Putting the Greenback in Green

Two adjacent posts over at Tim Blair's place.

One notes the sensibility of consumers.

Mr Kuhnert said attempts by car makers to persuade people to buy more environmentally friendly cars were failing in the showroom, where financial considerations always beat environmental ones.

As they will forever more.

The second:

“There is one graphic in Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth that should stop capitalism dead in its tracks,” writes Clinton Callahan. “It shows a large balance with two trays. In one tray hangs planet earth. In the other tray hangs a stack of gold bars. The gold does not represent actual gold, which is only a metal that comes from the earth. The bars represent the concept of profit, Western culture’s religion – the alter upon which we are about to sacrifice our lives.”

Al Gore’s wealth has increased from $2 million to at least $35 million in the last eight years.

This apparent division between wealth and the environment was an issue in the recent Australian elections. John Howard tried to make it almost entirely about the economy. Greenies were arguing that it shouldn't be about the economy but should be about the environment.

What they never seem to realise is this:

A strong economy is good for the environment.

Third-world countries, with hopeless economies are the biggest polluters on earth. From belching chimney-stacks to washing and crapping in the local river.

Sadly, too many greens are actually red. It's not really about the environment at all. Go back and read Callahan's comment again.