The Globe and Egoism

Most people believe the scientific evidence the earth is warming. The impact on the environment isn’t much doubted either. Most people agree that greenhouse gases add to the problem. Yet there are still doubters. These are people who have a vested economic interest in not reducing greenhouse emissions and such.

One basic argument for environmental restrictions is that the Earth belongs to everyone. Almost all countries have taken that stance when banding together to reduce environmental hazards. Almost everyone agrees that denying the overwhelming consensus of the world scientific opinion about environmental hazards will eventually lead to disaster.

Those who oppose environmental restrictions because it will change their preferred lifestyles don’t have a moral leg to stand on. What you see is a pure egoism that is in the end self defeating to the egoist himself.

The logic of unregulated and unrestricted market self interest isn’t often argued by those who oppose restrictions on environmental pollution. Rather, you see arguments that continue to deny or obfuscate accumulated scientific results.

And why shouldn’t those who refuse to let go of some of their most cherished self interests use this tactic? Their stance is based on pure unbridled self interest. The arguments by egoists against those who hold the global community, Earth, altruism, and universal self preservation in high regard do not look morally handsome.

The only thing to be done is to wrest political control from the egoists via arguments based on altruism and global self interest. Shaming them into admitting their moral positions is an ongoing imperative. Letting them obfuscate and deny the evidence must be shown for what it is--a camouflage for selfishness, a pure egoism that is ultimately destructive of human progress and moral development.