General references
The "precautionary principle" is one of the favorite targets of the "brownlash". The Precautionary Principle in the 20th Century: Late Lessons from Early Warnings from the European Environmental Agency (Earthscan 2002) looks at fourteen cases of the use of the precautionary principle.
Sharon Beder's Global Spin: The Corporate Assault on Environmentalism has come out in a revised edition, Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2002
In The Greening of Conservative America (Westview Press, 2001) John Bliese argues that conservatives should stop opposing environmental protections and start supporting them.
Secrets and Lies: The Anatomy of an Anti-Environmental PR Campaign (Common Courage Press, 1999) by Nicky Hager and Bob Burton looks at how a government owned timber company conspired with public relations firms to try to influence public policy and crush the opposition. Some of the tactics used sound much like the "wise use" movement. The environmentalists were portrayed as extremists and outsiders, a front group was set up, and the financial impact of protecting the forests was greatly exaggerated.
Trust Us, We're Experts! How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles with your Future (Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam 2001) is Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber's latest look at how powerful interests try to influence public opinion. Topics include workplace hazards, biotechnology, secondhand tobacco smoke, and global warming. The unifying them is the creation of "third party experts" who appear to be independent but are actually funded by special interests. Examples of these are Elizabeth Whelan and Steven Milloy. Also included are several examples of industries and the government trying to silence their critics. A great read.
You Can't Eat GNP: Economics as if Ecology Mattered, By Eric A. Davidson, Perseus Publishing, 2000. Davidson takes on the "economic optimists, who believe, for example, "that the technological calvary will come over the hill in time to save us from ecological disaster."
The Trade-Off Myth: Fact and Fiction About Jobs and the Environment, By Eban Goodstein, Island Press, 1999. Shows that environmental regulations have not caused massive job losses, and have not caused companies to flee to pollution havens. Also shows that efforts to control global warming will probably have little impact on the total number of jobs.
The Piracy of America: Profiteering in the Public Domain, Edited by Judith Scherff, Clarity Press, Inc., 1999. The latest look at the "wise use" movement is a mix of new and reprinted material, some very good and some only so-so.
Science Under Siege: The Politician's War on Nature and Truth, By Todd Wilkinson, Johnson Books, 1998. Wilkinson looks at attempts by politicians, developers and wise use groups to suppress science and silence government scientists. Related web sites:
Tracking the Charlatans: An Environmental Columnist's Refutational Handbook for the Propaganda Wars by Edward Flattau, Global Horizons, 1998. Newspaper columnist Flattau addresses the major arguments against environmentalists, but with a lack of depth and an excess of sarcasm. Includes chapters on Ronald Reagan, Rush Limbaugh and Dixy Lee Ray.
Global Spin: The Corporate Assault on Environmentalism by Sharon Beder, Green Books Ltd, 1997. (In USA, Chelsea Green Publishing Company, Post Office Box 428, White River Junction, Vermont 05001). A look at anti-environmentalism in Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA, with the emphasis on corporate influence and politics. Related webpage:
The Betrayal of Science and Reason: How Anti-Environmental Rhetoric Threatens Our Future by Paul and Anne Ehrlich, Island Press, 1996. Some information available on the web about the book:
Science, Nonscience and Nonsense: Approaching Environmental Literacy by Michael Zimmerman, The John Hopkins University Press, 1995. Not as good as The Betrayal of Science and Reason, but it does contain much useful information.
The War Against the Greens: The "Wise-Use" Movement, the New Right, and Anti-Environmental Violence by David Helvarg, Sierra Club Books, 1994. A through look at the anti-environmental movement.
The Greenpeace Guide to Anti-Environmental Organizations by Carl Deal, Odonian Press, 1993. A look at a number of anti-environmental groups, including their sources of funding.
Let the People Judge: Wise Use and the Private Property Rights Movement, edited by John Echeverria and Raymond Booth Eby, Island Press, 1995.
NEW GM watch has profiles of many of the leaders of the anti-environmental movment.
NEW Debunking Environmental Myths: Unveiling how Voters really feel about Clean Air and Water from the League of Conservation Voters
PR Watch has a number of resources on the anti-environmental movement:
NEW This issue of PR Watch includes a look at the Klamath Falls fish kills
This issue of PR Watch continues their look at corporate anti-activism.
This issue of PR Watch takes a look at how the internet is used against activists.
The W.J. McCabe Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America has links to a number of articles on the "wise use" movement.
CLEAR, which tracks the anti-environmental movement, has a new web site. The site includes a collection of links and reports, an essay About the Environmental Backlash and a backlash feature on Steven Milloy.
REP America is an organization of Republicans upset with the lack of leadership in Washington.
NEW In How industry hijacked 'sound science' Oliver Houck notes that 'sound science' really means an unobtainable level of certainty, and that the term is used to derail environmental and health regulations
NEW In One last time on Schneider John Quiggin takes a look at the famous Steven Schneidr quote that has often been used (usually out of context) to descredit not just Schneider but all environmental activists and scientists
NEW Critiques of the Precautionary Principle by Mary O'Brien includes a look at 5 common myths about the precautionary principle.
NEW Meet the Press: How James Glassman reinvented journalism--as lobbying by Nicholas Confessore takes a look at Tech Central Station, which often publishes anti-green essays. Tompaine.com has published related material, including Think Tanks For Sale, The Anti-Disinformation Society and Steven C. Clemons' Thought Control.
NEW Good for the Goose... by Roger A. Pielke, Jr. looks at the politization of science, and offers an alternative solution for making policy decisions
NEW Sheep's Clothing is Bill Berkowitz 's look at yet another new "brownlash" group
NEW Environmental Myths Scrutinized By Peter Schwartzman
NEW The Quark Soup blog often looks at anti-environmental claims
Ecology vs.ecophily:being reasonable about saving the environment by Massimo Pigliucci
Scott Church's pages on antienvironmentalism
Why don't conservatives care about saving the planet? by John Leo
The President of Fantasyland: Bush vs. Science By Ernest Partridge
Industry Attacks on Dissent: From Rachel Carson to Oprah by Laura Orlando, Dollars and Sense
No middle way on the environment from The Atlantic Monthly
Greenwash by Michael R. Meuser
It's a Jungle Out There: Environmental Journalism in an Age of Backlash from Columbia Journalism Review
Unquote, a short list of questionable quotes used to attack the environmental movement.
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Resourcism: An Ideological Analysis of the Wise Use Movement
Professor warns against anti-environmentalists
The Online Gadfly is Ernest Partridge's collection of essays and links.
Naysayers Debunked by White Rose
Posts from sci.environment and Science FAQs, Books, Weather and Science Links contain links to FAQs and other useful resources.
Earth in the Balance Sheet economist Paul Krugman notes that most economists support environmental protections.
Steve Kangas' Liberal FAQ includes myths about the environment and evolution
Green backlash, part of Clem White's study of environmental activism and the internet.
Polluted Data by Eban Goldstein and Hart Hodges in The American Prospect shows that the costs of environmental regulations have been overestimated.
A look at ten common anti-environmental myths published in Rachel's Environment & Health Weekly
Tearing Down the Green: Environmental Backlash in the Evangelical Sub-Culture by Richard T. Wright
NEW Study Finds Net Gain From Pollution Rules By Eric Pianin and the study itself
NEW "Rethinking the Think Tanks: How Industry-Funded 'experts' Twist the Environmental Debate" by Curtis Moore, Sierra, July/August 2002, pages 56-59, 73. Shows that groups like the CATO Institute and Citizens for a Sound Economy are little more than industry front groups.
Written by Jim Norton
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