The environmental movement is at odds with itself. The movement’s full-throated embrace of so-called “green energy,” successfully amplified by unprecedented government mandates and subsidies, is leading to habitat-invading and beauty-destroying energy projects at scales that not only rankle onlookers but also those environmentalists still committed to stewardship and conservation—and would shock the founders of the preservation movement.

One of my favorite Jimmy Buffett quotes is “If there’s a heaven for me, I’m sure it has a beach attached.” And now it has a new leader of the band. For the rest of us, his music and stories live on.