Michael, our dedication to the environment certainly is
evidenced by the “bird rescue” (Good job, Melissa & Page), but is
far greater than caring for animals. I speak for myself only, but
I think the following is probably applicable to others at JLF:
I care as much about the environment (or likely moreso) than
anybody hugging a tree or telling me to buy a hybrid. A belief in
free-market principles isn’t counter to believing in protecting the
environment, in fact, applying these principles are how we can create a
better and cleaner environment.
Instead of telling people
what to do, where to live, and how to get somewhere, I believe in
protecting property rights so that people will invest in and care for
their property, punishing polluters (true polluters), and letting the
private sector provide solutions to environmental problems.
To
put it simply: scare tactics, junk science, central planning, riding a
bicycle, and eating trailmix don’t make someone an
environmentalist. A true environmentalist is someone that cares
about the well-being of the environment and uses sound policy and
science to make decisions–and yes, even considers economics. The
issue isn’t whether free-market proponents are somehow
anti-environment–the issue is why the self-proclaimed
“environmentalists” are so anti-free-market and individual freedom.
