I have to say Indie... I don't quite know how to take the observation:
You sound like a Liberal Elitist!
Cause I sure as hell hate elitism and liberalism.
I did college multiple times, hated it. Realized I learned far better on my own and did so. I have all sorts of stuff packed in the head which make me dangerous as hell for Trivia games.
The Ecofascisti... at one time, like unions, there was a purpose for them. There is a distinct benefit for protection from hidden dangers, abuse and mismanagement in both the environment and work. If you are Christian, you should pay attention to Genesis and realize that God commissioned us to be 'good stewards' of the Earth, even though we sinned and fucked up the sweet deal we had in Eden. That of course means that you should respect and manage nature and try to live in harmony with it. Of course, that does not mean you should be subjugated to it, for you are still on top of it all and are supposed to be responsible.
So looping back to if there is merit? Absolutely. I'm a conservationist. Manage, don't submit. But, with every issue in the environment, from treatment of animals to pollution, really, there is a need to prove that what you are doing is a help. For instance, Kudzu was brought over to help shore up railroad cuts quickly. Nobody knew that this invasive species could be so dangerous to the south. Best intentions often go awry and that is why we must be so careful in what we choose to do in regards to the environment and never act too quickly.
Pollution really comes down to this for me, you don't shit where you sleep. Pollution often comes from necessary activity to survive. It's the curse of life and the modern western civ has some very nasty waste issues that need to be dealt with. That said, when we fix a problem, we should not automatically go off and continually tighten till an extreme is met. There are many pollutants in daily life that are relatively harmless. Car exhaust outside, for instance, stinks, but generally, unless you are unhealthy is not going to harm you. Your body can tolerate it. On the other hand, in your house for a prolonged period, you're gonna be bright pink and pushing up daisys soon. The response needs to balance the need to live life in the most efficent way possible, and not over react and try to create a 'no risk' impossible to reach world.
The only thing I say I find flat out bullshit is Anthropogenic climate control. Consensus is not science, facts are. There are too many conflicting facts and not enough conclusive proof to generate enough justification to do a damn thing. I require a 'court level' degree of proof. Direct harm/cause must be shown while any solution must not be too espensive or inconvenient for the measure of improvement in life that is directly possible to the solution. This test cannot be met by anyone currently screaming "The Sky Is Falling!", and therefore, the policy should remain at 'no change'. When that information DOES become available, with a reasonable plan to stop it, then I would be for implementing it.
As for my Avvie. That's Jimmer Nagumanee from Menominee! How could you not know the Jimmer? Boopity-BOOP!
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VBTGgAKAcA]jimmer chevy took shit - YouTube[/ame]