British Economist: Is ‘Green’ a Religion?
February 20th, 2007
John Kay, an eminent (at least in his opinion) British economist recently opined in the influential Financial Times that ‘environmentalism’ isn’t just a way of thinking about your place in the world but is the successor to organized religion and the secular cult of Marxism. While all three, according to Mr. Kay, offer the world simplistic right-and-wrong visions of the world, environmentalism succeeds in combining both narratives of the natural world (as defined by religion) and anti-capitalist rhetoric (‘stolen’ from socialism) into a new form that supersedes both.
But where does global climate change fit in to Mr. Kay’s definition? Never mind the evidence: ‘the inconvenient truth’ is, on a philosophical level, the necessary Apocalypse to the environmental religion, the eventual pay-back for our industrial sins (if we even cause warming, John Kay isn’t sure.) Global warming completes the narrative of Eden, sin, and Fall.
While Mr. Kay has a point about the often Messianic fervor of some environmentalists, his piece still unfairly juxtaposes two wildly disparate concepts; namely, individual action and personal religion. Whereas prayer can only be verified through faith, the results of environmentalism are clearly manifested around us in measurable forms: cleaner air, clearer water, non-extinct animals and plants, etc.
We may be passionate about being green but we don’t think we’re part of an ‘Apocalyptic’ fight between good and evil. Life is more complicated than that. It seems to me that Mr. Kay would prefer we see the world in shades of gray – you know, like the conservative, profit-driven plutocrats who read the Financial Times.
Link to John Kay’s op-ed
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February 22nd, 2007 at 10:42 pm
You make an argument, and then you commit the same error. If you think that there is no “personal action” atributed to religion, then you are not looking. It’s ok to be green, but if you don’t think that environmentalists don’t think they are part of an apocalyptic fight – again, you are not looking. Basically in the same paragraph you declare that you don’t believe you are in a fight between good and evil, you define “evil” for environmentalists – the “evil” conservative, profit-driven plutocrats! Very funny stuff.
February 23rd, 2007 at 6:27 am
Thanks for the heads up to John Kay. While I disagree with your position I appreciate the link to John Kay’s site.
February 23rd, 2007 at 6:50 am
I would have to agree with Mr. Kay’s assessment. The “Environmentalists” that I deal with on a regular basis
most definately view Environmentalism as a religion. I have even had them go so far as to proclaim the “miracle” of water flowing uphill to defeat a project that they did not want approved.
February 23rd, 2007 at 10:44 am
While I don’t disagree with you both, that some environmentalists are extremists, taking their beliefs on faith rather than through facts, Mr. Kay categorizes environmentalism – in totality – as a secular cult, one that takes up from Marxist socialism the banner of the leading ‘left’ ideology.
The question then is, what environmentalism is he referring to? Mr. Kay doesn’t really define his terms, but if he’s speaking of this small radicalized percentage, then in a small way I agree with him. If he’s talking about anyone who recycles or rides his bike to work, then he’s clearly stretching his point too far.