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The Environmental Movement’s Retreat From Advocating U.S.
Population Stabilization (1970-1998):
A
First Draft of History
Roy Beck and Leon Kolankiewicz
June 2001
"Comprehensive Text"
Issues:
Population Issues and the 1970-Era Environmental Movement
The Missing Issue in 1998 Environmental Journalism
Reviewing the Rejected "Foundational Formula" of 1970-Era
Environmentalism
Causes:
Cause #1: U.S. Fertility Dropped
Below Replacement-Level Rate in 1972
Cause #2: Abortion and Contraceptive Politics Created Organized
Opposition
Cause #3: Emergence of Women’s Issues as
Priority
Concern of Population Groups
Cause #4: Schism between the Conservationist and
New-Left Roots of the Movement
Cause #5: Immigration —Protected by ‘Political
Correctness’—
Became the Chief Cause of U.S. Growth
Explanations I:
Fear that immigration reduction would
alienate "progressive" allies and
be seen as racially insensitive
The transformation of population and environment into global issues
needing global solutions
Explanations II:
Influence of human rights organizations
Triumph of ethics of globalism
over ethics of nationalism/internationalism
Fear of demographic trends
Explanations III:
The power of money
Questions
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[MFS
note: works of several of the
cited authors are available on the "Sustainability Authors" page here;
for
two directly related items on the MFS
Website, see "How and
Why Journalists Avoid the
Population
– Environment Connection"
and Powerdown.] | 