The current state of environmentalism seems a form of moral preening — a very self-promotional way for “green” adherents to publicly display their moral superiority and, more the to point, gain political and social power by doing so. By characterizing themselves as “self-less”, environmentalists gain for themselves a wide-ranging exemption from criticism and dissent and also gain for themselves a political advantage to demand policies that advance their political power and personal careers apace.
Indeed. Green is the new pink was the new black and so on. Embracing radical environmentalism is a cheap way to gain acceptance into the cool, new, edgy crowd that sadly is little more than the same old wanna-be’s.
Real environmentalism is not unlike true charity – unsung and unrewarded, but done simply because the doer values the act more than that which is given up.