Hi Richard,
You wrote <<What was the response for these non profit advocacy groups that
devote so much time to foaming at the mouth over pollution and global
warming... SILENCE!!! Why? Because they are political organizations
masquerading as environmentalists.>> and << plus a number of non profit
advocacy groups receiving public funding.>>
I have to point out that these groups you mention must be American and are
therefore unlikely to be part of the internationally recognised and credible
environmental groups such as Friends of the Earth International (at least 50
countries) and Greenpeace International. I believe that some of the type of
smaller groups (and so called think-tanks) that you talk about have been in
receipt of funds from, amongst others, the oil and Coal lobbies to appear (in
public) to be Green but actually to be on the side of their sponsors - that's
good ol' American pork barrels for you! I think it was Jed who recently posted
a link to an expose of the hundreds of such outfits that Big Oil have been
funding.
I'm sure that, in the Dime box saloon bar, there are people who come out
with outrageous and controversial political comment, whether Republican or
Democrat. Are these an accurate representation of the views of the mainstream
parties? Anyone or any group can call themselves environmentalists and
pontificate in public, but they ain't necessarily legit...
By the way, the British Friends of the Earth groups were, and still are,
funded entirely by membership donations and subscriptions, sale of merchandise
and most touchingly by bequests in the wills of old people who want their
grandchildren to have a decent World. I know this for a fact because I used to
run the Jersey, Channel Islands branch and have shaken our charity tins on many
occasions. Up until the USSR self destructed, it used to be suggested, by our
opponents, that we were funded by Russia as "useful idiots" who would undermine
British society - these were wicked lies spread by who-knows-who but "follow
the money" - who had (and still has) a financial or political interest in being
anti-environmental?
Nick Palmer
