Original Title: The Collapse of Conservation and Evaporation of Environmentalism, Co-Opted for the Sake of the Big Green Grift

Original Article Written by Mr. Tom Shepstone - Reposted with Permission  from the Energy Security and Freedom at Substack (October 2024- via email) without any edits.

"When I was in high school, during the late 1960s, environmentalism wasn't yet a thing. That didn't happen until Earth Day in 1970. I was a Future Farmers of America (FFA) student then, and we always had an annual speech contest. My speech the last year I was involved was about conservation, a practical term that always meant ‘wise use of natural resources.’ Earth Day changed all that, and wise use evolved into an environmentalism of no use as radicals took over the cause. Radicals, though, are always vulnerable to exploitation, which is exactly what's happened as the cause has been co-opted for the sake of the Big Green Grift.

How did this happen? How did 'wise use of natural resources” evolve into 'save the planet’ thinking, as if the Earth was more important than the people that occupy it? It started with the sort of misanthropic thinking that infects spoiled generations who worry about others taking what they perceive as theirs and theirs alone. They view the Earth as their private playground and don't want hordes of commoners claiming the same rights to use and enjoy those natural resources. 

This takes me back to the Tom Clancy novel "Rainbow Six.” It revolved around a scheme concocted by the elitist CEO of an American pharmaceutical company who wanted to kill off 90% of the world's population. He is supported by environmental extremist sycophants who imagine the Earth is being destroyed by human beings and want to see it revert to nature, as if all people weren't part of nature. 

They develop a flesh-eating killer virus that is tested on people pulled off the streets of New York City. The favored elites, of course, have access to a vaccine to protect themselves. Their plan is frustrated by Clancy's hero and the villains end up in a Brazil jungle, naked and afraid and never heard from again.

“Rainbow Six” was published in 1998. Some folks criticized the theme described above as being bizarre and unrealistic, but it seems a lot less so 26 years later, doesn't it? Two and one-half decades of experience with the Deep State, Big Pharma, the COVID debacle, Mark Zuckerberg's underground castle in case of war, extremist pro-abortion policies targeted at certain populations, the ever-increasing elitist contempt for "deplorables” and the failures of government to render meaningful help to Hurricane Helene victims, all suggest elites really, really don't like us and would just as soon we not be around.

And, today, the face of environmentalism is climate change politics, which elevates the Earth over its occupants. It is now ever more clear the whole thing is nothing but a substitute religion for the true believers. It also makes them so very vulnerable to exploitation by BIg Green Grifters who need to force fossil fuel and nuclear energy out of the way so the solar and wind con games can proceed. 

It's gotten to the point that even RFK, Jr., who once wanted to jail climate skeptics, has said things have gone too far and environmentalism has lost its way. He's correct. Conservation begat environmentalism, environmentalism begat the climate cult and the climate cult begat the Big Green Grift. We need to get back to conservation, that is to say, ‘wise use of natural resources’ for the benefit of man. Nothing less will do.

#Conservation #Climate #ClimateChange #Environmentalism #ClimateCult #BigGreenGrift #WiseUse #RainbowSix #Virus"  

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Why Did Mr. Brian Oram ask to repost this Blog Post:

1. For the record, I have known Mr. Shepstone, both professionally and personally for a long time.  I think it is over 20 yrs. 

2. We do not always agree, but we are adult enough to realize that is life and I like Mr. Shepstone and professionally he is one of the best in his field, i.e., planning expert. 

3. Tom's post struck a chord:

a. It was not until the 1990's that I realized the environmental education movement and much of the EPA and Federal Agencies took a big turn from fact-based science to "social justice warrior" and "environmental activism" that was directly linked to a political / social ideology.  At the time, I worked at a private university and when I mentioned this thought, I got a lot of blank stares and head turning and not a lot of free discussion and debate.

b. I saw a lot of money going to environmental education and monitoring efforts that were creating more "Citizen Watch Dog Groups" then really educating and informing the public.  In fact, the one public meeting the environmental organization that received state funding led these citizens in a chant! No facts, no science just a mantra.    My question - When did they sign up for the cult and when did environmental education become more about dogma and virtue signally than science ??

c. I have always been a supporter of Grassroots Environmental Education and the associated Community Based Movements,  because this is the way you build community support by going bottom up and not top down.  In fact, I was involved with one of the first watershed based organizations in Pennsylvania, i.e., the Susquehanna River Tri-State Association with the Executive Director David Allen Young.  When I work on these efforts, I rely on facts and science and not on fear, partial truth, or misinformation.  (Note:  Please do not think I believe misinformation is a one-way road - It is NOT.  Frankly, the current problem with the Environmental Profession is the 12-Monkeys and decisions that are based more on feelings and fears and not actual truth). 

Aside: What are the Twelve Monkeys?   "The 12 Monkeys" which are based on the proverbial principle of “Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil.” The 12 Monkeys are at the root of political or ideological division, tribal behavior, and groupthink. They appear to be scientists/ conservationists / educators but tend to act more like activists and individuals that do not ALWAYS hold to the facts. Do not let them control the narrative.

d. As I worked in my profession, I began to see "Government Agencies" making decisions not solely based on the rule of law, but based on the fear of being sued, guidance documents created because of court settlements, and quasi-agreements by non-government actors and the state administration that did not run through the legislative branch of government and in fact never came up for a vote by the citizens.   I reviewed one governmental policy that was written by a government employee that borrowed sections of the guidance from a master thesis (not his) and also suggested that the state should assume something was 100% fact and true, if it was published in a peer reviewed journal.  Why ?  Because it must be true??  I am sorry, but it appears we have a problem in the environmental profession. 

e. Since you may be asking or thinking about Politics, I have been a Blue Dog Democrat for most of my adult life and most of my family were Kennedy Democrats and supported UNIONS.  (Sidebar on Family History:  My grandfather on my father’s side was adopted by the Oram family, but I am told his original surname was Kennedy. Maybe I really need to go to Ancestry.com and run the genealogy.) 

f. In 2016, I was asked to speak at Keystone College during National Health Week. I was asked to speak about the biggest challenge to the Environmental / Health Professional and the Hidden Health crisis.  My talk was about "Drinking Water" and my premise was the biggest challenge for the professional will be to be a "Fact Based Professional and Scientist" and NOT an Activist.   The Times Tribune story about my presentation "Future Scientists Stick to the Facts". To be honest, today we have many professionals and government agencies acting like activists that are misinforming the public.  I can see why Mr. Shepstone uses the term - "BigGreenGrift" to be honest I am surprised he did not use the term "DeepState", but he did !

g. After I read the book Scare Pollution, I was being interviewed by a journalist/reporter from Politico on the subject of national gas development and air quality.   I asked him if he read the book Scare Pollution.  His response was No he did not read the book or bother reviewing the book, because of the underlying ideology of the author.  He stated that the author was appointed by Bush.  So, he did not read the book because the anticipated bias of the author and because the journalist did not notice the log in his own eye.  (What is the status of Journalism??)

Just a few highlights from the book Scare Pollution:

Milloy Uncovers EPA’s Illegal Human Experiments – After EPA falsely claimed before Congress that inhaling even tiny amounts of soot was deadly, the agency sought to justify those outrageous claims with illegal experiments on elderly and sick subjects making them inhale diesel exhaust in an “exposure chamber.” EPA even experimented on 10-year old children with diesel exhaust.

The Exposure of EPA’s Secret Science – To avoid scrutiny of its false claims, EPA hid scientific data for more than 20 years – despite numerous demands from Congress including by subpoena and bills passed. Scare Pollution shows how Milloy discovered a treasure trove of data and led a team of scientific researchers to debunk EPA’s claims with new data.

Finally, a Much-Awaited Explanation of the Likely Cause of Historical Episodes of ‘Killer’ Air Pollution. EPA often cites fatal historical air pollution incidents to needlessly alarm the public about current air quality. Milloy finally debunks these claims with convincing analysis pointing to the likely actual culprit(s).

A book making these claims is NOT worth at least reading????? and Fact Checking? REALLY !!!

h. I asked Tom to allow me to repost his story, because Tom's post describes an underlying truth in a way only Tom can.  I am not asking anyone to believe Mr. Shepstone or myself, but I will ask readers and fellow citizens to have an open mind and maybe do some readings, please do not be a sheep. 

Recommendations (READ)

1984 - Why? Because it is no longer fiction.

Scare Pollution 

The Beaches are Moving

The History of Carbon Dioxide and Climate 

Global-Warming Alarmists, Skeptics and Deniers: A Geoscientist Looks at the Science of Climate Change

American Marxism  

Plunder and Deceit - For the record, the USA total debt and unfunded mandates is not 34 Trillion (120 % of gross domestic product (GDP)), but over 240 Trillion (2021 dollars- probably over or approaching 300 Trillion in 2024 dollars). This is about 30 years’ worth of our national GDP (Overspending??) and there is no social security lock box.  GPD per capita in 2022 was $76,330.00 with an annual GDP of about 20 trillion.  So the total debt and liabilities of the US govt (which is really owed by citizens) is equivalent to ALL of our Collective earnings for the next 15 years.  Do we need to grow the economy and cut federal spending on non-core issues ? YES.   I thought CEO Pay was excessive, the government representatives are spending the USA into fiscal insolvency.  No wonder the inflation is so bad! Printing money is diluting the value of the USA dollar. 

Aside:  What is GDP? 

 If you would like to help with environmental education and citizen monitoring, I might suggest the following:

1. If YOU LOVE CLEAN WATER ? Donate to the Go Fund Me to Help Support the Surface Water Quality Index Calculator and the Development of other Free Tools for Well Owners and Drinking Water Customers. 
   
   
2. Order and Share Our Drinking Water Educational Booklet  - Our new Booklet is titled "Our Drinking Water", because it is up to us to make this change and work as a community.  
   
   
3. Order a Well Water or City Drinking Water Informational Testing Kit and Get on the Path to Clean Water without the help of Government.  
   
   
4. Share the Know Your H20 Platform with friends and family. This platform is fact based and not supported by any government grants.
   
   
5. Read and share our other blog posts and news articles. 
   
   
6. It is really about the kids.  It is clear that in many ways the kids today are being used and misinformed.  This must end !  We need younger generations that can read, write, understand our history, understand the scientific method, understand ethics and have ethical standard, and have the capacity to debate and think critically, we do not an Anxious Generation or more social justice warriors/activists (We Need more Professionals with Careers in the Environment and Professionals in the Trades).
   
   
7. Join or support a local environmental/civics organization that is not connected to large non-governmental nationalized environmental organizations. The organization should support the local interests first and not the national interests of the NGO.

Reaction and Thoughts - by Amy Lee:

Reaction and thoughts by Amy Lee:

I’ve personally reached a point of perhaps being a bit jaded. When I started my environmental career in the mid-1990’s it was at a time when I felt like I could make a difference. I thought *I* WAS the next generation that all of the environmental conservation and activist talk was trying to save. I was fully on-board with contributing in whatever way I could. I took offense to anyone saying derogatory things about ‘activists’ because I felt through my work I too was actively seeking positive change. I’m a child of the 1980’s taught to be anything, do anything, achieve anything. I’m a reader of science fiction and lover of the dystopian future that always brings humans back to a simpler way of life. Two opposing fictional delights I suppose - I love robot and alien stories while also adoring an 1800’s view of the world where neighbor helps neighbor survive on the prairie.

Then some experiences brought to light the level of corruption of many facets that exist in the human realm of environmental consciousness.

The first that stands out the most to me was being assigned to lead a watershed project in the Northeast via EPA funding. I was excited to affect real change on the point-source pollution levels affecting the Chesapeake Bay. Four thick 3-ring binders were dropped on my desk to bring me up to speed with how we would report our results. Four! It was the EPA guidance documentation for reporting back to the EPA both how the funding was being used and what the findings were. On one of our first expeditions into the field, I was responsible for a team of eleven people sampling water down a large tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. We were stopped from sampling in one section of the river by a land-owner who drew a shotgun on me while protecting their land. That data never made it into the reports. A safety consideration opinion of my boss at the time. The reports were submitted according to the countless pages of paper-pushing nonsense the EPA dictated as a barrier to the scientific conclusions that the real scientists in the field could offer without one iota of funding or research. Corruption was also apparent in the land-owner(s) who didn’t want the truth revealed and didn’t desire to affect positive change. It was as if the system dictated the answers from the start and real-science was not a consideration at all…just proper spending of earmarked funds according to pages and pages of process overhead.

I’ve been around during (and remember) the 1970’s gas crisis, ozone layer about to kill us, the extreme cooling scares due to Icelandic volcanic activity, drinking water “magically” becoming fuel out of faucets, talks about no repeats to the 3-mile island disaster, upticks in Radon testing, solar panels in places where there isn’t enough sun to justify the cost of the minerals extracted in their making, cradle-to-grave carbon footprint analyses that looks at one variable out of hundreds, millions of dollars into alternative energies… There isn’t one thing that is working. There isn’t one train we can get on with our donations, our voices, or our time that will lead to a station of success. 

Being analytically minded I employ the 5-Whys method to dive deeper: Why? Because the success factors have not been defined and agreed on. Why? Because of money? Why? Because of government control of the real issues. Why? Because of complacency by the constituents lacking passion and feeling jaded like me. Why? Because of an epidemic of conspiracy where truth and real-science no longer prevail.

I think the last piece is the key. We have arrived at a time where the ‘my-truth’ movement has moved aside ‘truth’ - REAL ‘truth’   (Aside: Brian Oram said AMEN). Truth based on the scientific method where a hypothesis is formed, it is tested and portions are disproved until finally arriving at a generally accepted REAL ‘truth’. DId you know there is no final end to finding truth - even with the scientific method? This is what appealed to me most in choosing a path in the sciences over 30 years ago. It’s a search philosophy towards continuous thought, pondering, and exploration. With it - there is no final answer, just a generally accepted truth at this moment until it can be tested and potentially disproved. I want that to continue for future generations as we seek both towards the stars and on our own planet to find a peaceful existence. Education is the key. Passion is the goal. Thinking we can get back to that through REAL ‘truth’ and a drive for REAL science still excites me today to help keep those jaded feelings at bay.