Just Repeating an Obvious Truth -- Whatever we feel about immigration, it would be insane for the American environmental movement to alienate 20 million Hispanics in this country, plus half of Latin America
- From: "john fernbach" <fernbach1948@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 15 May 2006 21:29:31 -0700
Population growth truly is an environmental problem -- one of the most
basic, along with uncontrolled economic growth (e.g. capitalism).
Population growth in the US, because of our high consumption of
resources per person, is especially bad for the future of this planet.
But that being said, Greens MUST NOT get involved in backing certain
ethnic, religious or cultural groups in American against certain other
groups -- because we risk alienating millions of people in the process
turning them against environmental thinking.
The planet Earth, like it or not, is ONE interconnected system; and
environmental issues and problems like global warming, the destruction
of the oceans, the plight of the rainforests etc. are GLOBAL issues
that are only going to be solved through CROSS BORDER cooperation. A
lot of cross-border cooperation.
For the US conservation movement to get involved in either fighting or
promoting Hispanic immigration into this country, therefore, is
potentially suicidal. Personally, I'm against most further
immigration, although not because I have anything against the
immigrants. But as a Green, I submit that it is ESSENTIAL that the
Sierra Club and other environmental groups work to cooperate with the
millions of Hispanic Americans now living in the US -- and just as
importantly, with people of good will and environmental conscience
across Latin America. This means among other things that it would be
folly for us to set ourselves up as their enemies.
The repeated messages we get in this environmental talk group calling
on Greens to join the anti-immigration movement, therefore, are totally
inappropriate. Or, while they may be appropriate as a subject for
debate -- because what isn't appropriate as a subject for debate? --
they're fundamentally mistaken and wrong.
The environmental movement needs to be attuned to the GLOBAL and
cross-border nature of natural processes and environmental problems, or
it's fated to lose.
Let's remember this during the current hysteria both for and against
further immigration. Whoever wins the fight -- and whoever loses it,
actually - the Sierra Club and other environmental groups need to be
able to work with both sides once the dust settles. We Greens don't
want to become identified ONLY with one side of this issue or the other.
.
- Prev by Date: Conservation Films online!
- Next by Date: Do you know how easy it is to recycle cell phones and rechargeable batteries?
- Previous by thread: Conservation Films online!
- Next by thread: Do you know how easy it is to recycle cell phones and rechargeable batteries?
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
Loading
