Ack! It was Earth Day yesterday. I forgot. Well, here's something in honor of that day:

In commoration of Earth Day, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tom Knudson wrote a knockout series on the environmentalist movement last year entitled "Environmentalist, Inc." Knudson documented, in painstaking detail, what more and more people who care environmental issues have noticed: the near-hysterical tone of many so-called "environmentalists," the stridently negative and extreme left-wing agenda many espouse, and the large number of former members and leaders who have left some well-known organizations, disillusioned and disgusted. Not to mention actual damage done to the environment by some (not all!) of these groups.

A year later nothing seems to have changed, except that the propaganda and fundraising appeals have gotten even more strident, mean-spirited, politically partisan and hysterical. Groups like Sierra Club, World Wildlife Federation, Greenpeace, and Environmental News Network seem to have done little to re-examine their methods or goals, or even treat seriously the idea that some of what they tell the public may be scientifically questionable or destructive.

Knudson's series is must-reading for anyone who truly cares about the fate of mankind and the Planet Earth. He has a history of environmental advocacy, but refuses to flinch from taking a hard look at extremism, greed, pseudoscience, and even outright dishonesty among many so-called "environmentalist" groups. By doing so, he shows that he richly deserved his Pulitzer. As many of these groups have grown ever more hysterical and viciously partisan in the last few months, his article seems more relevant than ever. I encourage reading all five parts, which can be found at the following links:

Part 1: Movement's Prosperity Comes at a High Price

Part 2: Mission Adrift in a Frenzy of Fundraising

Part 3: A Flood of Costly Lawsuits Raises Questions About Motives

Part 4: Spin on Science Puts National Treasure at Risk

Part 5: Solutions Sprouting from Grassroots Efforts

If Knudson's seeringly honest articles leave you feeling depressed, don't despair. There are a host of groups who are now challenging the big-money and con-artist environmental groups. Meanwhile, certain old-line groups have remained relatively pure despite the political extremism that's polluted some other organizations:

The Nature Conservancy, for example, is rated one of the most responsible non-profit organizations in America, and they are scrupulous about maintaining political independence, working with local communities, governments, corporations, and all political parties to generate results, not bitter attacks.

The National Wilderness Institute is a non-partisan group committed to both wilderness protection and sound, sensible science. They also don't suffer under the illusion that a free society and protecting the environment are mutually incompatible.

The Environmental Literacy Council is dedicated to separating science from pseudoscience and disseminating valuable information on both what's right and what's wrong in environmental policy today. It is probably especially useful to professional educators.

New Environmentalism.org is a group dedicated to using free market principles to protect and defend nature while improving the lives of humans around the world. If you think that maybe freedom and nature are compatible with each other, these people are worth looking up!

The Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine is a group of scientists dedicated to research to promote both environmental improvement and to clear the air of pseudoscientific nonsense paraded as environmental protection.

The Center for Global Food Issues is dedicated to publishing hard scientific information about global food production methods, both promoting sound techniques for improving human nutrition worldwide and avoiding food production methods that harm the environment or increase world starvation.

The Pacific Research Institute's Center for Environmental Studies is another terrific non-partisan group disseminating useful facts and information about the true state of the planet, and both what works and does not work to help the environment.

The Environmental Network is a fabulous one-stop place to visit and find out more about common-sense environmental principles and to put you in touch with people who care more about helping mankind and the Earth than they do about fundraising, political partisanship, or frightening people.

Those of us who care deeply about the environment should commit ourselves to learning the truth, whatever that is. Political partisanship has its place in the world, but not when it comes to protecting the natural environment and humanity's place on the Earth. If, like countless others, you've become revolted at what certain "environmentalist" organizations have become, you may find yourself reinvogorated knowing that there are people and groups in this world who care about science over pseudoscience, fairness over partisanship, and protection of nature over fearmongering and fundraising--and are doing something about it.

The above article first appeared on Dean's World last year at this time. But Knudson's series is as vital as ever.