Now here is food for thought…I read a wiki-article on the internet on “how to know whether you are a Democrat or Republican”…It charged that you can judge based on your position on the environment…really?!
I have been involved in green initiatives for years and never realized that this was a defining issue.
President Theodore Roosevelt was considered one of the greatest conservationists of our time, establishing two-thirds of our National Parks. I also recall from my American government lessons, that Teddy was a Republican. To Roosevelt, the environment was a strong metaphor for the country’s concerns. Our President protected 155 national forests, 55 bird and game preserves and some 230 million acres of national land.
“The conservation of our natural resources and their proper use constitute the fundamental problem which underlies almost every other problem of our national life,” he told Congress. This sentiment underscored the message of Roosevelt’s conservation record in office.
A modern day champion, Meg Whitman, Republican candidate for California Governor, says that a clean environment should be an economic opportunity for California. She believes the state must be at the forefront of a new industrial revolution, promoting energy efficiency and developing clean energy technologies for export worldwide. She backs scientifically sound policies for clean air, water and energy sources while maintaining economic competitiveness. Pushing businesses out of the state will not reduce emissions; it will only hurt the economy. She supports offering incentives to businesses and residents to reduce environmental impacts.
As CEO of eBay, Whitman led environmentally responsible developments, including a new building for subsidiary PayPal that was awarded the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED “gold standard”. To gain the impressive certification, the building incorporates state-of-the-art energy and water conservation features, recycled materials and rooftop solar arrays that produce 15 percent of the building’s energy needs. Whitman believes such investments are good for the bottom line and for the environment.
In speaking with environmental leaders, many realize as I do that we must work together. One Republican-sponsored initiative, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP), has set aside large swaths of land in one of the most important rain forests in the world, protecting a pristine landscape while creating jobs in ecotourism. The act protects 11 landscapes in six countries. For example under the CBFP, 10 percent of Gabon is now designated as a natural park, protecting the land from harmful Chinese mining practices that have destroyed countless other landscapes. While China today is knocking on the door of Gabon, without the framework of the CBFP, conservationists would be at a serious disadvantage.
While conserving such habitats is a value we hope to apply in the spirit of Teddy Roosevelt, it must be balanced against the type of extremism we see today from the left. Severe environmental regulations to protect the Delta Smelt, a small but endangered fish indigenous to California, have prevented increased water pumping of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Such draconian restrictions have turned much of California’s farms into dustbowls. Unemployment in some farming communities hovers around 40 percent. Put simply, the environmental radicals on the left have chosen fish over people and the dustbowl over a green central valley. These are not the values of the Republican conservationists.
As a businesswoman who has designed green measurement systems for global manufacturing companies, I believe in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while protecting the interests of consumers and workers. Maintaining the competitiveness of businesses that are vital to the economy and provide hundreds of thousands of jobs – must be achieved.
Republicans know that economic prosperity is essential to environmental progress. And they must advance together.
Teddy was right — proper conservation is the foundation. “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself.”
******
Marie Thérèse Royce is the Managing Director of a Fortune 500 Company and owner of GenderStrategy.com. She also serves as an Honorary Board Member for MEGaWomen, Meg Whitman for CA Governor.
Loading ...