‘From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam…’ Those familiar lyrics we all grew up singing represent the vast diversity of America’s natural grandeur, the majesty of which inspired the first Pilgrims, our Founders nearly 250 years ago, and the frontiersman who pushed West. I believe that same marvel for the great outdoors is still at the heart of the American spirit, though muffled by the noise of hyper-politicization.
Our love of nature used to rise above politics. In 1991, nearly 80% of Americans self-identified as ‘environmentalists.’ But today, the environment is gridlocked.The inmates have been running the asylum. Green New Deal Liberals have staked their claim on the issue, creating the narrative that Republicans are anti-environment.
Look at the numbers: 95% of voters say that protecting the water in our lakes, streams, and rivers is important to them. 93% believe clean energy is crucial for our future. 88% support sustainable agriculture practices. And 82% support federal investment to reduce the threat of wildfires. Public opinion hasn’t changed in the last three decades, our leaders have just become too politically stubborn.
Americans are sick of the loudest, most extreme voices controlling the environmental movement. And America’s natural beauty deserves better than political culture wars.
That is why I founded Nature Is Nonpartisan, a 501c(3) nonprofit dedicated to rebranding environmentalism as a nonpartisan issue by building a large-scale, cross-partisan coalition to advocate for common-sense conservation. With a Board of Directors as politically diverse as David Bernhardt (fmr. DOI Secretary under President Trump), Jack Selby (co-founder of PayPal), Michael Brune (fmr. Sierra Club CEO), and Carlos Curbelo (fmr. U.S. Representative from Florida), and partners including the National Wildlife Federation, American Forests, Ducks Unlimited, and the American Conservation Coalition, Nature Is Nonpartisan represents millions of Americans who are ready to usher in a new era of environmentalism.
