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How Trendy Environmentalism is Harming the Planet


By Todd Myers


Todd Myers, a Seattle-based author and leading expert on free-market environmental policy, will be a keynote speaker at the PT-sponsored Parking Industry Exhibition (PIE) March 18-21 in Chicago. Editor.


“‘Green’ is a trend, and people go with trends. … I don’t think people know


the real facts.” These words of a green con- sumer, reported in The New York Times in late 2010, echo what we see everywhere these days: Environmentalism has become trendy, and green fashion is all the rage. From plaques on the sides of “green”


buildings to bright-green reusable grocery bags and hybrid cars, the evidence is every- where. People like to publicly proclaim their concern for the planet, politicians prominent- ly highlight their latest green proposals, and business owners promote environmentally friendly products – while each seeks to reap social and financial rewards in the process.


Todd Myers Lost in the rise of these so-called eco-fads


is an honest assessment of whether these actions are actually helping the planet, or just making us feel better about ourselves. Witness Washington state’s requirement


that new schools meet “green” standards. Last year, the Legislature’s auditing agency found that most green schools use more ener- gy than non-green schools. Consider the record of corn-based


ethanol. It took years after it was acknowl- edged that ethanol created more air pollu- tion, was less energy efficient than gasoline and may have contributed to food shortages in developing countries, for Congress to end the subsidies. And while that small step was positive, a


wide range of mandates and subsidies still exist for biofuels that have the same problem.


For example, after proudly proclaiming a commitment to reduce carbon emissions, Seattle officials admitted carbon emis-


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