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Todd Myers
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Eco-Fads: How the rise of trendy environmentalism is harming the environment Kindle Edition

by Todd Myers (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 22 ratings
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“Todd Myers is an eco-mythbuster. He exposes trends among modern environmentalists that are based more on ‘feel-good’ sentimentality than on scientific reality. If you truly care about the environment, then you should read this book.”
Alex B. Berezow, Ph.D., Editor of RealClearScience.com

Wherever we turn, politicians, businesses and activists are promoting the latest fashionable “green” policy or product. Green buildings, biofuels, electric cars, compact fluorescent lightbulbs and a variety of other technologies are touted as the next key step in protecting the environment and promoting a sustainable future. Increasingly, however, scientific and economic information regarding environmental problems takes a back seat to the social and personal value of being seen and perceived as “green.”

As environmental consciousness has become socially popular, eco-fads supplant objective data. Politicians pick the latest environmental agenda in the same way we choose the fall fashions – looking for what will yield the largest benefit with our public and social circles.

Eco-Fads exposes the pressures that cause politicians, businesses, the media and even scientists to fall for trendy environmental fads. It examines why we fall for such fads, even when we should know better. The desire to “be green” can cloud our judgment, causing us to place things that make us appear green ahead of actions that may be socially invisible yet environmentally responsible.

By recognizing the range of forces that have taken us in the wrong direction, Eco-Fads shows how we can begin to get back on track, creating a prosperous and sustainable legacy for our planet’s future.
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  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    August 23, 2011
  5. File size
    542 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005KLRRSM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Washington Policy Center (August 23, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 23, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 542 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 22 ratings

About the author

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Todd Myers

Todd Myers

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With nearly two decades in environmental policy, Todd Myers’ experience includes work on a range of environmental issues, including climate policy, spotted owl habitat, old-growth forests, and salmon recovery. Currently, he serves as a member of the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council and was a member of the executive team at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

Todd is the Environmental Director at the Washington Policy Center, a market-oriented think tank in Seattle. Myers’ writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, National Review, Seattle Times, USA Today, and he has appeared on numerous news networks including CNBC, Fox News, and CNN. Recognized as a national leader on free-market environmental policy, Myers serves on the board of two national center-right environmental organizations, the American Conservation Coalition, an environmental advocacy organization that works to engage youth on conservation and environmental stewardship, and ConservAmerica, a group dedicated to habitat and wildlife conservation.

A former computer programmer, Mr. Myers has a bachelor’s degree in Politics from Whitman College and a Master’s Degree in Russian/International Studies from the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. Previously he served as Executive Director and later Board Chair of the Washington State Prescription Drug Assistance Foundation. He also served as Vice-President of the Northwest Association of Biomedical Research, winning the Distinguished Service Award for his work supporting scientific research. In 2021 he served as President of the Snoqualmie Valley Beekeepers. He and his wife Maria live in the heart of the Cascade Mountains in Washington state with 200,000 honeybees.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
22 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars What we feel may be false
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book points up how we tend to respond to ideas, products, theories, books, etc. with an emotional response. Emotion is a tricky human factor. With emotion we go with what feels good. Emotion is not facts and could be considered a fiction. Our perception is our reality, however, if our perception is based on emotion or feelings it will often be wrong or harmful. Facts tend to lead us in a more appropriate direction. When we do something that is right we feel good. In this case the feeling comes after consideration of factual information and is an appropriate emotion.
This book shows us how emotionaf "feel good" reasoning can be detrimental to us and those around us. Good job Todd! This is a very well done book with significant research that establishes the facts in ways we can all appreciate. If the facts don't line up with our belief we need to examine the belief in light of facts, get our egos out of the way, and be willing to modify it.
Dave Ferguson
One person found this helpful
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DF
4.0 out of 5 stars Open Mind?
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2015
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Environmentalists for too long have taken an emotional, look at me, I'm the superior person approach. Eco-Fads can enlighten you with it's approach or anger you. Either way it's an interesting read.
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Hill Country Bob
5.0 out of 5 stars An attempt to provide balance to environmentalism
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2013
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An excellent book addressing the costs of many things that are popular with people and in particular with the environmental or green community. He is making the very real point that there are costs associated with things that are labeled green, and the costs should be factored into decisions about what we do, as all bills must be paid by society.

Very thoughtful and useful in pointing out that things like photographs of a clear cut forrest are intended to manipulate peoples emotions, but really do not advance a useful agenda for the people. We really need to understand what is happening in the forest with regard to long term forest management, and not just one picture. Forests are grown for different uses: strong fir trees for use in cutting lumber for people houses, and quicker growing hybrid poplars which are not strong enough for use in housing lumber, but are useful for furniture or paper. We need to use our forests to support things that people want and need, as well as just having all old growth trees for camping by ecologists.

People need to have enough understanding of the issues to avoid being manipulated by the ecologists or businesses.

I like the book in that it is an attempt to get people to recognize that there are costs associated with doing something because it is "green".
3 people found this helpful
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Eric Berman
1.0 out of 5 stars Right high level thesis, lots of bad examples
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2018
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This book could have been one page long and simply stated its core thesis: “don’t take environmental policies/suggestions at face value; there is usually more to it than meets the eye, and some might actually do more harm than good.” Absolutely true, and he could have had a much more coherent argument in defense of it.

The problem with his diatribes against “eco fads” is first that he never actually formally defines it - he simply labels anything he disagrees with as such. Many of them may be, but for most of his examples, he is either using a strawman argument (I.e., responding to either an environmental claim that is not actually being made, or that is a secondary/tertiary claim rather than the primary one), or selectively picking on a few examples that are not representative, or ascribing (without evidence) improper motives to advocates of whatever “fad” he is dissecting.

In many cases, his argument boils down to “X is an eco fad because it is not totally free of negative side effects.” Absolutely true, but a meaningless observation, since very few things in the world are completely without tradeoffs. Whether these tradeoffs are worth it is the relevant question, and in almost every case he cites not nearly as cut and dry as he asserts.

There are also contradictory arguments, such as citing the lack of businesses capitalizing on an issue to prove that solving the issue is not have economically worthwhile, and arguing in another chapter that companies advocating for environmental regulation is proves they are really just in it for the money.

And finally, just a few years of history since this was published have laid waste to his claims about how inordinately expensive technologies like solar can be.

So it was a frustrating read, when his high level point seems a priori quite valid.
5 people found this helpful
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Mary
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2016
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The claim that some "green" practices are more fads than actually helpful are accurate.
One person found this helpful
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Phil
5.0 out of 5 stars Everone in America should read this
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2013
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Everone in America should read this! It's down to earth and practical, but not anti-environment. As human beings we should be responsible citizens, but in a way that actually helps care for our world, not just follows the latest feel-good eco-fad which sometimes actually hurts the environment.
One person found this helpful
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W. Wadford
5.0 out of 5 stars Important read exposing the Neo-Environmentalists
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2012
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This is an important read exposing the shallow, trendy way some Neo-Environmentalists approach environmental issues. I have no problem with people who actually study an issue even if we disagree. I have a huge problem with people who take sides based on what the herd considers cool.
2 people found this helpful
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John Van Horn
5.0 out of 5 stars Super
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2012
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Todd Myers is an environmentalist that sees our world's problem through reality. Why spend billions on things that don't help and don't work. Rather invest in things that are truly green. Politics be dammed.

JVH
3 people found this helpful
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