Czech Pres: Environmentalism is a religion

[jpak]

http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/czech_pres_environmentalism_is_a_religion/20070309-060020-3030r/

WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- Environmentalism is a religion that is based more on political ambitions than science, the president of the Czech Republic warned Friday.

Speaking at the Cato Institute, a public policy think-tank, President Vaclav Klaus said that environmentalists who clamor for policy change to combat global warming "only pretend" to be promoting environmental protection, and are actually being driven by a political agenda.

"Environmentalism should belong in the social sciences," much like the idea of communism or other "-isms" such as feminism, Klaus said, adding that "environmentalism is a religion" that seeks to reorganize the world order as well as social behavior and value systems worldwide.

As for government spending on global warming studies, the former finance minister and of the Eastern European nation and trained economist said that such efforts were a "waste of money," adding that there was already sufficient scientific evidence for those seeking policy change to back up their proposals.

<not much more>

[JanMichael]

1. I've never liked Klaus so this doesn't surprise me.

Retrograde jerk.

[Prophet 451]

2. Enviromentalism is NOT a bloody religion

I have this arguement all the time with fundies who persist in calling enviromentalism, sex, money, Darwinism (their phrase, not mine) a "religion". They aren't fucking religions! And it cheapens both the term "religion" and "worship" to inply that they are. People might devote a lot of time or effort promoting any of those things but they do not go down on bended knee and worship them.

[BayCityProgressive]

3. Well even if it were

a religion..it has more proof than the religion based on a magic cloud fairy who smites cities of homosexuals and writes commands on magical tablets.:)

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Haven't read the whole speech, but...

he just might have a point about SOME environmentalists who have more of a political than environmental agenda. That's true of just about every issue, though, so no point in making a big deal of it.

But, when I was in Prague about 15 years ago, it was one hell of environmental disaster. Can't help but wonder if they've gotten around to cleaning things up a bit, or do Czechs just like filthy air and water?

[razzleberry]

5. unelected leaders, dogma from out of nowhere

the drumbeat of 'trust me'.


looks a lot like a religion to me

[depakid]

6. "Speaking at the Cato Institute"

That pretty much says it all.

[stuntcat]

7. I'm sorry but to me it is.

and politics has NOTHING to do with it.
To me the Earth IS the only greater life-form I care about. Humans are acting as a disease, a parasite reproducing exponentially that's soon gonna choke the Earth to death.
Loving the trees and animals is the closest I'll ever feel to anything like God or religion.
And it's not "environmentalism" I "worship", it is the Earth.
And I should take back the "I'm sorry" part, because I'm not.. at least one of us needs to feel this.