Drew Pogge believes he is without friends, finding
himself “magnetically repelled” by both environmentalists and good
ol’ boys because of his empathy for both (HCN,
3/31/08). He is, however, sadly mistaken. He is
magnetically repelled because of the stereotypes he insists on
articulating. He writes that the conservation movement is often
“tainted with hypocrisy” and his redneck friends spend more time in
the natural world than the “self-proclaimed environmentalist.” He
asks if any of us “really know what (we’re) talking about.” Here’s
a little bit of what I think I know: Regardless of how much time a
motorized gearhead may spend in the outdoors, wanton destruction is
simply wanton destruction, and there is no excuse for it, ever. And
regardless of how much time an environmentalist may spend in the
office, respect and love for all of creation is not hypocrisy. All
the environmentalists I know would certainly rather spend more time
in the outdoors than in the office, but we all make our respective
deals with the devil when it comes to making a living. At least
those office-bound environmentalists are contributing to a
healthier environment and not out there tearing it up.
Evan Cantor Boulder, Colorado
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Up against the wall, redneck enviro.
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