ConservativeHome's Dictionary

Crunchy Conservatism

Crunchy conservatives combine a belief in small government and traditional values with a love of the local and of the environment.

Biodiversity

The rich interconnectedness of natural ecosystems that human beings destabilise at their peril.

Smart growth

Patterns of economic growth that protect the diversity and quality of natural resources.

Tragedy of the commons

Natural resources that are not owned by anyone are open to be misused by everyone.

Tomato environmentalism

Many green crusaders start off with a passion for the environment but end up embracing big state solutions. Blue environmentalism - with its belief in wider ownership, technological progress and market-based polluter-must-pay mechanisms – offers more hope for the planet.

Precautionary principle

Some potential dangers - like global warming - are so great that protective action cannot wait until the nature of those dangers has been proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Intrinsic value

Intrinsic value is the worth of an object that cannot be gauged – easily or at all – by rational or other evaluative techniques.

Green taxation

The tax system can be used to help the environment but green taxes can also be misused as a form of stealthy, regressive taxation.

Externalities

Externalities are the costs that have to be borne by the environment or taxpayer if businesses or individuals are not made to bear them themselves. A factory's pollution of the natural environment is the classic example of an externality.

Congestion charging

Road-pricing ensures that motorists pay for the congestion, pollution and noise costs of using their cars.