Luc Ferry, a French philosopher, analyzes the ethical claim of environmentalism, which is, after all, a philosophy, not just a movement or approach to public policy - in some cases it even comes close to religious zeal in its dogmatic requirements. Ferry is a supporter of liberal environmentalism, but he questions the more radical forms such as "deep ecology" and the animal rights movement. These groups have tried to equate moral and legal rights of trees and animals with those of humans. This perspective uproots the intellectual tradition of the humanist tradition. There is a major difference between humans and everything else: humans can choose the way to live their lives; we can deviate, even to our detriment, from instinct. It is absurd to suggest that animals or plants have any rational claim on the same rights as humans.
Ferry suggests radical environmentalism has evolved into a fascistic order no less dangerous than Stalinism or Maoism. Nazi Germany, in fact, had one of the best environmental records of any modern country, believing as they did that glory resided in the pure past and an untrammeled landscape. The radical environmentalist would eliminate democratic procedures to impose a structure that would mandate policies intended to return us to that Edenic past when life was sweet, all things were good, and all the children above average.
