Caring about the environment is not the same as being a tree-hugging whacko. The whackos want to ban ALL development, to put us back to pre-historic times.
Responsible people realize that we are biological creatures who need a basic range of conditions to survive. We believe in not wasting resources (isn't efficiency an essential conservative principle?). And we want to go in the woods, back into G-d's creation, and hunt our supper.
Sometimes it seems people here are more interested in being anti-liberal than conservative.
Just like a lot of liberals were more interested in being anti-Bush than pro-Kerry during the 2004 presidential election.
. I believe in private ownership and control of property (the means of production), and the environmentalist movement does not. I own land, on which I practice good forest conservation principles because I too believe in taking care with God's creation. I do not believe that government is better than individuals at taking good care of land and nature - experience shows (through the tragedy of the commons) that government ownership or control is worse for the environment.
I've been deep in the belly of the green beast, and they think private ownership of property is the leading environmental problem. They are well aware that getting control of one aspect or another (saving snail darters; regulating native vs non-native plants; preserving habitat) will help them get control of all property, and that is the ultimate goal.
Do you believe there is one perfect balance of nature for each spot, and that 'environmental scientists' can determine what that balance is and what must be done to restore it? I see nature as far more chaotic with or without us, and that the nature of our natural environment is constantly changing. I would never presume to know what the appropriate number of deer, chipmunks, bear, birds and beetles on my land should be, and I'm not arrogant or godless enough to believe that I can manipulate the numbers of different species and create the 'perfect balance'. The environmentalists advancing the cause of bio-diversity believe they can and should do exactly that.
It's all about control of resources, which is at odds with a belief that capitalism works and that our freedoms come from God not man.
That's why I was disappointed to hear Ted repeating the bio-diversity talking points.