Until fairly recently, the Sierra Club responsibly endorsed U.S. population stabilization by measured, sustainable immigration levels (HCN, 2/16/04: Why I’m running). Then came political correctness, mass immigration, a rumored $5 million buy-off to keep population matters off the club’s agenda, more corrupting millions in corporate money, and the club’s board took an abrupt about-face and fashioned a nontraditional, "neutral" immigration/population policy.

The club now treats overpopulation as a "global issue" requiring global solutions, dismissing the environmental imperative: Think Globally — Act Locally. It is curious that the club’s bosses understand that deforestation is a global issue, but they aren’t waiting for some miracle global deforestation cure. Hell, no! They are litigating, lobbying and exhorting locally, not globally.

That’s why David Brower — the grand man of 20th century environmentalism and longest holder of a board seat in the club’s history — resigned from the board, saying, "The world is burning, and all I hear from (the club’s board) is the music of violins. Overpopulation is perhaps the biggest problem facing us and immigration is part of that problem. It has to be addressed."

Regime change, indeed, must come to the Sierra Club.

Mike McGarry
Aspen, Colorado