On April 22, hundreds of environmental organizations around the country and the U.S. government will spend tens of millions of dollars promoting "Earth Day."  Unfortunately, many speakers at these forums and in our public classrooms may fail to mention the vital role private property rights play in helping to fund this national day of eco-education.

The same system of private property rights many of these groups are working to erode, and which give every landowner the freedom to use private property as they see fit, may actually be the environmental movement's best friend.

If this seems counter-intuitive, simply consider the economic underpinnings of the funding underwriting Earth Day events.

If one looks closely, one will likely find much of the wealth spent on this international eco-frenzy springs from nations where private property rights are highly valued.

Where private property rights are protected, investments in land and other goods are perceived to be highly secure. This underlying economic stability gives individuals the ability to retain the value of daily labor in the form of tangible goods and real property. This capability motivates most individuals to work hard to build up and improve their property in order to increase their individual financial security. 

As personal wealth and savings increase, individuals move up the socio-economic ladder and can focus greater time, energy and financial resources on issues beyond mere sustenance. 

The collective economic explosion resulting from individual ambitions is what provides many nations in the world the ability to afford both public and private expenditures on environmental research, education, and conservation lands.

For perspective, visit any third world nation where citizens and financially unstable governments are still coping to meet basic human needs, such as sanitary drinking water, food and medical care. Ask them how much money they spend on environmental education.

Perhaps this Earth Day, instead of paying homage to Mother Earth or the Greek Earth goddess, Gaia, environmentalists should celebrate by taking a builder, small businessman or entrepreneur to lunch to say thank you for their hard work. Their initiative and the freedom to pursue their dreams ensures our national property rights-driven economy will continue to prosper and provides American citizens with the economic luxury of spending on the environment.

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The Coalition for Property Rights (CPR) is a non-profit education and advocacy organization based in Orlando, Florida, which was founded to provide a greater collective voice for Florida land owners. CPR's mission is to educate the public and elected officials regarding the importance of property rights and to defend these rights from further erosion.