The Greening Of Conservative America - Hardcover

Bliese, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813338026 ISBN 13: 9780813338026

Publisher: Basic Books, 2001

Synopsis

Is “conservative environmentalism” an oxymoron? Is more environmental regulation good for business? The Greening of Conservative America contends that the adherents to any well-considered conservative political philosophy should, on first principles, support pro-conservation, pro-environment policies. Furthermore, and pragmatically, Bliese demonstrates with repeated examples how environmental protection policies actually benefit business by stimulating greater efficiency and innovation and by spurring the creation of green products and services for new markets around the globe. These ideas are applied in chapters on specific environmental issues, including pollution, global warming, biodiversity, public-land management, and sustainability. The book concludes with criticisms of “free-market environmentalism” and calls conservatives back to their root principles on matters of the environment. Concerned citizens of any political persuasion will find much in this book to inform their views on public debates over environmental issues and policies.

About this title

About the Author

John R. E. Bliese is associate professor of communication studies at Texas Tech University.

Reviews

In a bold challenge to the conventional wisdom identifying environmentalists as political liberals, Bliese articulates a comprehensive conservative strategy for protecting the environment. Never mind that many of the politicians calling themselves conservatives now give a green light to the worst exploiters of the natural world. For in the writings of traditionalist conservatives (including Russell Kirk, Richard Weaver, and Leo Strauss), Bliese limns principles of spiritual stewardship and piety toward God's creation that, taken together, can inform an environmentalist vision for the future. Conservatives, he argues, should be fighting to conserve our natural as well as our cultural resources. Bliese's conservative environmentalism differs from the usual liberal agenda, however, in shifting policies away from command-and-control bureaucracies and toward free markets and the private sector. But unlike libertarian extremists, Bliese recognizes the dangers in letting businesses write their own tickets. Proposals for saving wilderness lands and for preserving endangered species abound among liberals. A book that aims at the same objectives but from the right gives new life to the debate over means. Bryce Christensen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

As the Bush administration attempts to forge a national energy policy that includes increasing the supply of oil by opening more of Alaska's northern coast to drilling, perhaps his advisers should read this book. Bliese (communications studies, Texas Tech Univ.) argues that true, or traditional, conservatives are also conservationists, just as Teddy Roosevelt was. He distinguishes traditional conservatives, such as Edmund Burke, Russell Kirk, and Frank Meyer, from libertarian, free-market conservatives and cultural conservatives. Since traditional conservatives follow the Judeo-Christian principle of preserving God's creation, to despoil the earth is a crime against God and man. The author posits that conservatives should employ free-market environmentalism, using market mechanisms to protect the environment, but that they should also restrain the market when it would destroy the environment. Much of the book contains examples of how free-market environmentalism would work to preserve public lands, reduce air and water pollution, and preserve some endangered species. As the author notes, the "liberal" environmental movement mistrusts the motives of all conservatives, but he hopes that with this book, liberals can discover common ground with traditional conservatives. Interesting but a bit theoretical and far-fetched; mildly recommended for larger public libraries. Thomas J. Baldino, Wilkes Univ., Wilkes-Barre, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0813338026
• ISBN 13: 9780813338026
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352