Environmentalist Corruption: EPA funds Green Groups That Sue the Government
There is a continual theme in the Environmentalist movement: shrouding vague guesses in the mantle of scientific certainty.
They talked about a new ice age in the 70s. That plainly didn't happen. Ozone depletion, and the hole in the ozone layer were disproven. Acid rain was shown to be a hoax. The Alar apple scare was a baseless fraud. Environmentalists have been predicted that we will run out of oil for the past century.
We've had the famous "hockey stick" global warming graph that predicted a huge temperature increase. In reality, we saw declining temperatures. How's that for an inconvenient truth?
The most credible thing that can be said about environmentalists is that they play fast and loose with the facts when it comes to advocating a pet cause. They claim we are facing catastrophe and there isn't time to quibble over the details while the earth dies.
Another take is that they are part of a mystical religion that receives divinely inspired truths about saving the earth. Like most "divinely inspired" claims, they don't pan out very often. Environmentalists are quick indeed to forgive bad science, and disproven claims so long as they were made "for the right reasons". This pattern isn't compatible with the notion that Environmentalists are reality oriented people trying to make good decisions upon the best evidence at hand.
Now, an even uglier take: Environmentalists are outright corrupt. A study of the EPA's finances reveals that they voluntarily fund (using taxpayer money) environmental groups that turn around and sue the EPA and the US government. It's a classic example of corruption. A bureaucrat forks over dough to a crony, who uses that money to extort still more money. Afterwards, the EPA officials probably find lucrative "consulting" positions on these same groups.
It's also a way for rabid environmentalists within the EPA to push their agenda forward. They can't provide objective proof to convince congress that new regulations are needed, but environmentalists can often persuade leftist judges to "do the right thing."
Why else would the EPA keep donating money to groups like Environmental Defense Fund even after that very group has sued the EPA repeatedly?
The EPA officials responsible for these donations especially the ones who funded a group that produced a "guide to suing the EPA", need to be fired. They need to lose their pensions, and they should be investigated to see if criminal charges can be filed.
However, that is just a band-ad on the larger issues. The bigger issue is that the government shouldn't be funding any activist groups like this. It's simply not a valid function of government. A still larger issue is why the government is so ready willing and able to strangle the American economy based upon junk science?
Why is the government so ready to violate the rights of individuals (especially those that own stock or retirement accounts) based upon the claims of a movement with a track record so deeply flawed? Why are neo-luddites given the time of day in a world thriving due to technological progress?
The Green movement isn't honest, and it's time to stop giving them un-earned credit.
Rational Public Radio is an Objectivist podcast and blog, a.k.a., the rallying center for reasoned warriors in the fight to gain and keep individual freedom.
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