Critics sometimes describe environmentalists as "tree huggers". Clearly, this is intended to riddcule environm

Question

environmentalists. What might this source of ridicule be?

Answer 1

Because some of them have actually, physically, and literally hugged trees.  They have chained themselves around large old-growth forest trees to protest lumber companies cutting them down.

This image (of an environmentalist-activist literally hugging a tree to prevent it from being cut down) has become the icon and stereotype for the whole environmentalist movement, and the source of the term, "tree hugger".

The sad part of this is, there are actually more conifer trees in existence now, than there were several decades ago because lumber companies replant trees -- Ohh but environmentalists won't let you in on that little 'fact'.  Lumber companies aren't stupid -- they know trees are a renewable resource and they plant them so they can be harvested again within a few decades.

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Answer 2

Actually, I call them ELF's (that's environmental lunatic fringe) or in my mellower moments neo-Luddites (which is what they really are).

Answer 3

As an environmental consultant, I have as many problems with republicans as with "dark green" hippies. Nevertheless the difficulties are different with both groups.

Maybe only scientists and politicians having a sufficient scientifical level should be allowed to decide. How many politicians in the Senate hold a M.Sc or a PhD in science ?

Riddículing the environmental protection is like doing the same to medicine. Would you make fun of your own M.D. science ?

Nevertheless, the ones doing it, as a lot of them are old and not courageous wouldn´t make fun of medicine as they need it for themselves but are ready to make fun of serious people trying to protect the environment since when problems will be more accurate, they won´t be there anymore... so why should they care ?

Answer 4

the people who protected virgin forests in the NW would chain themselves to the trees, be really close to the trees, like hugging them and now I have learned of the Chipko.