I feel the need to rant on the "environmentalists". *gasp*
Environmentalist (n.) - A person who is concerned with or advocates the protection of the environment.
The term has grown to send waves of anger down my spine and make my mouth spew facts like word vomit. Anti-environmentalists use this tone and say it as though they are calling us
those people. Sadly, in politics, "environmentalist" has turned it into a nasty word. A word used to describe
nuts and
radicals, except that those who have an issue with environmentalists don't distinguish between rational thinkers and extremists.
I got a phone call the other day, asking me to participate in a town hall meeting held over the phone. I was happy to listen. After all, I should be up-to-date on politics and be willing to have my say. So, I listened. Coincidentally, the first thing that I heard is this congressman talking about energy independence (
Woo!), about coal and natural gas (
Umm, well at least it's not foreign?). Then he abruptly changed the topic.
Umm... am I missing something? What about wind, water or solar energy? I swallowed my fear (I'm totally not good at public speaking) and pressed '0' to ask my question.
As I waited for my turn an older woman comes on the line and said that she was happy to hear him talking about coal and natural gas, but what was he (our congressman) going to do about all of the environmentalists and their job-killing EPA regulations and bills? *visualize me spitting out a drink here and shouting profanity* I couldn't believe her lack of regard for anything other than a paycheck, and then again with the tone of the word. The way she used that
word made it so derogatory and condescending.
I was wound up. I waited patiently to ask my question. He said that he would take one last question, and it was mine! He asked me how I was. I told him, "Fine, thank you," and bought up his mention of energy independence and asked, "what about wind, solar and water?" I barely choked out my question due to my emotions running high and my fear of public speaking. The answer was, of course, a bit of a non-answer in that was long and off topic, except for a final mention that water, wind and solar would of course be needed too if we hope to have energy independence. He rattled on something about JFK speeches and I'm not sure what else. I have to admit that I tapped out a little. I can hold a conversation, but I have a habit of tuning out when people talk in circles.
I blame... or maybe thank? my mother for this. Eventually he came to a close and said something about what a sight it would be to have our country using coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, wind, solar
and water. That would make other countries take notice, he said. To me it sounded as though he had tossed my question onto the end of an existing answer, but I suppose I was happy enough that he at least included them on the record.
The answer could have been better, but I was still left feeling upset and frustrated by the way in which the term "environmentalist" was used. It was said as though it was dirty or fanatical, like no one with a rational mind could be this way, so 'how can we deal with
them'.
I may not speak for everyone, but I love the Earth. I love taking walks and enjoying the nature around me. My husband enjoys planting a garden and harvesting wild game and our children enjoy playing in the grass in our yard. I'm not foolish enough to think that because I can't see a nuclear plant or coal mine in my back yard, that it doesn't have an impact on
my life and the lives of
my children. Perhaps I'm selfish, but I want to preserve this Earth so that generations of my family, and yours, can live in a world that is healthy and that has something more to offer than industrialized acres and toxic chemical residues and byproducts.
I live in an area rich with coal and natural gas. There are lots of jobs tied up in that industry and that's
everything to so many struggling families. I truly understand and appreciate that, but things change. Everything changes at some time. Wanting clean energy isn't only about wanting to save the planet. For me, it's about wanting to save lives. It's about wanting to preserve our health and to provide a sustainable path for our economy. I don't consider change to be 'job killing', more like job relocating. Technologies come and go. Perhaps people should consider creating and following change instead of fighting it.