04/05/07 Environmental Elitists

Don't let them fool you, environmental groups are elitists, they are! In fact the past president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, Mark Van Patten practically admitted the same thing, although he didn't exactly use my words when he wrote in an essay that the environmental movement was "socially isolated". Do ya think? The major green groups in the United States, of which the National Wildlife Foundation boasts the largest membership, are predominantly white upper class and target those demographics. How many Sierra Club mailings address minorities?Where are the "Do Not litter commercials" in Spanish? Non-existent! We will pay dearly for this oversight especially in the here in our pristine Northwest where the majority of the Hispanic immigrant population arrives from several regions in Mexico that are culturally isolated from environmental issues. Who will teach care and concern for our wild lands and wildlife when the our most influentional environmental groups are dropping the ball because their focus is more on wooing rich donors.