Resolved: That the United States Federal Government should significantly reform its environmental policy.
Learning about the environment: Research, discussion and debate....or indoctrination?
From The Australian: SCHOOLCHILDREN are being brainwashed with an environmental message in the classroom. Children are not just being pinned down in the classroom and force-fed what to think: it's worse than that. The next generation - from primary schoolchildren through to college students - is being taught not to think, merely encouraged to accept the official line. It ought to be a national scandal but no one seems to think that there is anything controversial about environmental indoctrination in schools. ... [Link to full article.]
Climate Change Reconsidered page with the NIPCC information (alternative review andanalysis of climate change studies).
The Improving State of the World by Indur Goklany. (You can read some on Google books here) Subtitle: "Why We're Living Longer, Healthier, More Comfortable Lives on a Cleaner Planet." The planet is getting cleaner and safer, and people healthier, because of increasing prosperty. But don't take my word for it, review the data collected in this book. 450 pages and from Amazon for under $14.--Greg Rehmke
New York Times article Environmental policy with the union label on unions abusing "environmental" lawsuits to support pro-union solar power plants in California (and to block non-union solar plants) is instructive. U.S. environmental programs have been largely highjacked to support a wide variety of special interests. The Endangered Species Act has long been used by those who wish to block development. Hikers and backpackers sue to block new highways in places they enjoy vacationing.
In a Dark Wood: The Fight Over Forests and the Myths of Nature by Alson Chase (author of Playing God at Yellowstone). Chase outlines the philosophy of environmentism in a sympathetic yet critical way. Chase's critique of modern environmentalists views on ecosystems is key. Mainstream environmentalist's faith in stable ecosystems whose "true nature" is to maintain balance and equilibrium, seems similar to misconceptions in mainstream economic models that offer equilibrium as something desirable (and that governments are called upon to return to via regulation). Market-process economic analysis sees naturalentrepreneurial improvements disrupting economies and forcing adaptation. My sense is that similar "entrepreneurial" or at least opportunistic processes in nature keep ecosystems changing, forcing adaption or exit. - Greg Rehmke
Federalist Society page on environmental law: notes on books and journal articles. (See also other Federalist Society resources, including this Const. and Libert. "Pre-Law Reading List."
Thoreau Institute and the TI blog The Antiplanner. Pages with links to articles on Public Lands, Fire, Endangered Species and Environmental movement.
Chapter Summary, Earth Report
2000, Chapter
1, "The Progress Explosion:
Permanently Escaping the Malthusian Trap."
Excerpt: "Recent developments
in economic theory, called New Growth Theory, have shed considerable
light on how humanity has avoided the Malthusian trap. The
wellsprings of economic growth are new ideas. People actually
improve their lives not through simply using more physical
resources, like land, timber, or oil, but by discovering better
ways of doing things and novel inventions. Humanity cannot
deplete the supply of new ideas, designs, and recipes."
Texas
World! Click for link to Texasworld article on technology
and population issues.
Economist
Julian Simon is a great resource for high school speech and
debate students interested in environmental issues. Simon
is optimistic about most environmental issues (though pessimistic
about the ability of the media to communicate fairly the scientific
issues that surround environmental controversies.
Click here for a link to Julian Simon pages that are available
online.
