The Morning Blend
Welcome
Complete Media Kit
Commentary by Gail Griffin
Special to the Herald/Review
Despite Democrats’ claims to the contrary, Republicans have long and enduring commitment to protecting our environment and our nation’s precious natural resources. We have been, as a party, much more successful passing and enacting meaningful legislation than we have been in earning political capital for our achievements. That should not minimize our past successes nor prevent important debates from taking place today, the results of which will determine which direction our state and nation head in the coming decades.
The challenge our state and federal governments face when addressing the issue of environmental protection continues to be government itself. Years ago, Clinton-appointed Environmental Protect Agency Administrator Carol Browner summed up that challenge when she said, “When I worked at the state level, I was constantly faced with rigid rules that made doing something 110-times more difficult and expensive than it needed to be. It makes no sense to have programs that raise costs while doing nothing to reduce environmental threats.”
Sadly, she was not alone, and her experience has been felt by Democrats and Republicans when trying to accomplish even minor reforms in our generally unwieldy bureaucracy. Cost benefit analysis should be required when new rules and regulations are contemplated.
|
|
Does it make sense, for instance, that three-decades-old technological advancement has made nuclear power exponentially safer, and yet for three decades we rely on 104 aging nuclear power plants because Congress refuses to allow new, more modern facilities to be constructed? Nuclear facilities are emission-free, they do not send carbon dioxide or other gases into the environment, and they burn no fossil fuel.
Does it make sense that Congress, in the face of record oil and gas prices, has refused to authorize new refining facilities for oil in the United States and the Democrat leadership is extremely unlikely to allow even a vote on increasing domestic oil production while America’s reliance on foreign oil has skyrocketed? Today, both can be done safely, thanks to the billions of dollars invested in new technologies and processes to follow strict safeguards and better protect our environment than ever before.
For the environment and for our hopes of breaking America’s cycle of dependency on other nations for energy, it is important that we adopt sensible policies along two regards. First, we must produce more of our own power. Second, we must invest in new technologies that protect our environment in the energy production, while putting progress ahead of politics when it comes to advances in renewable energy.
Sen. John McCain has proposed the construction of 45 new nuclear power plants, which is emission-free, more secure sources of energy for not just our environment but for our families as well. The scare tactics of the environmental-left, which raise concerns that were indeed relevant when John Kennedy was president, are no longer productive in the debate we need today. China, Russia and India are building nuclear plants. Depriving our nation the same access to safe, clean energy only puts our nation at a disadvantage and maintains our reliance on foreign fossil fuels.
There are other environmental issues that need to continue to be debated. Scientists and researchers with the International Conference on Climate Change met in March and closed business by passing the “Manhattan Declaration on Climate Change.” This 2008 declaration states, in part, “Global climate has always changed and always will, independent of actions of humans and carbon dioxide is not a pollutant but rather a necessity for all life.” The declaration concludes, “There is no convincing evidence that CO2 emissions from modern industrial activity has in the past, is now, or will in the future cause catastrophic climate change.” (http://www.heartland.org)
We all want clean air, clean water and a safe and healthy environment. Decisions should be based on sound science, not scare tactics and emotions. Free market solutions work best without hurting other things we value, such as economic prosperity and freedoms. The opportunity to make real change exists. By electing Republicans to office, we can and will provide the citizens of this country with good environment policies that work and that make for a strong reliable economy for our communities.
GAIL GRIFFIN is chairwoman of the Cochise County Republican Committee. The party headquarters is at 498 W. Fry Blvd. For information, call 417-1000, or contact Griffin at 378-4333.
John wrote on Jul 31, 2008 12:45 PM: