Controversial Environmentalist Speaks at CofC

By Beckett Brennan

On June 18, 2010, controversial environmentalist Dr. Patrick Moore spoke at the College of Charleston. A strong advocate of promoting sustainability through alternative energy practices, Moore emphasized the benefits of nuclear energy to the small audience of primarily college students this past Friday.

The Canadian native is known for his involvement and as co-founder of Greenpeace in 1971, one of the world’s largest environmental activist organizations. Explaining his participation in the organization as a driving force in shaping both the direction of Greenpeace and environmental policies, Moore has since changed stance on various issues.

Moore is no longer a member of Greenpeace, leaving in 1986, saying that the movement “abandoned science and logic in favor of emotion.” Originally an opponent of nuclear power, today Moore is a proponent of its use as a source of alternative energy along with other renewable energy sources.

Today, Moore is a strong advocate against using coal and oil as our primary source for energy. Promoting instead, nuclear power, hydroelectric, geothermal and wind energy to sustain the general standard of living of the world’s population of 6 billion people.

Moore acknowledged his critics of nuclear power, recognizing the negative connotations and fear, associated with the word nuclear. “The word nuclear does not always have to describe something destructive or evil,” Moore said.

Moore acknowledged the countries of Sweden, Canada and Switzerland as examples of nations that have moved away from traditional energy sources, using alternative renewable sources for the majority of their energy. With these countries paving the way, Moore stressed the ability, other nations, including the United States; have in moving toward the use of more sustainable sources of energy.

According to Moore, Greenpeace was un-willing to consider nuclear power as a means of alternative energy. With opposing views on this and several other issues, Moore explained he needed to move on. “I made the transition from the politics of confrontation to the politics of building consensus.”

In his speech on Friday, Moore explained and defined the four words he felt are most important to understand for sensible environmental practices: renewable, sustainable, clean and green.

The word green, according to Moore, has no real meaning with regards to the environment. Instead, it’s a new-age marketing tool for businesses and manufacturers in the 21 century. “You can’t say you are green…Green is just a label not an environmental practice” said Moore.

To ensure the well being of our planet, Moore promotes the need to move towards an economy that is based on renewable, sustainable and clean resources. Adding, Moore said, “There must be both a behavioral and technological change in our daily lives.”

Behavioral changes include turning off the light when you leave a room or un-plugging an appliance that is not being used. Changes in our behavior, Moore explained, help reduce our carbon footprint.

But it’s the technological changes; such as, installing energy saving light bulbs or using solar panels for energy that lead to a sustainable environment.

College of Charleston student Janae Tanti commented on Moore’s presentation, saying, “As someone who knows very little about nuclear energy, I attended the lecture hoping to learn more- but walked out more confused than I had been before. Rather than an hour-long lecture on nuclear energy, Moore gave his audience his biography with a few jumbled side-notes on nuclear energy.”

Center of Controversy

Currently, Moore serves as Chair and Chief Scientist of Greenspirit Strategies. An organization Moore founded in 2002 that focuses on environmental policy and communications in forestry, agriculture, biodiversity, energy and climate change.

Moore is also, as of 2006, the Co-Chair of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, a national grassroots coalition that promotes nuclear energy as a clean, safe and dependable source of power.

After his departure from Greenpeace, Moore has been criticized for changing his stance on several environmental and sustainability issues. As a strong proponent of nuclear power and forestry, Moore is also and advocate of planting genetically engineered crops.

Moore’s views have been controversial in the public arena, as critics have accused his change in stance as business related with arguments based on assumptions.

In Wired Magazine’s March 2004 issue, “Eco-Traitor”, Drake Bennett said, “He didn’t just retire; he joined the other side. Today, he’s a mouthpiece for some of the very interests Greenpeace was founded to counter, notably the timber and plastics industries.”

Response to the Criticism

On the Greenspirit website, Moore responds to his critics, accusing opposing environmental movements of lacking practicality in the publics daily behavior. “We cannot simply switch to basing all our actions on purely environmental values,” Moore said.

In response to his reason for leaving Greenpeace, Moore said, “Not all my former colleagues saw things that way. They rejected consensus politics and sustainable development in favor of continued confrontation and ever-increasing extremism.”

According to Moore, for sustainable development to be beneficial it has to provide for those needs in ways that reduce negative impact on the environment. The challenge, Moore explains, is to make changes that are socially acceptable and technically and economically feasible.

On their website, CASEnergy Coalition states that, today, Moore unites unlikely allies across the business, environmental, academic, consumer and labor community to support nuclear energy. Their belief is that nuclear energy can improve energy security, ensure clean air quality, and enhance the quality of life and economic well being of all Americans.