20 April, 2010

Just the facts, Ma'am

Writing in the Guardian, Malgorzata Górska explains how to succeed as a conservation activist, but the key advice appears in the article's comments.

The very concept of a self-righteous 'conservation activist' makes my fists itch, so as someone normally resistant to campaigners' whining, my key advice would be to stick to the measurable evidence: point out the verifiable scientific impacts of a road project, or the illegality of a mine. Never, ever, evangelise environmentalism, nor appeal to morality or the fluffiness of the poor little bunnies who'll be displaced. That may well be your personal motivation for getting involved, and that's fine. However, it's a particularly poor basis for campaigning to those of us who, whilst open to rational arguments and practicing fairly sustainable lifestyles, don't give a **** about the Green pseudo-religion.

[And no, that's not directed at Ms. Górska; just making a general point.]