The natural environment matters a lot to many people. Their views on issues such as recycling, population control, economic growth and renewable energy are often held strongly and emotionally. But some of these views are best described as ‘little green lies’. Sometimes people bend the truth because they believe they are protecting others from the harm caused by environmental decay. Others do it for personal gain. But unlike ‘little white lies’, telling ‘little green lies’ is not harmless. If they become so widely accepted that they form the basis of government policies, our society can be worse off for them. They can even end up causing environmental damage.
There are twelve propositions addressed in the twelve chapters of this book. Although each proposition is considered in a separate chapter, many of them are interrelated.
Reviews
At last, the intellectual firepower to cut through the “little green lies” told by environmentalists. Professor Bennett turns his mind to twelve key propositions at the core of green ideology, and demolishes them all. This book must be on the bookshelf of every person concerned for a better environment and a better society.
— Gary Johns
Associate Professor, Public Policy Institute, Australian Catholic University
If you are an environment zealot whose views are not swayed by reason and evidence, this book is not for you. However, if you truly want to improve the environment, this book will sharpen the way you think about policy and add to your arsenal of tools for making our natural world a better place for humans and their fellow travellers on the planet.
— Terry L. Anderson
Executive Director of PERC and Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
