On May 28, 2010, at 2:19 AM, Gar Lipow wrote:
> There is another source of opposition to, ideological opposition.
> Something I would describe as seeking "strength through despair".
> There various positions across the political spectrum that are based
> on the premise that we are doomed that there is nothing we can do. And
> for someone holding that position the idea that we can produce
> non-polluting electricity is just false hope that distracts from the
> on-coming doom we need to prepare for.
That's an interesting point. I always suspected something like that was going on with a certain kind of environmental purist, but I didn't have enough empirical data to back it up.
Also, I'm wondering if it's not just doom, but the longing for some sort of irresistible ecological compulsion towards neoprimitivism. We *can't* have a materially abundant society - we *have* to go back to the land, etc. etc. Of course, we'd have to dispense with several billion people, but you know, details, details.
> I wish Rob Schaap was still on this list.
Wow, now that's a blast from the past!
Doug