The Conservative Ecologist and Free Market Environmentalism: Classical Liberalism Reasserted

• Published in: International journal of sustainability policy and practice 2013, Vol.8 (4), p.29-45
• Main Authors: Hobbs, Bradley K., Wimberley, Edward T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Affluence; Ecologists; Ecology; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Free markets; Freedoms; Liberalism; Libertarianism; Progressivism; Sustainability; Value
• ISSN: 2325-1166; 2325-1182
• DOI: 10.18848/2325-1166/CGP/v08i04/55402

The “conservative ecologist” represents those persons who value the environment but who do so from within the context of classic liberalism, with its emphasis upon individual liberty within a democratic society. Consequently, while such persons are considered conservative only to the degree that modern progressives have co-opted the term “liberal” to reflect their own comparatively socialistic values, they particularly cherish individual freedom and liberty – especially in terms of making free choices within the marketplace – over any other ecological value. The conservative ecologist could be described as more ideologically affiliated with libertarianism than with socialism. Their orientation is not valued within the modern environmental movement and is in fact antithetical to the political-economic vision of that movement. This paper discusses the nuances of the role of the “conservative ecologist” within the comparatively collectivist environmental mainstream, describing how collectivist approaches to social and environmental ecology have failed while classically liberal, pro-free-market approaches create sufficient affluence to allow for environmental protection and sustainability.