Editor:

Edward Stevenson’s column on environmentalism as a philosophy of hypocrisy and mismanagement (“What is environmentalism?” Nov. 9) is founded on ignorance. The points Stevenson made in the article are taken out of context and are simply irritating.

He began the article by mentioning that he saw “Save our Canyons” and “Protect Wild Utah” stickers in the parking lot at Alta, and that these stickers in a ski resort parking lot are hypocritical. What he doesn’t realize or mention is that Alta is where many Little Cottonwood backcountry users will park and then hike to other areas of the Wasatch Mountains well outside of the resort’s boundaries.

His first argument seemingly originated from the George W. Bush School of Environmental Conservation. I am not sure how high the probability is for future generations to be able to create diverse ecosystems and reintroduce the then-extinct species through enhanced computer programs or more efficient production processes. Maybe environmentally conscious people do deserve a “thank you,” after all. Thank you, Mr. Stevenson for protecting corporate greed against all the world’s wasted land.

Walker Willey

Junior, Economics