An environmentalist is Left-wing. Always has been.
Conservationist is the proper term for somebody who wants to preserve forests and streams for the benefit of the next generation
The distinction is in the purpose. The conservationist wants nature preserved for human purposes. The environmentalist worships nature for its own sake.
The left in general, and enviros in particular, operate on emotions, not facts or logic. With the exception of the lawyers and organizations, which are in it just for the money.
Poking fun and laughing at them will dampen the popular support required for these people to get the donations. It's not fun, or elite, for people to think you're "mental".
If everytime people see the word "environmentalist", they see the "mental" part. That will go a long way to making it a dirty word. They will then be forced to redefine themselves, which will take a lot of their time and energy so they can't spend that against the rest of us.
It's too late for that. The leftists have hijacked the term and the movement with it. What you call "real" environmentalists, as opposed to "wack jobs" have in recent years had to differentiate themselves, often with the term, "conservationist." Meanwhile, those who may not be so radical have all too often sided with the more destructive ideologues or ignorantly allowed their money to be used in the same destructive vein. Those whom you tacitly posit as "moderate and rational," while simultaneously thoughtful and knowledgeable enough not to be used by aggressive ideologes, are now (unfortunately) quite rare. Given your comment, I wouldn't put you there.
They deserve the tarring, and the brush (unfortunately) cannot be broad enough.
"It's dumb to tar all environmentalists with your broad generalization-- they cause massive fire damage and to suggest they are all mental.
......... Call these wack-jobs something else."
I like wack jobs, myself...;^D