Earth Day celebrations a cruel joke on Americans, especially their children

On April 22 - Earth Day - the nation's children once again will be found "greening" up areas in their communities and doing it with great sincerity because their parents and educators tell them their efforts are making a difference.

Unfortunately, they are not.

Those responsible for nurturing those we often refer to as "the future of this country" are not telling these well-meaning children that their own government's cavalier and irresponsible immigration policy is responsible for 82 percent of this nation's population growth that plays into the loss of nearly 2 million acres of prime farmland to development every year.

When Earth Day debuted in 1970, the nation's population was 203 million people. It was a good idea at a time when Americans were very passionate about protecting the environment and our quality of life.

But that passion died long ago, and we are the poorer for it. Our population has exploded to nearly 318 million people, and Census is projecting more than 400 million of us by 2050 and 600 million-plus by century's end. This more than 40 years after the Rockefeller Commission on Population Growth and the American Future stated:

After two years of concentrated effort, we have concluded that, in the long run, no substantial benefits will result from further growth of the Nation’s population, rather that the gradual stabilization of our population through voluntary means would contribute significantly to the Nation’s ability to solve its problems. We have looked for, and have not found, any convincing economic argument for continued population growth. The health of our country does not depend on it, nor does the vitality of business nor the welfare of the average person."

Shortly before his death in 2005, Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

...in this country, it's phony to say, 'I'm for the environment but not for limiting immigration.' It's just a fact that we can't take all the people who want to come here. And you don't have to be a racist to realize that."

Even libertarians like Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) have acknowledged this. Referring to the asinine comment from Florida Gov. Jeb Bush that entering this country illegally is "an act of love," Paul said we can't invite the whole world to come to this country. But Paul, like all those who say this, will never give the number of people at which we should stop because he can't. In the meantime, he supports amnesty for the nation's 12 million illegal aliens who upon legalization would be eligible to bring in unlimited members of their extended families.

If you're looking for an example of what Nelson meant when he spoke about phony environmentalists, you'll find one in Timothy Egan who recently penned an op-ed for the New York Times called "How to Heal the Heartland." Egan warns of the growing water shortages in the Southwest, urging us to find ways to reduce our use of water - but then he says we need to bring in more immigrants.

Aren't immigrants like native-born Americans in terms of their life-long dependence on water?

With each passing year there is less and less to celebrate about Earth Day, and we owe it all to the many immoral politicians we send to Washington to "represent our interests" and those parents and educators who haven't the guts to stand up to them on behalf of the children they say they care about.

If those members of Congress who support doubling annual immigration to 2 million people and those adults charged with "protecting our most precious resource" don't care, why should any of us bother reducing our carbon footprints?

Because the nation's children engage in Earth Day activities with the very best intentions, we owe them more than a pat on the head. We owe them the truth, and the truth is that their efforts to make a difference are steadily being eroded by politicians in Washington who can't see past the next election and the adults around them who have become paralyzed by political correctness.

 

Dave Gorak is Director of Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration.