I read the ad with high expectations. Once an active member of and volunteer for the Sierra Club, I resigned when the organization's mission changed from encouraging voluntary conservation to lobbying for more regulations and against economic growth and technology of any kind. As I read the ad, disappointment swept away these thoughts. The Sierra Club apparently learned nothing from recent events.
Money is, in fact, a big part of the problem facing the environmental movement . . .
It enjoyed the fight so long as it was winning, but stunning defeats in the 103rd Congress have caused a change of heart. Joined by other environmental giants, such as Greenpeace USA, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club becomes part of the best-financed special interest group in Washington. That buys a lot of influence, even in Washington. Rather than ask whether money is influencing politicians, we should ask how money is influencing the environmental movement. The Sierra Club raises most of its money through direct mail.