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Tree group to splinter?
EFLTech Central Station The Sierra Club is one of Americaâs wealthiest tax-exempt organizations. In fiscal 2002, the Club reported $23,619,830 in revenues, and disclosed $107,733,974 worth of assets to the IRS. Ironically, some of the groups cash flow is generated from oil wells on club property. It claims a national membership of 700,000 people. As Sierraâs website proclaims, "the Club is Americaâs oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization." An old Chinese curse goes, "may you live in interesting times." I thought the acient Chinese secret was actually a detergent. Well, these happen to be interesting times for the Sierra Club. A small chunk of its membership is worried about what it calls "impact of mass immigration on the environment and quality of life for future generations" of Americans. These dissidents want the Club to promote public policy that will restrict Americaâs future population growth. In particular, they would like the Club to endorse a reduction in the number of immigrants the U.S. accepts each year. These dissidents have formed their own pressure group. They call it Sierrans for US Population Stabilization (SUSPS). These members watched Loganâs Run too many times after ingesting herbals. SUSPS may look small, but it is becoming a force to be reckoned with within the Club. It now controls 20% of the 15 seats on Sierraâs board of directors. It hopes to expand that control after this springâs board elections. To get a feel for the tension raging inside the Club, it may help to read an email purportedly sent by Paul Watson, a pro-SUSPS Sierra Club board member, to Carl Pope, the Sierra Clubâs executive director, last March. The email documents SUSPSâ central arguments about why the Sierra Clubâs position on immigration (currently neutral) must change. Wouldnât these naturalists be more comfotatble living moving to Mexico? The immigration trend there is suitable. Some people on the political left donât like SUSPSâs position on immigration. As the Nation magazine once put it, these activists donât want to see the Sierra Club "hijacked to fight immigrants rather than loggers and polluters." Betsy Hartmann, an academic, believes SUSPS is the thin edge of an effort by "the right wing" to "penetrate the mainstream environmental movement." She calls it "the greening of hate." For Dr. Hartmann, implying that immigrants are responsible for environmental degradation represents a kind of "racism." They should have never let Pat Buchanen join their club. -snip- opinion on how this resolves. Posted by: Super Hose 2004-02-01 |
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