MARINA DEL REY, CALIF.-- Continuing its ongoing moral opposition to environmentalism, the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI) announced the kickoff of its second annual National Campaign in Defense of Industry, which will take place on April 22, coinciding with Earth Day. Demonstrations, debates, and information sessions will be held on 43 college campuses around the globe, from UCLA to the University of Toronto to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
       "The common view of environmentalism is that its goal is the betterment of mankind--that it wants to purify our air and clean up our parks so that we can live healthier and happier lives," said Onkar Ghate, Ph.D., a resident fellow at ARI. "But the truth is the exact opposite. Whenever environmentalists are faced with a conflict between the 'interests' of nature and the needs of actual people, it is people who are invariably sacrificed. It is time to start challenging the philosophy of human sacrifice and start defending the view that nature is a value only insofar as it serves human needs and values."
       Cosponsored by ARI and the Center for the Moral Defense of Capitalism, the activities will focus on making the public aware of why the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should be developed.
 
ARI resident fellow Onkar Ghate, Ph.D., is available for interviews. For background visit CMDC's Web site at http://www.moraldefense.com/ProTech and ARI's anti-environmentalism Web site at http://environmentalism.aynrand.org