Why not End It All, Now?
Psychology: The alarms that environmental extremists have sounded have given rise to a market for therapists who treat eco-anxiety. What a concept! Scare the wits out of people, then make money off their fear.
It's possible that none of the 100 or so "eco-therapists" practicing in the U.S. have been part of the environmentalist shock campaign. Or it could be that, at more than $100 an hour, these practitioners are simply taking advantage of others' weaknesses.
But given that the treatments they're prescribing — taking shorter showers, turning off lights, making do with less — are scrawled on the stone tablet of environmentalist commandments, it's no surprise.
"Fear, grief, anger, confusion and depression," Sarah Edwards told Fox News in explaining the eco-anxiety that caused her neck and shoulder pain, fibromyalgia and fatigue.
Last month, the British Independent reported that eco-anxiety can be responsible for overeating, despondency, bulimia, depression and alcoholism.
Whatever happened to our sense of proportion and basic powers of observation? Is it possible that people suffering from eco-anxiety are, as the Independent asked, "just plain nuts"?
What's clear is that Western society has achieved such a level of prosperity that some of us have the time and energy to let ourselves be consumed with worry and guilt over a problem that may very well be imaginary.
Let no one say that this world of abundance has come at the expense of the environment. Despite the psychoses, our earth is a cleaner, more livable place than it was even 40 years ago.
Don't think so? Then take a look at a government report (start with www.earthday.gov) that actually measures air and water quality, and wetlands gains.
Instead of driving ourselves up the proverbial wall over greenhouse gases, old-growth trees, pesticides, polar bears and plastic bags, maybe we should work toward becoming even more prosperous and spreading that prosperity around the world.
It seems that capitalism is the only economic system that can afford cleanliness.
By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Friday, April 18, 2008 4:20 PM PT
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