5 Deeply Regressive Policies Of The Modern Green Movement

By Andrew Follett

The Sierra Club published a 37-page report this week attacking presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump for his “regressive” views on global warming. The Daily Caller News Foundation decided to examine the five most regressive policies environmentalists have promoted.

Policies promoted by The Sierra Club and environmentalist organizations are often at odds with other traditionally progressive ideas and frequently end up doing the most harm to the poor since raising prices and environmental regulations impact low-income individuals far more than the wealthy.

Vehement Opposition To Immigration

Many green groups believe all environmental problems are directly caused by there being too many humans and many have long opposed immigration on environmental grounds.

“Population growth puts pressure on the environment, accelerates deforestation and increases our dependence on fossil fuels,” Progressive for Immigration Reform claimed in its 2014 Earth Day message. “Today, 80 percent of our population growth is spurred by immigration. While conservation is important, efforts to reduce our environmental impact must include stabilizing immigration.”

The Sierra Club previously had a similar message, and even claimed that “… all of our environmental successes may be short-lived if they do not include efforts to address population growth.” The environmental group’s official policy until 1996 was that both birth rates and immigration levels needed to sharply decline to stabilize the U.S. population.

The Sierra Club has splintered and lost members over immigration before finally announcing in 2013 that it supports a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens. Now, the organization’s only position on population reduction is its promotion of “voluntary family planning and reproductive health services.”