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August 7, 2000 Features Human
Wrongs Swollen
Fortunes Food
Pyramid Scheme Taiwan
Stands Up? The
First Stone News No
Way Out Harm's
Way Paper
Chase Metcalf's
Mess Dumped Profile Editorial The
Flanders Files Viewpoint Viewpoint Appall-O-Meter A Terry Laban Cartoon Age
of Innocence Latin
America Day-Glo
Bacchanalia The
Word Is Law |
By Guy Saperstein
This year some people with "green" politics are considering whether to forgo Al Gore and vote for Ralph Nader. If many do so, they will guarantee both the election of George W. Bush and enormous damage to the environment. One can always pick out issues where elected leaders have fallen short, but Gore has been the best friend the environment has had in the Clinton administration. Consider the following:
Oil Drilling. In 1995, President Clinton vetoed three Republican budget bills and allowed the government to shut down because of unacceptable provisions in those bills. One of those vetoes was based on a Republican rider that would have permitted oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - drilling that Gore long has opposed. By contrast, Bush has said he would permit drilling, effectively destroying the largest wildlife refuge in the United States for a few months' worth of oil.
Clean Air. Gore supported EPA Director Carol Browner's improved clean air regulations, over the objections of conservatives in the administration such as former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. In Texas, Bush has deregulated environmental law enforcement in favor of voluntary compliance - a polluter's dream. According to EPA records, Texas leads the nation in toxic emissions, suspected carcinogens in the air, developmental toxins in the air (chemicals affecting brain and nervous system development in children), overall cancer risk and 10 other categories of dangerous air pollutants.
Clean Water. With Gore's support, the Clinton administration got rid of the biggest loophole in federal regulations protecting wetlands and now is drawing up regulations to restrict pollution caused by confined animal feeding operations. Bush opposes federal action on this issue, and Texas has more polluting factory farms than any other state.
Forest Protection. Clinton and Gore have changed the direction of the National Forest Service away from commercial exploitation and toward wildlands protection. Logging on public lands has been reduced 80 percent from 1990 levels, and the Forest Service is now taking public comment on plans to keep 60 million acres of roadless national forests wild and undeveloped. This is a larger amount of wilderness protection than all the areas protected in the lower 48 states since the Wilderness Act was passed 35 years ago. "If I am entrusted with the presidency," Gore said, "it will be a national priority to preserve roadless areas as they are, no ifs, ands or buts about it. No more destructive development and exploitation." In contrast, Bush is on record that he would make wildlands available for increased logging, roadbuilding, mining and off-road vehicle use.
National Monuments. With strong support from Gore, Clinton has created nine new national monuments, including the 1.7 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the largest national monument outside of Alaska, and the 328,000-acre Giant Sequoia National Monument. Bush opposed creation of these monuments and indicated that he would reverse these designations if elected president. Gore favors the expansion of national parks and wilderness areas; Bush has begun to privatize state parks in Texas, and his environmental adviser says Bush would sell off national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and national monuments.
Global Warming. Gore negotiated the Kyoto Accords, the toughest global-warming agreement signed by an American administration, and he strongly supports energy conservation and curbing emissions that cause global warming. Bush says he thinks global warming is real, but opposes the Kyoto Accords, opposes energy conservation regulations and favors more domestic drilling and increased reliance on oil.
Supreme Court. In
the past five years, Republican appointees, most notably Justices Antonin
Scalia and Clarence Thomas, have taken the lead in overturning federal
protective statutes in favor of "states' rights," thereby threatening
all forms of citizen enforcement of environmental laws. They currently
have a tenuous 5-to-4 majority, but the next president likely will appoint
three new justices. Bush has stated that his model of the perfect justice
is Scalia. To those supporters of Nader who contend that Gore has not
done enough to protect the environment, it is fair to ask, "What are Nader's
environmental accomplishments?" Nader has a commendable track record of
consumer advocacy, but what has he done to reduce global warming, clean
the air and water, protect wildlands, reduce logging and oil drilling
on public lands, and regulate pollution from factory farms? Environmentalists
need to act not only righteously, but responsibly. Failing to support
Gore and thereby helping elect Bush would wreak havoc on the environment.
Much of the damage would be irreversible and irreparable. 
Guy Saperstein, a civil rights attorney in Oakland, California, is a trustee of the Sierra Club Foundation.
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In These Times ©
2000
Vol. 24, No. 17 |
Election 2000 Coverage
Never
Mind the Bollocks
BY BILL
BOISVERT
Here's
the new Republican Party
September
4 , 2000
The
Battle of Philadelphia
BY DAVE LINDORFF
September
4 , 2000
Working
It
BY DAVID MOBERG
Will unions go all out for Gore?
September
4 , 2000
Editorial
BY DAVID MOBERG
Big money problems.
September
4 , 2000
Cleaning
Up
BY HANS JOHNSON
Missouri, Oregon consider campaign finance initiatives
September
4 , 2000
Why
I'm Voting for Nader ...
BY ROBERT McCHESNEY
August 21,
2000
...
And Why I'm Not
BY JAMES WEINSTEIN
August 21,
2000
Dumped
BY JEFFREY ST. CLAIR
August 7,
2000
Bush's
dirty politics turn an Texas town into a sewer.
An
Environmental President
BY GUY SAPERSTEIN
August 7,
2000
Three's
Company
BY JOHN NICHOLS
July 10, 2000
Third parties strategize for the November elections.
Editorial
BY JOEL BLEIFUSS
June 12, 2000
Memo to third parties: Face Reality.
Marching
On
BY DAVE LINDORFF
June 12, 2000
Unity 2000 plans to disrupt this summer's GOP convention
Party
Palace
BY NATHANIEL HELLER
May 1, 2000
George W. Bush's lucrative sleepovers
Stupid
Tuesday
BY HANS JOHNSON
April 17, 2000
After Super Tuesday,
progressives mull over missed opportunities
What
Women Want
BY DAVID MOBERG
April 17, 2000
Working women's votes
could seal Al Gore's fate. But is he listening to them?
David
vs. Goliath
BY KARI LYDERSEN
April 17, 2000
Socialist presidential
candidate David McReynolds
How
to Deal with Gore
BY JEFFREY ST. CLAIR
and LOIS GIBBS
April 17, 2000
Love him or leave him?
Ralph
Really Runs
BY DOUG IRELAND
April 3, 2000
Nader kicks off his
second bid for president
Editorial
March 20, 2000
Flub watch.
On
the Fence
BY MATTHEW KNOESTER
March 20, 2000
Human rights or big oil for Al Gore?
The
First Stone
BY JOEL BLEIFUSS
March 6, 2000
Vanishing voters.
Gush
vs. Bore
BY DOUG IRELAND
March 6, 2000
Free
Ride
BY PAT MURPHY
March 6, 2000
Meet the real John McCain.
Cash and
Carry
BY JEFFREY ST. CLAIR
March 6, 2000
George W. Bush's environmental menace.
Fair
Weather Friends
BY JUAN GONZALEZ
March 6, 2000
Candidates court the Latino vote.
More
Marketplace Medicine
BY DAVID MOBERG
March 6, 2000
Neither Democrats' health plan will fix the system.
New
Labor, Old Politics
BY DAVID MOBERG
November 14, 1999
Bradley
Courts the Black Vote
BY SALIM MUWAKKIL
October 31, 1999
Changing
Primary Colors
BY DAVID DYSSEGAARD KALLICK
June 13, 1999
The
Great Right Hope
BY RUSSELL CONTRERAS
Who is George W. Bush?
May 30, 1999
Money
Money Money!
BY NEIL SWANSON
Al Gore and Bill Bradley go one-on-one.
May 30, 1999