The following is part of a mission statement found on an environmental website:
Unfortunately, some Republicans have made it their goal to undo the laws that have cleaned up our air and water, improved our health, and the quality of our lives, preserved our great natural heritage, and prevented the extinction of many native species, including our national symbol, the bald eagle.
A press release on the same site says:
The new rule, for all intents and purposes, abolishes one of the most popular conservation initiatives the federal government has ever undertaken [Clinton?s roadless rule]. The rule is an insult to American citizens who wrote millions of letters and attended hundreds of hearings to speak up for protecting roadless areas in our national forests. Apparently, their wishes fell on deaf ears in the [Bush] administration.
The website for this group's Virginia chapter has a link to the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) scorecard Interestingly enough, all the 100% scores on environmental issues handed out by the LCV in 2004 were given to Democrats. Eight out of the ten "zero" scores were given to Republicans, including Terry Kilgore, twin brother of Republican gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore.
"Big whoop," you?re thinking, "this is all standard liberal environmentalist fare." But no. Actually, all of this language comes from a Republican website called REP America -- Republicans for Environmental Protection. Although not intended as such, the REP America website is damning evidence that voting Republican is the wrong way to go if you care about the planet.
This has not always been the case, by the way. In fact, two of the greatest environmental Presidents in our nation's history -- Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Nixon -- were Republicans. But today, sadly, the GOP no longer bears even a passing resemblance to the party that established many of our national parks and the Environmental Protection Agency. Frankly, today's Republican Party is a bunch of "zeroes" when it comes to environmental protection.
Here's a quick question to ponder: Would the membership of REP America continue to vote Republican if oil were discovered under the wildlife reserve where the ivory-billed woodpecker, thought to have been extinct, was found recently? Even if President Bush decided to go after that oil "for reasons of national security?" My guess is that they still would, despite the threat to the woodpecker.
The puzzle thing is why people who care about the environment would even consider voting Republican, when that party overwhelmingly sides with timber companies over forests, industrial polluters over clean air, and arsenic manufacturers over clean water? If you're not convinced, just check out those LCV ratings one more time.
The point is, there obviously are Republican voters who care about the environment yet continue to vote into office candidates who do not share their concerns. Perhaps this is more out of brand loyalty than anything else. For Republican environmentalists, I would ask, "what's in a name?" If you care about the environment, what you need to do is vote for the candidate who will protect it, even if that candidate happens to have a "D" after his or her name.
One major environmental issue of concern to Virginians relates to coal mining. According to REP America's West Virginia site:
In a state dominated by the coal industry, too many mountaintops have been blasted away, too many rivers have been filled with mining waste and mountaintop debris. The health of our people and our wild places is threatened by pollution. Our state deserves better.
To put the environmental devastation of mountain top mining into perspective, go here and be sure to click on the images to get the high resolution view. This is powerful stuff.
The point of all this is certainly not to bash coal. In fact, coal mining has been an integral part of Virginia?s economic history for many years. And, given the importance of coal to our nation's energy security, it's likely to continue to play a role well into the future -- especially if clean burning coal technology becomes a reality.
Given all this, the question becomes not whether to use coal but how best to get it out of the ground. And, just as there is more than one way to skin a cat, there is more than one way to mine coal. Some coal companies do a fantastic job of returning strip-mines as close as possible to their original natural state.
This wonderful article talks about how that is done. Clearly, as the author points out, coal companies do not expend energy and money to protect the environment out of the goodness of their hearts. Instead, good behavior by coal companies largely has been forced down their throats through legislative action. Yet, the fact that coal companies continue to survive proves that it is possible to be profitable without raping the planet. That is as true in Virginia as it is in Kentucky, West Virginia, or anywhere else. But, to pull it off here in Virginia, you are going to need Democrats in office. Republicans simply won't cut it.
In this context, it is relevant that Jerry Kilgore grew up in Southwest Virginia, where coal mining is an important industry. But far more important than where Kilgore was born and raised is the fact that so many of his campaign contributions come from coal mining and processing companies. In other words, if Jerry Kilgore gets into office, he will be heavily beholden to his coal industry buddies. That means that environmental protection in Virginia would take a back seat, especially with a Republican-controlled state legislature.
The bottom line here is that if you consider yourself a Republican and an environmentalist, it is high time to rethink your voting strategies. In this case, you simply can?t have your cake and eat it too.
This article was contributed by Russ Finley, author of the swashbuckling, rip-roaring environmental thriller Poison Darts.