McMahon: Earth Talk

Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Jacques Cousteau’s son Jean-Michel and, as you may already know, he and the entire family are active environmentalists.

I bring this up — because I’ve noticed now, more than any time I remember — that environmentalist has become to some an insulting word. Environmentalist. Tree hugger or in the case of Cousteau, fish kisser.

I acknowledge that there are extreme positions on every good issue, but can’t we agree that taking care of our planet is a good issue?

I love animals, but I don’t love PETA. I own wood furniture, but I don’t want to see the Brazilian rain forest depleted. Is it really a left of center position to demand that those American industries that are poisoning some of our waterways be prevented from doing so? I just read a comment from someone on the Internet, questioning whether the air is really worse today than a hundred years ago. My answer: start your car in a closed garage. Let it run. Now multiply by hundreds of millions. I rest my case.

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