An explanation for the rise of 'environmentalism' in the West. Modern environmentalism suffers from a number of false preconceptions. These misplaced ideas have led inevitably to the distrust that many people now feel when confronted with alarmist claims the green movement is prone to making, particularly in the area of so-called climate change. The environmental movement stems originally from the Western Christian tradition of doing good and the accompanying conviction that mankind is intrinsically evil.
Table of Contents
1. Environmentalism: A Product Of Christian Guilt
Objective & Topics
The primary objective of this text is to critically examine the origins of modern environmentalism, arguing that the movement is rooted in Western Christian traditions of guilt and a desire for moral righteousness rather than objective scientific fact. The author challenges the scientific consensus on anthropogenic global warming and the legitimacy of the greenhouse effect theory.
- The historical and psychological roots of environmentalism in Western culture.
- Critique of the concept of "pristine" environments and human-induced ecological change.
- The relationship between Christian concepts of original sin and modern alarmist environmental claims.
- Thermodynamic and scientific counter-arguments against the theory of carbon-dioxide-driven global warming.
Excerpt from the book
Environmentalism: A Product Of Christian Guilt
Modern environmentalism suffers from a number of false preconceptions. These misplaced ideas have led inevitably to the distrust that many people now feel when confronted with alarmist claims the green movement is prone to making, particularly in the area of so-called climate change. The environmental movement stems originally from the Western Christian tradition of doing good and the accompanying conviction that mankind is intrinsically evil.
First among the false preconceptions embodied in the green movement is that a perceived environment must remain as it was when first observed or reported, often described as “pristine”. Their misconception is that, left alone by man, global environments will remain unchanging forever and that any observed change must therefore be anthropogenic. For example, environmentalists will often refer to “primeval forests” such as those found in the Congo or Amazon basins, implicitly assuming such forests have existed since the world began and have never changed. In reality the Congo rainforest is, in geological terms, a relatively recent development. Previously the region must have been savannah because recent studies show that there are still, albeit limited, numbers of rhinoceros, a savannah dwelling creature, extant in the heart of the rainforest. Reasonable consideration of the rhino phenomenon soon leads to the conclusion that this is a clear indicator that the region was formerly unforested. Similarly it is taken for granted that Greenland must forever remain an ice covered island where very little can be grown, yet in recent human history Scandinavian settlers colonised the area and grew crops there; which is why they called it GREEN land!
Summary of Chapters
1. Environmentalism: A Product Of Christian Guilt: This chapter analyzes the ideological roots of the environmental movement, tracing its focus on global catastrophe back to the Western theological emphasis on original sin and human culpability.
Keywords
Environmentalism, Christian guilt, climate change, anthropogenic, greenhouse effect, global warming, thermodynamics, original sin, conservationism, ecology, primeval forests, western tradition, carbon dioxide, atmosphere, insulator
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core argument of this work?
The work argues that modern environmentalism is not a scientifically driven movement, but rather a manifestation of Western "do-gooding" and religious guilt that seeks to frame humanity as inherently evil.
What are the central themes discussed in the text?
The central themes include the psychological origins of environmental alarmism, the misconception of "pristine" environments, and a critical questioning of anthropogenic climate change theories.
What is the primary objective of the author?
The author aims to challenge the foundations of the global warming narrative by exposing what they believe to be its unscientific basis and its roots in ideological bias.
Which scientific arguments does the author employ?
The author uses principles of thermodynamics and historical examples of climatic and ecological fluidity to argue against the human-induced global warming theory.
What is addressed in the main body of the text?
The text explores how the movement utilizes concepts like the "greenhouse effect" and "saving the planet" to satisfy a need for moral righteousness, while providing counter-examples from nature and history.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Environmentalism, Christian guilt, anthropogenic, global warming, and greenhouse effect.
How does the author characterize the "greenhouse effect"?
The author describes the term as a misnomer, arguing that gases in the atmosphere act as insulators rather than trapping heat through radiation in the manner often claimed by climate scientists.
What role does the "rhino phenomenon" play in the author's argument?
The presence of rhinoceros in the Congo rainforest is used as evidence that these regions were once savannah, challenging the notion that environments are static and must be preserved in a "pristine" state.
Why does the author link environmentalism to Puritanism?
The author suggests that the environmental movement inherits the Puritanical disapproval of human pleasure and the tendency to view humans as innately destructive, which fuels the modern focus on climate-related guilt.
What is the author's conclusion regarding the future of the movement?
The author predicts that as the scientific misconceptions of the movement become apparent, it will eventually lose its credibility and influence, regardless of whether the movement has valid points to raise later.
- Quote paper
- David Gill (Author), 2015, Environmentalism. A Product Of Christian Guilt, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/293437
