Posted on 12/08/2005 4:59:32 PM PST by dynachrome
It seems not a month goes by when we are not treated to some dire environmental prediction. Only last week we were told that Europe is on the verge of being plunged into an ice-age of sorts. And this as a result of global warming of all things. Allegedly involving disruptions in the flow of the warmth-exuding Gulf Stream, the mechanism behind this impending calamity is admittedly not easy to grasp. Howard Dean conceded as much himself, but he then quickly added that he had spoken to Al Gore who had explained the whole thing to him with eye-opening clarity. Yet a few days later Mr. Dean was still unable to coherently explain the theory on national television. Confused but undeterred, Mr. Dean told us that we should all go and ‘listen to Al. He knows so much about all this, it’s just amazing.’
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
I remember in the early 90's being told that we would have NO ozone layer by the year 2000. Well folks, its nearly '06 and that darn ozone is still up there. Well, at least it was a good 5th grade science fair project. *cough-cough*
Ya, and they completely did away with the "cheap" and non-toxic freon that had been used for decades, all due solely to "junk science". Had to completely redesign all air conditioners, refrigerators, etc.
This article in the American Thinker says exactly what I was saying to you. Thought you might be interested in hearing it from a more reliable authority.
Modern civilisation is headed for extinction as a result of self-inflicted environmental damage. The chief perpetrator is none other than the business establishment which in its relentless drive for profit devours natural resources while giving off poisonous derivatives of production.The only effective way to safeguard our survival, then, is to bring wayward business under control by regulating its operation in order to minimise its destructive impact.
This kind of oversight, environmentalists argue, can only be carried out by a government with the power to implement the radical measures called for by the gravity of the impending crisis. One of them is production targets for various business sectors to ensure that the levels of pollution do not exceed acceptable standards. Another is to compel businesses to conduct their commerce in environmentally ‘friendly’ ways.
Since businesses normally resist these kinds of measures – as they make their operation more costly and difficult – government must have at its disposal extensive monitoring capabilities to ensure compliance. But most importantly, it must have the power to persecute and punish those who refuse to submit.
All environmental efforts thus lead – in one way or another – to a government that has more and more control over the private sector until it inevitably becomes its supreme arbiter. By incessantly expanding its powers at business’s expense, environmentalism is furtively realising the essence of socialism – a strong state which oversees and controls society’s means of production.
In short, a careful look at the policies and measures advocated by environmental activists cannot but lead us to the conclusion that the movement is being used as a cover for advancing a leftist agenda.
The movement’s true nature can be seen not only from its effects, but also from its appeal to credentialed leftists.
The case of Mikhail Gorbachev is a case in point. The last president of the Soviet Union, he is now one of the world’s most prominent enviromental activists. A strange role, indeed, for a man who once led a nation with such an abysmal record. During its existence the Soviet Union wrought monumental ecological damage including the greatest man-made environmental calamity ever – the explosion of a nuclear reactor at Chernobyl – which happened on Mr. Gorbachev’s watch.
The way he handled this crisis tells as much about his real attitude to the environment as about anything else. His first reaction was not to launch a clean-up operation, but to conceal the fact. Initially he and his politburo comrades denied that anything happened at all. Then, when radioactive clouds reached countries hundreds of kilometres away, he claimed that it was only a ‘minor’ accident. It was only under the pressure of growing evidence that Gorbachev finally admitted the truth. While mounting the cover-up, the time and energy that could have been used to contend with the unfolding ecological disaster were irretrievably lost. But that was not all, for Gorbachev also decided to sacrifice the lives of thousands whom he refused to evacuate or even notify of the danger. Scores died and countless others suffered from diseases caused by exposure to radiation. Many could have been saved had Gorbachev and his comrades done the decent thing. Chernobyl is a striking demonstration of communists’ characteristic disdain for both human life and the environment.
Today the man who presided over this tragedy is President of Green Cross International and one of the leading campaigners on the environmental circuit. What an irony that he is worshiped by those who regularly use violence against businesses whose ecological impact is marginal at best. There are no such bad feelings for Gorbachev, who should really be their enemy number one for the eco crimes he committed in the Soviet Union. Yet they honour him as their hero. How are we to explain this?
Gorbachev’s statements make it clear that even after the Soviet collapse he remained a committed communist. Since he could no longer credibly operate under the banner of Marxism-Leninism, he had to look elsewhere for his ideological home. This he found in the enviromental movement whose leaders were only too eager to embrace someone whose fundamental views they share. The fact that Gorbachev is responsible for more ecological devastation than any other individual in history has been cheerfully dismissed by the same people who blacklist others for infractions negligible in comparison. We should not be surprised, given that the movement is – in its heart – far more intent on implementing a leftist agenda than on protecting nature. The transformation of Mikhail Gorbachev from a staunch Marxist-Leninist to a prominent environmentalist is a revealing illustration of this.
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