The Reds are topping the greens

Dec. 1, 2010
I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the letters I've received from readers who say that green and sustainable work is a bunch of bunk and that global warming is a scam.  In my November 2010 issue of CONTRACTOR, I published a letter from Ohio ...

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the letters I've received from readers who say that green and sustainable work is a bunch of bunk and that global warming is a scam. In my November 2010 issue of CONTRACTOR, I published a letter from Ohio contractor Michael Gray on why he won't be renewing his subscription.

Mr. Gray wrote, in part:

"We do not follow the marching orders or talking points of the Kenyan Usurper or his cronies. Specifically, few people here are environmental nut cases, so “green extreme” plays poorly outside the cities. Acceptance of the power grab expressed as 'Climate change or Global Warming' are the subject of ridicule. Personally, I stop reading ANY article that mentions the key words 'green, carbon footprint, climate change, global warming' or similar nonsense. In the last couple years that means most of your articles no longer interest me."

Mr. Gray has a lot of company in the anti-green crowd. As a point of contrast, let's dub them The Reds. It is also apropos since Mr. Gray is articulating a Red State argument. Here's a sampling from some of the letters:

“Contractors doing green work are prospering even in tough times? How do you figure? Only if they are the government's hand-picked winners for subsidized green agenda work.”

“I agree totally with Michael Gray. My customers could care less about the info your magazine is publishing. … My experience with the high tech equipment that you report on has been a nightmare. It takes a rocket scientist to service most of the high tech fixtures.”

“The Environmental Protection Agency, propagating the green myth along with state and local governments, has over-regulated our once pristine industry to the point of extinction. All at the expense of the customer.”

“Let's be honest, a least a portion of your readership, and a majority of the American population, see the whole "Global Warming"/Green movement for what it is — a scam! And anti-capitalistic scam at that.”

All in all, the mail up to this point is running about four-to-one in Mr. Gray's favor.

Then today I received this letter: "... these valid points are buried in how many column inches of untruths and anti-science venom.

"My shock and surprise is not that Mr. Gray holds these opinions – a man is entitled to his opinions – but rather that Contractor magazine chose to publish it. There are thousands, if not millions of web pages that traffic in this type of anti-science McCarthyism – anyone who enjoys that can certainly get as much as they want."

I'm planning to run all of these goodies in the Letters & E-mails section of my January issue, which, at the rate I'm receiving letters now, will run to several pages. That's a good thing. Keep 'em coming.

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