Global warming has become a major concern of many environmentalists. Will mankind’s efforts to protect our planet be successful?

By Sean Yarbrough

Twenty years ago, a U.S. Senate committee heard testimony on climate change from NASA climatologist James Hansen. He told the committee that “the greenhouse effect has been detected, and it is changing our climate now.”

Hansen’s landmark testimony triggered an avalanche of research, political debate and environmental activism that continues to this day. However, there are concerns about where all of this is taking us. Some believe there is a dark side to environmentalism that is beginning to overshadow the good work of those who simply wish to take care of our natural resources.

The two extremes
As in every aspect of life, there are extremes in the way people view the environment. Some greedy businesspeople couldn’t care less about the damage they do to the earth. At the other extreme, ecoterrorists seem not to care about people and destruction of property.

Groups such as the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) have claimed responsibility for multiple acts of ecoterrorism during the past decade, including the recent destruction of three luxury homes near Seattle, Washington, with damages totaling $7 million. Ironically, these homes and the surrounding housing developments were designed to be environmentally friendly.
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