Comments on: The Libertarian Environmentalist: A New Beginning of Localism

By: Skygavvy

Skygavvy — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:11:43 +0000

I don’t think if we give people time ‘in nature’ they will necessarily leave with a desire to protect it. I grew up in a rural area, and my impression of the ‘natural world’ is one that is worse than cruel, instead indifferent. I find most people who ‘love’ nature to be bourgeois and often either big ‘footprint’ people, or the righteous offspring of ‘footprint’ people. Humanity has rightly spent most of history engineering its way appropriate a greater portion of an inevitably unsustainable fissure of thermodynamic disequilibrium. I think rather than feeling protective many will continue the trend to enhance their own personal wellbeing, on too-short a timescale of sustainability. So I’d argue that coercive action driven by the will of elite groups is the only way to maintain the ‘well-being’ of the planet. I’ve also heard before this notion of inevitable improvements if we encourage private property ownership. I’m not convinced by it. Did the US government encourage lawnmaking? This practice is very much a function of the human placed value of a nice mown and irrigated lawn, regardless of its enivronmental unsustainability. This is an example I think of the potential dichotomy between an economic improvement (nice lawns make your house more valuable) and an environmental improvement (what acreage of ‘nature’ could we restore if everyone fallowed their private lands?). Could be wrong about all of this, but these thoughts came to mind as i read…

By: Robert

Robert — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:43:59 +0000

The environmental movement, and to a large extent, environmental education and ethics, came into being in large part due to death, damage and destruction created by an unregulated market that was making us sick, polluting land, air and water, and diminishing natural resources. Using only education and litigation simply did and does not work. It was regulations that led to cleaner air and water. Education and litigation can prevent many problems, and inspire compliance with regulations, but those means don’t always get the attention of polluters. Any objective social or scientific study will show a correlation between improvement in the environment and environmental regulation. Most businesses like to know the rules before they start anything. It levels the playing field and secures investments. At least with regulation the public good is made possible, and citizens are empowered by law, before irreparable damage is done to people and the environment.

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Excellent article.

By: Ron Paul: Property Rights and the Environment | David Kretzmann

Ron Paul: Property Rights and the Environment | David Kretzmann — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:47:35 +0000

[...] One of the most frustrating things for me to see, especially with teens and young adults, is the firm belief that government legislation is the ultimate way to bring about environmental change. ~ The Libertarian Environmentalist [...]