Ecofundamentalism - by Rögnvaldur Hannesson (Hardcover)

About the Book

Ecofundamentalism: A Critique of Extreme Environmentalism is one of few books that focuses on ecofundamentalism, from its philosophical foundations to its policy prescriptions, instead of environmentalism as a whole. Ecofundamentalism places nature above man and is a possible ...

Book Synopsis

Ecofundamentalism: A Critique of Extreme Environmentalism is one of few books that focuses on ecofundamentalism, from its philosophical foundations to its policy prescriptions, instead of environmentalism as a whole. Ecofundamentalism places nature above man and is a possible threat to civilization. Rögnvaldur Hannesson critically examines central tenets of environmentalism such as sustainability, biodiversity, and the precautionary principle and he shows that issues like the "population bomb," global warming, and the depletion of the oceans are exaggerated or nonexistent threats.

Review Quotes

Ecofundamentalism: A Critique of Extreme Environmentalism is a valuable book for presenting a careful and reasoned counter to some of the arguments of environmentalism. Rögnvaldur Hannesson is an accomplished scholar and an environmentalist in his own right. His arguments point to the critical need for positive analysis of the tradeoffs encountered in confronting environmental and natural resource problems in order to enhance the wellbeing of the planet and its inhabitants of all kinds.

In this book, world-renowned fisheries economist Hannesson states that his goal is to debunk environmentalism of the ecofundamentalist variety as ahistorical, unscientific, and an outright threat to progress. Putting aside his technical and statistical tools to critically evaluate his subject, the author defines ecofundamentalists as people who put nature above humans and accuses them of being hypocrites benefiting from the comforts of the industry they deride and of self-aggrandizement promoting doom and gloom. According to the author, ecofundamentalists may be a minority and represent marginal opinion, but they are capable of shaping public thinking to an unwarranted degree. He does admit there are limits to the use of nonrenewable resources, but if experience is any guide, he concludes, people will probably do just fine. To environmentalists who urge precaution, Hannesson says the only way to learn about the dangers of a product is by using it. Possibly his most striking opinion is that people have learned the laws of nature and turned them to their advantage. A nonanalytical critique, this book is recommended as a reasoned counter to some of the arguments of environmentalism. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers.

Professor Rögnvaldur Hannesson, an authority on natural resource management, has written a well-argued, even if polemical, book against ecofundamentalism, which, for him, puts nature before man. . . .Hannesson has written an instructive, concise book, successfully debunking many myths about the environment, with sober analysis rather than rhetoric.

Rögnvaldur Hannesson is a world-renowned fisheries economist, but in this book he puts aside his technical and statistical tools to critically evaluate "ecofundamentalism" through an economic lens anyone can understand. If you are an open-minded environmentalist, you will have to re-evaluate your position on many issues including global warming, and if you are an "ecofundamentalist," your foundation will be shaken.

About the Author

Rögnvaldur Hannesson received his PhD in economics at the University of Lund, Sweden.