‘Environmental Humanism’: Cure for ‘Environmental Alarmism’?

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Elan Journo and Keith Lockitch discuss the emergent idea of “environmental humanism” advanced by thinkers such as Steven Pinker and Michael Shellenberger.

Among the topics covered:

How “environmental humanism” differs from “environmental alarmism”;
The environmentalist movement’s history of failed predictions;
How environmentalist energy policies are out of touch with reality;
The irrational premises of the “environmental alarmists”;
How the “environmental humanists” miss the moral perspective that explains the endurance of environmentalism;
How misconceptualizing “selfishness” fuels the religious thinking among environmentalists;
The role of ingenuity and long-term thinking in productive business activity, especially energy;
The safety of nuclear energy;
The parallel between socialism and environmentalism;
Why there’s a lack of innovation in nuclear energy.

Mentioned in the discussion are Ayn Rand’s essay “The Anti-industrial Revolution,” her essay “The Left: Old and New,” and Keith Lockitch’s essay “The Green New Deal: A War Against Energy.”

This podcast was recorded on April 22, 2021. Listen to the discussion below. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. Watch archived podcasts here.