b'E L C I T R Avoluntary simplicityby Brian G. Henningn their provocative essay The Death of Environmentalism, Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus contend that the modern environmental movement has failed because it has focused on narrow policy prescriptions grounded in economic models that defi ne the good in terms of rational self-interest. Sullenberger and Nordhaus argue that this approach has focused too much attention on what environmentalism is against and not enough on what it is for. Environmentalism is against fossil-fuel-based transportation and energy, against polluting waterways, against species extinction, against the oil pipeline. But, they argue, environmentalists dont spend enough time discussing what it is that they are for. In discussions of the environment generally and climate change in particular, one often gets the impression that the best that can be done is merely to cause less harm, be less bad (e.g., by reducing ones carbon footprint). In framing itself in this negative way, environmentalism has failed to create a robust, positive vision that might inspire a transformation of society toward more meaningful ways of living. 28 AspireVolume 1//Winter 2020 Subscribe today!smp.org/aspire'