Catalysts for environmentalist thought visit campus
Environmentalists Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus are proposing radical changes to modern environmentalism.
On Monday afternoon, Shellenberger and Nordhaus presented a thorough indictment of the modern environmental movement in the form of their new book “Breakthrough: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility.”
The two authors, infamous for their 2004 essay entitled “The Death of Environmentalism,” argued that the environmental movement as it exists today is not addressing the real solutions to climate change. They then went on to propose new politics focusing on technological innovation and public investment.
“(What we propose) is a politics of strength, a story of overcoming adversity, and a story of human ingenuity,” Shellenberger said.
The audience, consisting primarily of members of the Boulder community, listened intently as Shellenberger and Nordhaus each outlined the shortcomings of the environmental movement and environmentalists in general. One particularly memorable example was when Shellenberger described the environmentalists who pride themselves on owning a Prius while owning 10,000 square foot homes.
“That concept of environmentalism is no longer useful, in fact it’s getting in the way . it needed to die,” Shellenberger said.
Nordhaus emphasized the political failings of the environmental movement and how the solutions currently being promoted, such as carbon taxes and cap and trade initiatives, are not going to be enough.
“We won’t regulate our way out of this, we’re going to innovate and invent our way out of this,” Nordhaus said.
Nordhaus was also critical of the widespread practice of showing the apocalyptic effects of global warming. He and Shellenberger both believe that instead of making people fearful of the effects of climate change, environmentalists should focus on the potential progress that could come from collective action.
“When people get fearful, they become conservative and reactionary, they’re adverse to change, and they try to justify the status quo,” Nordhaus said. “When you scare the shit out of people, it doesn’t have the effect people like Al Gore thought it did.”
Views on the presentation varied greatly among audience members. Josh Stanbro, a Boulder environmental consultant, believes that Shellenberger and Nordhaus were too harsh in their criticisms of environmentalists.
“I agree with their aim, I don’t know if I agree with their approach,” Stanbro said. “A positive movement needs to have less negative characterizations.”
Nevertheless, Stanbro was intrigued by what they two authors had to say.
“Their essay is famous for being a grenade lobbed into the environmental lobby,” Stanbro said. “I wanted to hear what they had to say for themselves.”
Deborah Fink, an outreach librarian on campus, was more receptive to the new ideas and praised the book highly.
“What they’re proposing is a paradigm shift, which is the only way we’ll be able to ease the current transition we’re in,” Fink said. “We all have to get past resistance to major shifts, including me.”
Erik Phillips, a senior environmental studies and political science major, also believes that Shellenberger and Nordhaus are on the right track.
“In general, I liked what they had to say,” Phillips said. “(But) they’re emphasizing (new technology) too much, to the exclusion of behavioral change. There has to be cultural change, and there wasn’t as much emphasis on that as I would have liked.”
Shellenberger and Nordhaus are aware what they’re presenting is controversial, but they weren’t concerned by criticisms they received from the audience.
“We don’t assume everyone who’s an environmentalist will go along with us,” Shellenberger said.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Rob Ryan at rryan@thecampuspress.com.
