If Aliens Came…

Saw this on Facebook the other day:

Well, yeah, we probably would declare the aliens persons and give them money if they also

• Generated all the energy we consume.
• Manufactured all the medical devices that save our lives.
• Grew all the food we eat.
• Designed and manufactured all the clothes we like to wear.
• Created a nationwide wireless phone network that allows us to stay in contact with friends and family at all times.
• Produced all the pharmaceuticals that keep us healthy.
• Manufactured all the appliances that make our lives easier.
• Built all the cars we drive.
• Published all the books we read.
• Manufactured all the toys our children love to play with.
• Ran all the major sporting events we love to watch.
• Built all the buildings we live and work in.
• Manufactured all the furniture for those buildings.
• Delivered all this great stuff to convenient locations near where we live.
• Provided television and the internet.
• Produced all the movies we enjoy.
• Hosted all the blogs we read.

With a few psychopathic exceptions, nobody — natural person or legal corporation — damages the environment just for the sake of doing damage. Problems such as pollution and deforestation are either side effects or part of the direct cost of processes that make people’s lives better. Maybe the cost is too high — that’s a legitimate and important subject for debate — but it’s foolish to lament the costs while ignoring the benefits.