I recently read ‘State of Fear’, a science fiction novel by Michael Crichton. It is a controversial book about some misguided environmentalists and their plans and attempts to cause disaster in support of their cause. Its very exciting. A real page turner.
The underlying theme is the science of climate change. Although some would disagree with me, I think Crichton has represented climate science reasonably correctly. It is also a book about human nature; describing examples of how the emotion of fear is used and misused to manipulate and control people. I think he has this aspect right too.
Michael wrote about 20 novels, a number of them best sellers. Jurassic Park, Timeline, Andromeda Strain and Prey are some examples. http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books.html.
In 2003 Michael gave a speech which included this statement:
‘There’s an initial Eden, a paradise, a state of grace and unity with Nature; there’s a fall from grace into a state of pollution as a result from eating from the tree of knowledge; and as a result of our actions, there is a judgment day coming for all of us. We are energy sinners, doomed to die, unless we seek salvation, which is now called sustainability. Sustainability is salvation in the church of the environment, just as organic food is its communion, that pesticide-free wafer that the right people with the right beliefs imbibe.’
The picture describes aspects of a religion.
It seems to me that the emotions of fear, guilt and virtue, implemented by many religions to manipulate people to change behaviour, are the same tools being used by the environmental movement. That makes it a religion.
There is an article along these lines by Larry Bell at Forbes, ‘Climate Change As Religion: The Gospel According To Gore’.
The article starts, ‘Global warming (aka “climate change”) has become a religious mantra, a call for action in a crusade against larger evils we have perpetrated against nature, a punishment for our sins.’
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