A very long article, but well worth reading.
It ought to be required reading for many. In particular, I think anyone involved in making or implementing environmental policy.
Many of the actions described in the article are what have given environmentalists a bad reputation. I consider myself to be an environmentalist, but the name has such a bad connotation, due to so many of these bad decisions, that I'm reluctant to use it.
I agree with your sentiments, I tend to use the word "conservationist" when describing myself. I learned most of my conservation ideals from my father and from the Boy Scouts. The stances that the wacko environmentalist take are almost always on the extreme and the one thing they always misunderestimate (that was done on purpose) is that mother nature is a powerful b@*&$. This should not stop us from being responsible to the environment but we are a minor blip in the the grand scheme of things.