A sane and mature approach to environmentalism would admit that the world is getting cleaner and safer over time. It would highlight, not ignore, such recent breakthroughs as coal ash recycling and improved soil reclamation efforts. It would celebrate, not deny, the existence of coal and oil reserves sufficient to last hundreds of years. And it would admit that further progress toward a cleaner environment requires careful research and weighing costs against benefits, not panicky reactions to every prediction or unsubstantiated claim. The good news is that more and more environmentalists are breaking ranks from the alarmists and demagogues who so often represent the movement.
Opinion polls show a distancing of the general public from radical environmentalist positions.
New groups devoted to science, reason, and respect for the rights of others are being formed all across the country. The shift toward eco-sanity is underway. Whether the transition is quick and relatively painless, or drawn-out and full of suffering, is up to each environmentalist. But there is no stopping the change that has already begun. Joseph Bast is president of The Heartland Institute.