Environmental Special Interests

Many Americans place a high degree of trust in environmental special interest groups. A 2002 poll commissioned by the Sierra Club found that 57 percent of Americans trust environmental groups for information on environmental issues. But do environmental groups deserve so much trust? Are they truly benign do-gooders only out to protect the public's health and the environment?

Like any movement, there are some good seeds and some bad seeds, but most environmental groups share some general characteristics. First, environmental groups tend to exaggerate and even fabricate environmental crises in order to justify their existence and to maintain financial support. Second, unbeknownst to their contributors, environmental groups often use their resources to support other liberal causes and politicians that have little to do with the environment. Third, environmental groups frame the debate as good versus evil, which justifies nasty attacks on those with different opinions.

As environmental groups continue to flex their muscles and influence policy, it's important to look behind the curtain to see what is really driving many organizations.