X-Message-Number: 1408
Date: 08 Dec 92 22:44:42 EST
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: CRYONICS Environmentalists

To: Kevin Brown 
 
In suggesting that environmentalists and cryonicists might 
have something in common, I realize I was making a statement 
that is not, shall we say, cryonically politically correct. 
However, I'm a little surprised by the vehemence of Brian 
Wowk's response. I feel that he (like extropian writers I 
have read) is losing sight of environmentalist principles and 
responding only to the methods which are generally used to 
put those principles into practice. 
 
My experience of environmentalists (and I have belonged to 
various groups) tells me that they have seen a lot of damage 
done to living things which they sincerely care about; and 
they believe that this damage has been caused mainly as a 
side-effect of industry and population growth. 
 
Many (not all) environmentalists also conclude that since a 
chemical factory causes more pollution than no chemical 
factory, we should get rid of chemical factories, and 
anything resembling a chemical factory. 
 
The whole mindset boils down to the notion that if there's 
something causing problems, we should control it or ban it. I 
do not share this outlook, but that's not what I was writing 
about. 
 
My concern was the deeper impulse motivating most 
environmentalists, which is, as I say, the sincere desire to 
preserve life and minimize death. To this degree, cryonicists 
and environmentalists do have something in common, even 
though the methods that they use to promote their beliefs 
have been very different.  
 
Incidentally, I note that some cryonicists are already eager 
to seek restrictive legislation (e.g. to control the behavior 
of coroners) when it suits their purposes. How many of us 
would remain "pure" if there was a much bigger temptation--
for instance, a chance to make cryonics really widely 
established via government controls? This was the kind of 
temptation facing environmentalists, and I don't entirely 
blame them for yielding to it, even while I feel they were 
wrongheaded and simple-minded to do so. 
 
Brian is absolutely correct that the libertarian-objectivist-
technophile constituency has been the most fertile place to 
find cryo converts. However, if cryonics is to find wider 
acceptance, the lib-obj-tech fraternity isn't going to be 
sufficient. I am therefore interested in finding new links 
between cryonics and larger groups which are more socially 
acceptable. 
 
--Charles Platt 

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