Republicans Need To Readjust the Course Heading

摘要

To be asked what the presidential candidates should be saying about the environment is, for me, to be forced to acknowledge just how far the Republican party is veering off course. The Republican candidates, whatever their past positions, seem hell-bent on casting energy and environmental policy as divisive and polarizing issues, ignoring areas of public consensus, and, I think, of national need. So, what I would like is for the presidential candidates of both parties to sign on to a set of fundamental consensus principles to establish the parameters of the debate. My suggested principles would include: Protecting air, water, and land is a fundamental federal responsibility. The marketplace, voluntary action, and state regulations are not capable, by themselves, of providing Americans with clean air, pure water, and open spaces.