The modern environmental movement often adopts a largely misanthropic view of humans as a “cancer” unalloyed evil, gobbling up resources and spewing planet-heating greenhouse gases.
This is wrong historically, sociologically, environmentally and more.
First, to the degree the “cancer” complaint is real, it’s not new, nor did it start with an environmentalist.
The non-environmentalist Ed Abbey said, back in the 1960s:
Growth for growth’s sake is the theology of the cancer cell.
I’m not saying that’s WHY California has this idea of “growth,” but Abbey was right.
Second, humanity IS spewing planet-heating greenhouse gases. And many people not in California and not narcissists know that. Nothing “misanthropic” about stating facts. Is Kotkin denying anthropogenic global warming?
Even in California, not every environmentalist is an actor, a politician or a Bay Area poseur, either. (Those that are, are plenty enough, and certainly deserve Kotkin’s skewering, but his brush is incredibly broad.)
On the last page of his screed, Kotkin claims Silicon Valley isn’t likely to produce a bunch of new jobs. Tell that to Google, Apple and other folks.