2100. Furthermore, he argues, because even the most difficult to extract resources are and will remain more economical than renewable alternatives for the foreseeable future, the only solution is to use fossil fuels more cleanly.
Steve Whipp — the ethical investing guru who breezed through his former hometown of Smithers last week with his seminar on climate change and investments — is another. Although Whipp is an ardent environmentalist, he is not above investing in oil companies. His message: there is nothing wrong with making profits.
Whipp, like Jaccard, recognizes there is no stopping the runaway train of energy consumption so the best bet for sustaining an environment fit for human habitation is not to change what we’re doing but the way we are doing it.
The bottom line is people are selfish. That is how we got ourselves in the environmental predicament we’re in and that is how we will get ourselves out.
We have to admit to our human nature.
We want.We want SUVs and toaster ovens and beer fridges and trips to Europe.
We also want pristine lakes and abundant wildlife and clean air.
The best thing the environmental community can do is embrace practical thinkers like Jaccard and Whipp. The lofty, esoteric morality of the climate change and global warming high priests is not going to curb our asquisitive disposition because most people care more about themselves than they do about “the planet.”
I’ve said it for years, this has nothing to do with “the planet,” but it has everything to do with us. The sooner we call a human a human, the sooner we can start balancing our wants.
The recent panel decision not to recommend approval of Northgate Minerals’ plan for the Kemess North mine is a perfect example.
Northgate Minerals selfishly wants to maximize profits. Miners selfishly want to keep their jobs. First Nations and environmentalists selfishly want to protect Amazay Lake.
Northgate is not going to walk away from hundreds of millions in potential profits from Kemess North. They will find an alternative for dealing with their tailings, just like oil companies will find a way to safely extract coalbed methane and airplane manufacturers will find a way to burn fuel cleanly.
Reducing consumption is not an option. Reducing the impact of that consumption is self-preservation.
Mark Jaccard — the Simon Fraser University professor who shocked his environmental buddies when he did an about face in his 2005 book Sustainable Fossil Fuels advocating oil, gas and even coal as humanity’s best long-term source of sustainable energy — is one.
In his new book, Hot Air: Meeting Canada’s Climate Change Challenge, Jaccard predicts consumerism will quadruple the world’s energy consumption by 2100. Furthermore, he argues, because even the most difficult to extract resources are and will remain more economical than renewable alternatives for the foreseeable future, the only solution is to use fossil fuels more cleanly.
Steve Whipp — the ethical investing guru who breezed through his former hometown of Smithers last week with his seminar on climate change and investments — is another. Although Whipp is an ardent environmentalist, he is not above investing in oil companies. His message: there is nothing wrong with making profits.
Whipp, like Jaccard, recognizes there is no stopping the runaway train of energy consumption so the best bet for sustaining an environment fit for human habitation is not to change what we’re doing but the way we are doing it.
The bottom line is people are selfish. That is how we got ourselves in the environmental predicament we’re in and that is how we will get ourselves out.
We have to admit to our human nature.
We want.We want SUVs and toaster ovens and beer fridges and trips to Europe.
We also want pristine lakes and abundant wildlife and clean air.
The best thing the environmental community can do is embrace practical thinkers like Jaccard and Whipp. The lofty, esoteric morality of the climate change and global warming high priests is not going to curb our asquisitive disposition because most people care more about themselves than they do about “the planet.”
I’ve said it for years, this has nothing to do with “the planet,” but it has everything to do with us. The sooner we call a human a human, the sooner we can start balancing our wants.
The recent panel decision not to recommend approval of Northgate Minerals’ plan for the Kemess North mine is a perfect example.
Northgate Minerals selfishly wants to maximize profits. Miners selfishly want to keep their jobs. First Nations and environmentalists selfishly want to protect Amazay Lake.
Northgate is not going to walk away from hundreds of millions in potential profits from Kemess North. They will find an alternative for dealing with their tailings, just like oil companies will find a way to safely extract coalbed methane and airplane manufacturers will find a way to burn fuel cleanly.
Reducing consumption is not an option. Reducing the impact of that consumption is self-preservation.
