In the last two decades, politics in many Western nations has been enlivened by the appearance of a new political entity that calls itself the Green Party. The implication, reinforced by the rhetoric of its spokesmen, is that environmentalism is one of its major concerns. In a number of European states, it also has a mildly socialist agenda, being hostile to business and opposed (for example) to the U.S. attack on Iraq. In Germany, and to a lesser extent in some other European countries, it has bagged enough votes in general elections to insist on being included in governing coalitions...