It's a popular narrative amongst the 'intellectual' class in the US, which traces its roots back to the initial wave of Puritanism in New England. It's easy to trace the path from Mather to Emerson/Thoreau to Silent Spring. This is also why American Liberalism is different from anything a European would call Liberalism- hard to get too worked up about the plight of the proletariat when deep down you secretly believe the dirty sinners must deserve it.