August 15, 2008

• Watermelon Analogy of Environmentalists

  Iceland is a country which puts environment the top of everything. Well, the road is not easy. Iceland was once the poorest ground of earth and the nature of the island was deteriorated by human activities so severely. It has been a long way for Icelanders to realise what they have to do. In addition, the small scale of population makes Iceland easier to choose what the people have to do.

  Why can’t any other countries be ruled with the green ideology or by the green parties?

  Have you heard of Watermelon Analogy? Watermelon is green outside but red inside. It is used to describe the environmentalists. They are green outside but actually red inside. (Don’t be too sensitive. I only try to describe the characteristics. Of course, you may have your points.) Environmentalists to some radical extent are similar to communists. The grounds of the groups are similar. They start with the goodness of the whole population. Among the communists, they start with the goodness of all the people. Among the environmentalists, they start with the goodness of all the species on this planet. This is also why environmentalists can make noise in most of the countries but never have they gained sufficient awareness to succeed in any election. When people concern themselves, some of them may think of the others but still human. How can one be so enlightened to concern other species and actualise the concern? This is why environmentalists receive more little support from the public than the communists. This is also why the environmentalists always refer to the environmental concerns with the prompt urgency of rescue of the life of our next generations or even the second half of our life.

  I do not want to criticise the validity of various kinds of advocacy. I think there must be some reasons for the existence of various kinds of advocacy. I try to be green but I will not be so radical. Like Hong Kong and Singapore, the two cities have already been developed. Could we reverse everything and decline any use of air-conditioning? Like air traffic, can we stop fly on planes and go to somewhere to attend the exhibition on foot? Ridiculous! However, if we understand the common characteristics of environmentalists and communists, we can also understand why China is a playground of most of the transnational enterprises and entrepreneurs of the whole world and at the same time the playground of most of the environmentalists of the whole world.

  There are some conflicts between the entrepreneurs and the environmentalists. But who will win? It is quite hard to say at the moment. But China has reached the stage that she cannot ignore the effects to the whole world of any one of her policies. Anyone can play wildly. Chinese Government cannot.

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