1) Every conscientious environmentalist I know argues that the chief culprit is the U.S. (sometimes this is extended to the major industrialized countries in general). So no, the progressive wing of the environmental movement does not "tell" the rest of the world that it must sacrifice living standards while they sit comfortably at home.
2) Yes, the big environmental groups are largely corporate-funded and corporate in outlook. This says nothing about the millions of grassroots activists that are generally more progressive in outlook, and could be swayed to a red-green vision if idiots didn't sit around denouncing them as part of the problem.
When you come up with some honest arguments, feel free to post them.
Chris
----- Original Message ----- From: "James Heartfield" <Jim at heartfield.demon.co.uk> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2001 3:02 AM Subject: Re: Global Warming
> In message <p05010405b6efed996d8d@[216.254.77.128]>, Doug Henwood
> <dhenwood at panix.com> writes, oxymoronically
>
>
> >Those outside the consensus shrink in number.
>
> But here I have to ask, have I passed through the looking glass?
>
> Presumably the consensus is so strong that the Kyoto agreement has been
> signed by everyone (not Rumania alone) and the US president has not
> denounced it.
>
> Presumably the consensus is so strong that Ralph Nader was mistaken when
> he told Newsnight last night that Kyoto would never have passed
> congress, being opposed by the overwhelming majority not just of
> republicans but also democrats.
>
> Presumably the consensus is so strong that individual Americans
> (including those on this list) have massively reduced their consumption
> of energy, not increased it by around ten per cent in the last ten
> years.
>
> Or perhaps, more likely, the consensus that energy consumption must be
> reduced is one of those religious beliefs that one never expects to be
> realised. Oh yes, Americans tell the rest of the world, its terrible
> having our standard of living, you really wouldn't want it you know.
> We'd give it up ourselves if we weren't so weak. Maybe you think the
> rest of us were born yesterday.
>
>
> >Business Week writes in
> >its April 9 issue:
> >
> >"Where there's smoke... Evidence that human activity causes global
> >warming is ever more convincing, and many executives feel that curbs
> >are inevitable... Multinationals like Dupont and Alcoa worry that
> >other countries might move ahead on climate change without the U.S.,
> >thus hurting competitiveness...."
>
> But why would you be surprised that environmentalism is favoured by big
> business? The modern environmental movement is a creation of big
> business. Its founding document, Limits to Growth was commissioned by
> the Club of Rome industrialists' association. Its key figures like Lord
> Peter Melchett, Oliver Goldsmith, Dennis Meadowes and Paul Ehrlich were
> all right wingers.
>
> Look who funds environmentalism today:
>
> World Wildlife Fund Annual Budget $60,791,945 (1993) Staff 244 Major
> Donors: Chevronm, Exxon, Philip Morris, Mobil and Morgan Guaranty
>
> Nature Conservancy Annual Budget $278,497,634 (1993) Net Assets
> $885,115,125 (1993) Staff 1,150 Main backers Rockefeller Trust, Mellon
> Trust
>
> National Wildlife Federation Annual Budget $82,816,324 (1994) Staff 608
> Contributors: Arco, Du Pont, Ciba Geigy
>
> Greenpeace Annual Budget $11,411,050 (Greenpeace Fund Inc, 1992);
> $37,805,230 (Greenpeace Inc, 1993) Staff: 250. Offices in 30 countries.
>
> Sierra Club Annual Budget: $41,716,044 (1992) Staff 325
>
> In 1992, the Club made $156,322 in interest on temporary investments and
> $654,624 in dividends and interests from securities, had $7,979,267 in
> investments, and estate bequests of $348,938.
>
> National Audobon Society Annual Budget $40,081,591 (1992) Staff 315
>
> Contributors include: Bank of Boston, The Ford Foundation, General
> Electric, HJ Heinz Co., Monsanto [yes, Monsanto], New York Times,
> Proctor and Gamble,
>
> Environmental Defence Fund Annual Budget: $17,392,230 (1993) Staff 110
>
> Contributors include: Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Ford
> Foundation, the Fund for New Jersey, Richard King Mellon Foundation,
> Rockefeller Family Fund, Rockefeller Foundation, Streisand Foundation.
>
> --
> James Heartfield