Should Engineers Counteract Environmental Extremism?

This paper argues that extreme environmentalism, akin to a religion, is causing the expenditure of massive amounts of limited resources of both money and attention to solve relatively unimportant problems. A crisis mentality in the news media has fostered a distorted view of environmental issues. The public perception of environmental problems is far removed from that of the scientific concensus. Environmental policy is now based more on emotion and debate than on facts and rational calculation. The attempt to reduce risk from man-made sources to zero, while ignoring much more substantial natural sources, diverts funds from real problems that could be addressed to alleviate suffering and disease. A moderate, rather than fearful, reaction to environmental concerns is urged. Engineers should promote quantitative solutions to environmental problems, and should appreciate the economics of pollution control and risk reduction. The inclusion of supplemental materials to support a rational concern for environmental issues in environmental engineering courses is urged.