Conserving the Environment
Conserving the Environment | Attempting to Save Every Species Is Expensive and Impractical
When President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act in 1973, he inadvertently codified Aldo Leopold’s stylish but stupid aphorism, “To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.” Should we lament the extinction of smallpox, or expand the ESA to protect unique life forms such as various viruses for future generations? Before we “Save the fungus among us!” as Gary Larson once quipped, we might want to reconsider what we are already trying to save—and, more importantly, how we are going about it.
Expensive Bugs
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- Introduction
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Chapter 1: Is There an Environmental Crisis?
- Chapter 1 Preface
- The Environment Is Deteriorating
- Capitalism Has Worsened the Environment
- Global Warming Is a Serious Problem
- Environmental Change Poses a Threat to Food Production
- Some Journalists Understate the Environmental Crisis
- The Environment Is Improving
- The Threat of Global Warming Has Been Exaggerated
- Environmental Scarcity Is a Myth
- The Media Exaggerate Environmental Crises
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Chapter 2: Should Biodiversity Be Preserved?
- Preserving Biodiversity: An Overview
- Biodiversity Should Be Preserved
- Preserving Biodiversity Is a Jewish Obligation
- Humans Should Not Be Indifferent Toward Other Species
- Efforts to Save Endangered Species Are Unfairly Criticized
- Attempting to Save Every Species Is Expensive and Impractical
- Belief in Biodiversity Is Dangerous
- Attempts to Preserve Species Endanger Human Safety and Property
- Environmentalists Overstate the Importance of Certain Species
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Chapter 3: How Can Pollution Be Reduced?
- Chapter 3 Preface
- Stronger Air-Pollution Standards Are Needed
- The Federal Government’s Air-Quality Standards Are Too Stringent
- Electric Cars Reduce Air Pollution
- Electric Cars Are Costly and May Not Reduce Pollution
- The Clean Water Act Has Improved America’s Rivers and Lakes
- Additional Government Programs Are Not the Correct Response to Water Pollution
- The Efforts of Citizens Can Reduce Water Pollution
- Natural Remedies Can Be Used to Clean Up Toxic Waste
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Chapter 4: Can Free-Market Approaches Protect the Environment?
- Chapter 4 Preface
- Free-Market Environmentalism Can Protect the Environment
- Green Marketing Can Help Conserve the Environment
- Ecotourism Will Protect the Environment
- Environmental Regulations Infringe on Property Rights
- Environmental Regulations Are Necessary
- Emissions Trading Does Not Protect the Environment
- Overreliance on Green Products Cannot Protect the Environment
- The Free-Market System Harms the Environment
- Organizations to Contact
- Bibliography
- Copyright
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