Posted on 02/15/2005 7:36:52 AM PST by dead
To environmentalists data is an evil that demystifies the romance of nature, writes Ian Plimer.
I write from the Arkaroola Wilderness Resort in the far north Flinders Ranges of South Australia where I do geological field work in this mountainous and unforgiving wilderness in summer. This is a privilege. Field work is an attempt to understand nature and this intimacy with nature stimulates questioning.
Science is based on dominant paradigms that are open to change at any time. Our understanding of nature requires a depth and breadth of knowledge, a healthy uncertainty, a willingness to change and a measure of awe provoked by the complexity of nature.
Nature changes rapidly and continues to surprise. Climate, sea level, the atmosphere, life, landscapes and temperature all change rapidly by many mechanisms for a diversity of reasons. For millions of years hominids and other organisms have survived, adapted and become extinct as a result of these changes. Nature is not mysterious; it is quantifiable. Science is married to evidence and divorced from value judgement.
We scientists argue about the data, which may be from measurement, calculation, observation or experiment. The explanation of data - a theory - is the neatest way of explaining such data and this, too, provokes healthy argument. New data or a re-evaluation of old data commonly results in the abandonment of a treasured popular paradigm. This is the methodology of science.
Herein lies the problem with city-based greens and religious fundamentalists such as creationists. The idol for worship is a dogmatic ideology enshrined in value judgements that allows no change despite scientific data to the contrary.
Nature is made the mystery by greens in isolation from integrated interdisciplinary scientific knowledge, somewhat contrary to traditional Christian views where the mystery is the supernatural. It is for this reason that I argue that environmental groups are a modern urban religion, albeit terribly flawed. From Paul Tillich's theological perspective, the change from the dominant paradigm to dogma is a shift from preliminary to ultimate concerns resulting in evil.
Creationists have not evolved from the science and inexact literalist contradictory theology of the mid-17th century when the popular scientific paradigm was that the planet was 6000 years old and a mythical great flood shaped the planet's surface, deposited fossiliferous sediments and killed sinners.
The greens can not accept that the good old days were not good old days, that natural changes are far greater than even their worst case human-induced doomsday scenario and that we now live in a society blessed with saviours such as science, technology and industry. Our greens bathe in the benefits of an industrial society yet, for reasons of nefarious politics, hypocrisy and ignorance, decide to be both within and without our industrial society.
Many city folk have lost contact with nature and this can be deeply disturbing. Such disconnection produces a romantic yearning for that which never existed, a yearning to be at one with nature despite a lack of understanding of nature and a yearning to do something, whatever something might be.
This disconnection produces irrationality, contradictions and the creation of green fundamentalism as the new religion of urban environmentalists. Disconnection of city people from nature has only added to the frustration of depoliticised rural people, thereby creating political instability.
In the cities, this disconnection is exacerbated by the lack of connection between seasons and seasonal foods or killing and meat protein and an uncompromising dogma about those outside cities who take risks to produce the energy, water, food and mineral resources we so voraciously consume.
We watch asinine survival programs unaware that there are 20 film support crew out of shot. Such programs appeal to our primitive instincts yet show how disconnected from nature we really have become. We plant gardens comprising water-hungry northern European vegetation, consume more and more water, don't build new dams and don't collect roof rainwater. We buy a four-wheel-drive to use on highways in the wilderness or watch concocted nature programs on television. We feel good to see large green areas on maps called national parks and then promptly forget about these areas.
The ancient monastics were correct. An extended time in a desert wilderness allows the discarding of trivialities, an interaction and connection with nature and an understanding of our place in the world. And it is not really a very important place after all.
Ian Plimer is professor of geology at the University of Melbourne.
Sorry, I couldn't find one that worked illegal immigration and gun control into the mix, but I do what I can.
Enviro-cons ho!
Man, I thought this post was a sure-fire post getter. Oh well, at least you read it! 8-)
I read it too ;)
The earth was covered in water in verse two. but it was created perfect and beautiful. Read Isaiah 45:18 and I Cor 14:33. The earth could have been millions or trillions of years old in verse 1, but verse 3 hapopened aproximately 6,000 years ago. The angels were to work over the surface of the earth, to improve it, to embellish it, beautify it ..."to put the icingh on the cake" inorder to develop that perfect righteous character of God... in themselves.
But Satan created chaos and confusion... see Psalms 104:30. Neeed I go on?
Me too! :-)
"Nuke a gay whale for Christ" ??
When I saw that headline, I just knew you must be behind it!
MuWaHaHaHaHaHa!!
"Nuke a gay whale for Christ" ??
< rant>
I spend most of every day restoring habitat on long abandoned land at the rural-suburban interface. It is frustrating, physically grueling, and intellectually demanding work. It demands a huge knowledge base, fast reflexes, high macular density, and dexterity (the ability to distinguish nearly 300 species instantly while spot spraying weeds in their juvenile state), strength, stamina, and agility (high climbing with a chainsaw in trees or weeding a cliff on a rope anyone?), tolerance for pain and persistence are in there too (do it for ten hours straight when you're over 50). Needless to say, the risks to life and limb are significant. It is expensive (averages about $5-10 grand annually), time-consuming (15 weeks of weeding, full time), and there is rarely acknowledgment for it, indeed, there is often derision. Nieghbors take advantage of my willingness to help fix their land, dealing with problems resulting from ignorance and irresponsibility) so that it doesn't screw up mine. Government environmental "protection," sponsored by those very same "city folk," is the single biggest factor in the problems I face.
No wonder "city folk" would rather worship at the altar of Gaia; reality would demand they get off their butts and help. Heck, they might even learn something, but to really understand REQUIRES living on the site for many years. So much for the Sustainable Development urban density model as an environmental paradigm (which it never really was). The problem lies, not in whether we develop, but how, because to neglect the land is too often the most damaging thing we can do. To that the preservationists have no answer.
It's the most satisfying work I have ever done. Nothing else has brought me so close to God, or taught me the humility it takes to persist. What it's taught my children is priceless.
See tagline.
I find that only a small number of environmentalists are actual whackos. Like the ones around here (actually they are based 50 miles away in the city). They have banned the burning of trash to rural residents, many who are too far out in the mountains to get trash service. In reality, burning paper encourages people to separate the recyclable trash, most do it. Now with trash service, few do. An environmental whacko always defeats his own purpose. On the other hand, there are nature haters who are at the complete opposite spectrum. They want not to "hunt" but to shoot everything in nature that moves, even if it's not meant to the dinner table. They oppose every single effort to improve the environment. When a fish population is in serious decline, they poach.
"Sorry, I couldn't find one that worked illegal immigration and gun control into the mix, but I do what I can."
"Nuke a gay whale for Christ" ??
True Christians don't wantonly harm animals. And FYI, environtalists here want to ban lead ammo because they say it harms California Condors who ingest it (lead poisoning)when it's left in carcasses. Hunters argue that other types of ammo cause more suffering to the deer.
Not yet. Stay tuned for possible thermonuclear annihilation at any moment. Of course the potential of SUVs is vastly beyond total thermonuclear annihilation, but slower.
Its all about religion, the religion of Gaia at this point. Separation of church and state is ONLY for Christianity it seems..
The one thing he doesn't state is that the envirowackos actually cause real damage. You can't say the same about people who choose not to buy into darwinism in their own belief system.
So what's the Civil War connection here?
I thought so as well. It really illustrates the difference between the liberal nutjob enviro's and the real conservation minded people.
That is so stupendously PROFOUND!!! I haven't read the thread yet, but that statement just reaches out and grabs one by the brain!!!
The "but how," that plagues me is... How to we over come the understanding gap between the "MetroSexuals" and the "RuralSexuals," of what is contained in your rant, versus what attitudes exist amongst "City Slickers" and "Country Boys," today???
The Good Lord knows, we can't even come to an agreement on this very forum amongst CA members of what fiscal conservatism is, let alone what bucholic/pastoral nature in the country/wildlands really is!!!
BTTT
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