Donald Boudreaux has written a nice article about the more fanatical environmentalists. In it, he discusses a small Romanian town where a new mine is being opposed by environmentalists.
Their rural way of life -- with chickens scampering along the dirt roads and outhouses rather than indoor plumbing the norm -- was no joy for them. Most of these townspeople welcomed an opportunity to integrate with the modern, industrial, global economy.The environmental congregation, however, paid no attention. Living in cities far away from Rosia Montana, environmentalists -- against all evidence -- insisted that the townspeople really don't want the industry, jobs and greater prosperity that the mine would bring.
I believe that some environmentalists are on to something. However, many of them seem completely unaware of the actual human stake in whatever they are talking about. At the extreme, many come to think of humans as the problem, and Gaia as an battered victim. Intellectually, it's simply ignorant to ignore the human benefit of an industrialized world. Religiously, I find it abhorrent to dismiss the importance of human well-being.