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This post marks the first entry --the introduction, if you will -- in a series that will examine each of the 2012 Republican presidential candidates. Specifically, we'll be taking a look at their environmental policy record. While reading this, you may ask yourself, "With nearly double-digit unemployment, the specter of a double-dip recession hanging over our every move, two (official) wars and a concerted attack on humanity being waged in our own borders by some of God's most majestic creatures, why should I care about a candidate's environmental record?"
Such is a reasonable question. Yet I find that a politician's environmental record is extremely revealing in terms of his management style, at least for Republicans [1]. Consider, if you will, Rick Santorum, a current long-shot candidate and climate change skeptic. He is famous around this blog for his quote:
"I believe the earth gets warmer and I also believe the earth gets cooler," Santorum said. "And I think history points out that it does that and that the idea that man, through the production of CO2 — which is a trace gas in the atmosphere, and the man-made part of that trace gas is itself a trace gas — is somehow responsible for climate change is, I think, just patently absurd when you consider all the other factors, El Niño, La Niña, sunspots, moisture in the air. There's a variety of factors that contribute to the Earth warming and cooling."What Rick might as well be saying is:
"I believe that my experience as a lawyer who staunchly argued that the World Wrestling Federation should not be subject to anabolic steroid regulation gives me sufficient scientific background to unilaterally conclude that human-induced climate change is a farce."
Instead of deferring to legions of well-trained climatologists, Mr. Santorum is making the very conscious political choice to jump on the bandwagon of populist anger over lost jobs, high costs of living, etc., thereby obviating the need for science and all of its inconvenient implications.On the other hand, a Republican candidate who accepts the science behind climate change conveys to me a solid message that they are a humble person, willing to listen and consider the complexities that entail climate change and also to defer to the overwhelming evidence that we might be in for it.
Further, a person who exhibits this type of behavior is probably more likely to extend this same level of thoughtfulness and humility to other major decisions -- economic, military, or otherwise. And these are qualities that -- I think we can all agree -- are extremely valuable (and rare) in our leaders.
Tomorrow's post will cover the environmental leanings of Jon Huntsman, a candidate that I see being a worthy challenger to front-runner Mitt Romney. We shall then tour all of the major candidates in turn. One caveat needs to be made: depending on how frequently I post, I may not cover every GOP candidate before the race really gets serious. I'm going to hit the major players first, then the long-shots; I would hate to waste my time writing about someone only to see their campaigns implode the next day due to gross incompetence. Therefore, I'll get to you when I get to you, Newt Gingrich, Michelle Bachmann, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum.
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1. The same can't be said for Democrats, since most of them never saw environmental legislation that they didn't love. As such, it can't as easily be used as a test of character.
Image credit: http://www.tvloop.com/south-park/show/chains/They-took-our-jobs-58385
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