Environmentalism as Religion
Joel's piece in The New Atlantis looks at environmentalism as the latest and most successful religion. Not that there's anything wrong with faith-based hopes and convictions. They frequently help humans do the right thing -- as was demonstrated during the civil rights era. But climate change will put a premium on rapid and flexible adaptation. Surprises are inevitable. That's why rationalism and democracy were invented -- to help people change their minds. Simply creating a new front in the culture wars, by contrast, could be an unfortunate challenge.