Report
Environmentalism
Our position
Caring for the environment and being an environmentalist are not the same thing. Environmentalism centers its politics around the concept of “the environment,” which is either a poor synonym for everything, or an unscientific idea that nature stands apart from people. This leads environmentalists to reify nature as the guiding star for their political claims, falsely asserting dubious positions regarding overpopulation, planetary boundaries, and climate catastrophe as established facts. Tactical choices compound upon this shaky political foundation, producing alarmist rhetoric and abstract protests that neither reflect the prevailing scientific evidence on disasters and warming nor move the public to act. Instead, mainstream environmentalism habitually produces fatalism and polarization.
Start here
Three pieces the team says to read first
Environmentalism work
Research, analysis and everything we have put on the record: comments, testimony, statements, letters and endorsements.
Showing 1–6 of 72
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Analysis
The Climate Hushing Is Coming from Inside the House
Climate Hushing Is a Material, Not Messaging, Phenomenon
· Alex Trembath
Analysis
Against Climate Lawfare
Why Breakthrough Filed an Amicus Brief in Lighthiser v. Trump
· Ted Nordhaus, Alex Trembath
Analysis
The Microplastics Panic
How the environmental–litigation complex hijacks unsettled science
· Jon Entine, Henry I. Miller
Analysis
No, a Substation Did Not Make the San Francisco 49ers More Injury Prone
What a Football Conspiracy Tells Us About the Fear of Technology
· PJ Seel
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Who to talk to
Ted Nordhaus
Founder and President Email
Latest: The Original Environmental Economist: RIP Uncle Bill
Questions
What is environmentalism?
Environmentalism refers to social movements that aim to protect nature and reduce human impacts on the environment. Environmentalist thought encompasses approaches ranging from conservation and pollution control to limitations on private consumption.
What do environmentalists believe?
Environmentalists generally seek to protect nature, reduce pollution, conserve resources, and mitigate climate change. They disagree about how to achieve these goals. Some emphasize reducing consumption and development, while others favor technological innovation, clean energy, and economic growth that reduces environmental impacts.
Why are environmentalists against nuclear power?
Not all environmentalists oppose nuclear power. Opposition historically arose out of concerns over accidents, radioactive waste, weapons proliferation, and high costs, as well as broader skepticism of large technologies developed by centralized, technocratic institutions. Many environmentalists now support nuclear energy technologies for their ability to provide abundant, reliable, low-carbon electricity with a minimal environmental footprint.