to associate with? What's a good new term for caring for our environment, since people feel so negatively about the term 'tree hugger'? For me, tree hugging is going to be essential as we grapple with environmental disaster and global warming in the near future. To denigrate that term separates us farther, in our minds, from solutions because we become embarrassed to admit we might care. Or we stop ourselves from caring so that we aren't associated with something like 'tree hugger'.
Mye-725: I can empathize with your frustration. I hear some about funding for PhD's too, but at various conferences I have gone to, it is usually the larger corporations who fund scientists. The other side is true too. But when corporations fund scientists, they fund the ones they believe will find and promote results that best suit the company. They are an extreme, as is the other side that you mention. Sometimes it takes extreme measures to rebalance the discourse. At the same time, some scientists have known that industrialization was causing the globe to warm up since the 1800s. In the old days they thought it was a good thing. I find the following presentation somewhat helpful. Maybe you will too. Thanks for your thoughtful answer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zORv8wwiadQ

Tree hugger was invented to demean people who care. |(See what I mean from the 3 jerks above me?|) Anything else should be preferred.

Conservationist has a long and respected history. At one time, Republicans cared about nature, but to express ther hatred of alleged hippies they don't anymore.