Environmentalism is an ethical worldview as much as it is a scientific approach to life. Like any moral philosophy, it can be extremely difficult to enlighten those you consider to be in the wrong without offending them. When an individual or group accuses you of personal wrongdoing, backing down is the simplest natural reaction. Environmentalists are well aware of this, as are ethical vegetarians, those who donate to charity or give their time to nonprofit organizations, and members of the Peace Corps. If someone aggressively or condescendingly tells you that your lifestyle is harmful, unethical, stupid, ignorant, unintelligent, or reckless, chances are you will take offense and disregard it. of his advice. Few people actually take the time to evaluate the benefits of an eco-friendly lifestyle and compare them to current alternatives who would say our current way of life is worth pursuing. However, verbally attacking people is not the answer. It is not surprising that people like David Orr have difficulty reaching new audiences when he uses the term “retarded chimpanzees” (2002, p. 55). David Orr's message in The Nature of Design: Ecology, Culture and Human Intention (2002) is not something I would personally disagree with, but his attitude in the book is poison to its own cause. Before explaining why Orr's presentation is of no use to the greater ecological community, I feel the need to state that I personally find nothing wrong with his ideas. During my junior year of high school, I chose to take environmental science classes instead of the regular physical science class. This course put me on the path to environmental thinking, even if, it is true, my practice does not always correspond to my theory. My personal goals include...... middle of paper ......ver. David Orr's attitude is poisonous and omnipresent. It's easy for those who agree with him to sit back and nod with satisfaction as he rises above the uneducated, uneducated masses, but those masses are exactly the people we're trying to 'reach. How can I, as a teacher, advocate a presentation style that offends my students and distances them from a healthy, sustainable, reciprocal worldview? I could not consider myself an effective teacher if my presentation could only close my students' minds, not open them. Any teacher can tell you that in any field, including ecology, content means nothing without an effective and respectful mode of presentation and that is exactly what Orr lacks. Works Cited Orr, D. (2002). The nature of design: ecology, culture and human intention. New York, New York: Oxford University Press.