Saturday, July 2, 2011

Are you an environmentalist or a conservationist?

I remember taking a forestry class my freshman year of college.  The curriculum, presented by a veteran instructor from the California Department of Forestry, covered several related topics that included ecology, biology, life cycles, wild-land fire control, conservation, and commerce based on those natural resources.  I never heard the associate professor use the word "environment" or "environmentalist" during the course.  Granted, it was years ago, and course outlines do change over time as new information on any given subject becomes available.  But, the disconnect suggests the environmentalist movement is a recent concoction that has little basis in traditional resource management and everything to do do with political manipulation and empowerment.

From my experience, most environmentalists seem to be liberal socialists.  Their champions are people like Al Gore, and Van Jones. Both communists. So, what attracts communists to environmentalism?  I think they have a tremendous conflict with the concept of private property.  Long standing traditions in The United States of America allow for private citizens to own property.  Private property is a cornerstone of the American experience.  Environmentalism is the only way to attack private property ownership that allows sufficient cover.  Since most American communist politicians hate to be outed, environmentalism is the only game in town.  They have realized you don't have to own the property to control it.  You only need passage of some environmental "protection" laws whitewashed with some noble verbiage, and there you have it.  You have exclusive control - or benefit - without the obligations of purchase.

The liberal socialists have pieced together a coalition of dupes and useful idiots to this end. In addition to the hardcore communist leadership element of the environmentalist movement, their coalition includes those who worship the creation rather than the Creator, sycophants in it for the power and/or money, and some decent people who truly believe they are doing right by the world in which they live.  Hey, who wouldn't want clean air and water?

The point to this rant is this: there is a stark difference between environmentalism and conservationism.  I can comfortably state I appreciate clean air and water.  I enjoy a beautiful mountain or coastal vista as much as the next guy.  I believe God gave the earth, and rights to its bounty, to His ultimate creation : humanity.   I'm not willing to place a fundamental right like property ownership, also an inalienable right, on the alter of some socialist, neo-religion like environmentalism.  So, my question to you dear reader is this: are you a conservationist, or an environmentalist?