I don’t think most environmentalists actually hate the poor, but in their desire to “save the planet” or scare people into giving them donations, they seldom consider the outcome of their policies or the effect of those policies on poor and middle income families. For example, the Natural Resources Defense Council #1 accomplishment during 2008 was that “NRDC was instrumental in the passage of federal legislation that bans six widely used phthalates from children’s toys.”

Like most policies environmental groups promote, this doesn’t sound like a problem (actually the ban on phthalates is non-scientific, but that’s beside the point), but in the real world, if this law is not changed many small business will go out of business and many thrift stores will either close or stop selling children’s toys and clothes. According to the LA Times:

Barring a reprieve, regulations set to take effect next month could force thousands of clothing retailers and thrift stores to throw away trunkloads of children’s clothing.

The law, aimed at keeping lead-filled merchandise away from children, mandates that all products sold for those age 12 and younger — including clothing — be tested for lead and phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable. Those that haven’t been tested will be considered hazardous, regardless of whether they actually contain lead.

“They’ll all have to go to the landfill,” said Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Assn. of Resale and Thrift Shops.

…

Among the most vocal critics to emerge in recent weeks are U.S.-based makers of handcrafted toys and handmade clothes, as well as thrift and consignment shops that sell children’s clothing.

“We will have to lock our doors and file for bankruptcy,” said Shauna Sloan, founder of Salt Lake City-based franchise Kid to Kid, which sells used children’s clothing in 75 stores across the country and had planned to open a store in Santa Clara, Calif., this year.

…

But exempting natural materials does not go far enough, said Stephen Lamar, executive vice president of the American Apparel and Footwear Assn. Clothes made of cotton but with dyes or non-cotton yarn, for example, might still have to be tested, as would clothes that are cotton-polyester blends, he said.

“The law introduces an extraordinarily large number of testing requirements for products for which everyone knows there’s no lead,” he said.