Environmentalism Overview

The Christian Worldview and Environmentalism
Part 1
 

I.  Introduction

A.  Environmentalism can be a serious danger to individual liberty.

B.  A balanced approach is needed.

II.  Facts to Remember

A.  The environment is cleaner than at any time in the past half-century.

B.  The environment is safer than at any other time in recent history.

C.  Life expectancy, as a whole, has never been longer or higher than it is now.

D.  Cancer rates are falling, not rising.

III.  Impending Global Ecological Disasters?

A.  Disproven theories, never a problem

1.  Acid Rain

2.  Plastics

B.  Unproven theories, not problems

1.  Global Warming

2.  Ozone Depletion

3.  Electromagnetic Fields

C.  Past problems, now nearly solved

1.  Automobile emissions

2.  Nuclear power

3.  Oil Spills

D.  Persistent but manageable problems

1.  Pesticides

2.  Toxic Chemicals

E.  Problems mainly in the Third World

1.  Deforestation

2.  Resource Depletion

IV.  Further Considerations

A.  We can never completely eliminate risk.

B.  Common sense vs. Al Gore's approach

V.  Representatives of Radical Environmentalism

A.  The Greens

B.  The Deep Ecologists

C.  The Animal Rights Movement

VI..  Pollution

A.  Volcanoes and Air Pollution

B.  Termites

C.  Ants

D.  Cows

E.  Carbon Dioxide

VII.  The Ozone Problem

A.  There is no ozone hole.

B.  Skin cancer has many causes.

C..  Chlorine and Ozone

1.  Evaporating sea water

2.  CFCs