Benji Backer

Well, look, first on your point, it's a great point. I would say that the loudest voices that are the most extreme are actually the minority, thankfully. Most Americans aren't extreme environmentalists.

The future of environmentalism cannot be dominated by Greta Thunberg and AOC and these radical voices because they actually don't speak for the majority of Americans, including left-leaning Americans. Most Americans want pragmatism on the environment. Most Americans want conservation and sensible measures to be taken. It's just not dominating in the media cycle that we have today.

The future of environmentalism cannot be dominated by Greta Thunberg and AOC and these radical voices because they actually don't speak for the majority of Americans, including left-leaning Americans. Most Americans want pragmatism on the environment. Most Americans want conservation and sensible measures to be taken. It's just not dominating in the media cycle that we have today.

What that looks like is, the leftist approach so far has been this preservation, don't touch anything. The environment is to be protected at all costs, which I'm the biggest environmentalist out there. But when you have this kind of hands off approach, which is what preservation is, then you have these intense wildfires like we've seen out in the West.

What that looks like is, the leftist approach so far has been this preservation, don't touch anything. The environment is to be protected at all costs, which I'm the biggest environmentalist out there. But when you have this kind of hands off approach, which is what preservation is, then you have these intense wildfires like we've seen out in the West.

You have all these other problems that exist because you're not in there actively managing and making sure that ecosystems and biodiversity and humanity are all thriving at the same time.

You have all these other problems that exist because you're not in there actively managing and making sure that ecosystems and biodiversity and humanity are all thriving at the same time.

When you allow local landowners and you allow local stakeholders to be involved in the process of taking care of the environment, you get the best results because local people know how to take care of their local environments best. Farmers, ranchers. Slow down.

When you allow local landowners and you allow local stakeholders to be involved in the process of taking care of the environment, you get the best results because local people know how to take care of their local environments best. Farmers, ranchers. Slow down.

Doesn't that make things better?

Doesn't that make things better?

Well, that unknown EPA administrator, like the congresswoman was mentioning, that's 3,000 miles away from the problem, yes, does not know how to take care of the area better than the person who lives there does. And so you wonder why we have worsening wildfires. it's because we're not allowing local communities to take care of their forests.

Well, that unknown EPA administrator, like the congresswoman was mentioning, that's 3,000 miles away from the problem, yes, does not know how to take care of the area better than the person who lives there does. And so you wonder why we have worsening wildfires. it's because we're not allowing local communities to take care of their forests.

The government's coming in saying you're not allowed to take care of your forests. And if you want to help fight forest fires... It's why we have homeless.

The government's coming in saying you're not allowed to take care of your forests. And if you want to help fight forest fires... It's why we have homeless.

Yeah, look, I mean, when economies are strong and people's livelihoods are good, the environment ends up being protected because then we actually can go in there and protect it. I was touring a native tribe in Washington State a couple of years ago, and I asked the tribal member how they are so economically successful because this is one of the most economically successful tribes in the country.

Yeah, look, I mean, when economies are strong and people's livelihoods are good, the environment ends up being protected because then we actually can go in there and protect it. I was touring a native tribe in Washington State a couple of years ago, and I asked the tribal member how they are so economically successful because this is one of the most economically successful tribes in the country.

And also how they helped restore the salmon population because they also helped do that. And they said those two things went hand in hand. The fact that we were economically successful allowed us to put the money into restoring the salmon population. It allowed us to conserve the salmon population because we weren't worried about taking care of our basic needs.

And also how they helped restore the salmon population because they also helped do that. And they said those two things went hand in hand. The fact that we were economically successful allowed us to put the money into restoring the salmon population. It allowed us to conserve the salmon population because we weren't worried about taking care of our basic needs.

Humans interact with the environment every single day. Us being on this call takes up energy and takes up resources that takes from the environment. We have a role in protecting it, but that means we need to be involved in it. And that's why conservation is so much better than preservation.