Environmentalists Absent From Border Debate
I can’t remember the last time a week passed where I didn’t read about an environmentalist group that was upset about something. Sheep in Kofa, air quality in Maricopa county, owls, little fish, wolves - you name it. Groups like the Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity are not shy about speaking their minds and launching litigation. Sometimes they are on the mark, sometimes not. I would be interested in knowing however, why they think we should establish a vast “zone of protection” for visiting jaguars, but this is OK: 
No matter which side of the immigration debate you’re on, it’s hard to deny the absolute and terrible damage being done to our desert ecosystems in Arizona. These are not isolated eyesores. Anyone who has been to southern Arizona can find mountains of trash. Trails cut into fragile desert areas, due to the foot traffic inflicted by tens of thousands of people heading north. “Lay-up” areas have been found in wilderness areas as far north as Phoenix and beyond. I have found trash just south of Florence. It is no exaggeration to say that there are washes full of trash that measures knee-deep. Not to mention the “rape trees” - trees decorated with ladies’ undergarments, victims of rape - trophies for the coyotes. For pictures of garbage, trails, abandoned vehicles - visit Desert Invasion.
Step aside from the political and social problem of illegal immigration for a moment. Think purely of the ecological issues at hand. Imagine some of the issues you’ve heard or read about environmental groups taking on, and taking on with gusto. Does this issue not warrant their energy? Is it not serious enough? Look at the photos. Take a trip to the south - see for yourself. Where are the environmental groups? I guess when their political agenda is stronger than their supposed environmental motives, they suddenly lose their voice. Regardless of your thoughts on SB1070, regardless of your position on illegal immigration - look at the damage being done. Nobody should be hollering “build the danged fence” louder than the environmental groups. They are the self-proclaimed stewards - where are they?
[...] a look at reality! I have written about it before, as have many others. At the Desert Rat Blog, a colleague who lives and works in Arizona, asks where are the environmentalists when it comes to [...]
June 2nd, 2010 at 7:57 am
[...] a look at reality! I have written about it before, as have many others. At the Desert Rat Blog, a colleague who lives and works in Arizona, asks where are the environmentalists when it comes to [...]
June 2nd, 2010 at 7:59 am
[...] avoid areas with dangerous smuggling routes. The Desert Rat outdoor blog has document some of the environmental damage. The Desert Invasion site has photos documenting smuggling routes and layup areas from the border [...]
June 12th, 2010 at 1:14 pm