Conference to challenge climate change hysteria — VOICES for REASON

Yaron Brook and I are scheduled to speak at the International Conference on Climate Change sponsored by the Heartland Institute. The conference brings together scientists, economists, policy analysts and politicians who are critical of the claims of catastrophic global warming.

The main point we’ll be stressing is the importance of identifying the philosophy underlying environmentalism.

Why is it that environmentalism is so convincing to so many people? One of the main reasons is that it cashes in on everything we’re told all our lives about morality: selfishness is the root of all evil; self-sacrifice is the essence of virtue.

When someone comes along and claims that the selfish pursuit of profit is destroying the planet, and that we all must sacrifice for the “greater good,” that seems plausible to many people. It “feels right” to them, because it expresses their deepest moral convictions, even if it flies in the face of objective scientific and economic facts–and facts about how those moral convictions undermine their lives and happiness.

Most of the other speakers at this conference will be focused on debunking the greens’ pseudo-scientific assertions and bogus economic arguments. This is important and valuable, but I think environmentalism will cease to be persuasive to people only when they see that they have a moral right to leave a “footprint” on nature.

 (UPDATE: Unfortunately, at this point it looks like I won’t actually be able to attend the conference.)