Why do liberals claim to be environmentalists when it is a conservative principle?

I think it may have something more to do with the destruction of the environment by the carelessness and laziness of big business.

I think everyone would rather have trees to continue to look like trees and not some radio active mutant fig. That isn't a conservative principle, that is sanity.

those are the kinds of arguments I would make to get laughs out of my intoxicated friends.

1. this isn't even a generalization, its just wrong. flat out incorrect.

2. this too is completely false. Environmental ideas are NOT an attempt to make things like it was in the 1800's, you thinking this shows just how little you know about todays green technology...or technology in general. or the 1800's.

3. sending 100 tons of "old junk" to a land fill has less of an impact on the environment than 100 tons of it being left in various yards of "rednecks" who have zero expertise in waste treatment.

4. seriously, how old are you?! how about i get down to your level and rebuttal with "rural people park their cars over rainwater catch basins when they change their oil, urban people go to Jiffy Lube where the oil is reconditioned for reuse."

Why do so many people who call themselves conservatives, support the radical policys of right-wing extremists who want to change things in this country away from the principles this nation was founded upon?

Our ever growing society cuts down trees and tears up land to build malls and subdivisions. This is not a left/right issue. If anything the tendency of Right-wingers to being less educated, anti-education, and less intelligent than their Left-Wing counterparts, possibly make them more responsible for some of the key factors that leads to more children.... and thus, a greater negative impact on the environment.

Further, I suspect that more of the right-wing base comes from areas of suburban sprawl and McMansions and non-stop consumerism and dependence on more and more goods from the malls you refer too.... rather than folks from actual rural areas (obviously not talking about the pretend rural folks, who clear 10 acres to build a 5000 square foot monstrosity, outfit it with a handful of quads, brand new tractors, every power tool imaginable, and brand new oversized trucks that never really get used for more than hauling grocerys or more and more new crap from big box stores, and then pretend they are "rednecks from the country").

Liberals advocate tighter rules on companies to prevent them from for example, dumping toxic chemicals into a lake. Conservatives now just seem to be about stripping companies of any regulations at all.

And name some current 'conservatives' who are environmentalists?

Modern Republicans have bastardized the term conservative beyond belief.

Liberals "claim" it because they are actually doing something about it.

If it is a conservative idea, why don't conservatives support actions to preserve our planet?

Conservatives (republicans) favor big business which usually has no conscience about destroying nature to further production

no raping the environment for profits is a major con principle Only money matters

A better question might be "Why do conservatives rail against enviromentalism when it is based on conservative principles?"

because conservatives have ran from the principle like it's poison in their attempt to please businesses...

you sold out your values for a quick buck...