Why Don't Democrats Raise Holy Hell About The Environment?

[ruggerson]

It's such a great issue to nab swing voters, such a great issue for red state, religious folks, why don't the Democrats make this one of their top three priorities?

It's an issue that's a slam dunk for us. The Republicans have been so incredibly irresponsible with the earth. Why aren't we exploiting it?

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article345926.ece


Climate change: On the edge
Greenland ice cap breaking up at twice the rate it was five years ago, says scientist Bush tried to gag

By Jim Hansen
Published: 17 February 2006

A satellite study of the Greenland ice cap shows that it is melting far faster than scientists had feared - twice as much ice is going into the sea as it was five years ago. The implications for rising sea levels - and climate change - could be dramatic.

Yet, a few weeks ago, when I - a Nasa climate scientist - tried to talk to the media about these issues following a lecture I had given calling for prompt reductions in the emission of greenhouse gases, the Nasa public affairs team - staffed by political appointees from the Bush administration - tried to stop me doing so. I was not happy with that, and I ignored the restrictions. The first line of Nasa's mission is to understand and protect the planet.

This new satellite data is a remarkable advance. We are seeing for the first time the detailed behaviour of the ice streams that are draining the Greenland ice sheet. They show that Greenland seems to be losing at least 200 cubic kilometres of ice a year. It is different from even two years ago, when people still said the ice sheet was in balance.

Hundreds of cubic kilometres sounds like a lot of ice. But this is just the beginning. Once a sheet starts to disintegrate, it can reach a tipping point beyond which break-up is explosively rapid. The issue is how close we are getting to that tipping point. The summer of 2005 broke all records for melting in Greenland. So we may be on the edge.

[Che_Nuevara]

1. Because most Dem votes don't even give a sh*t

about the environment. Most Dem voters would rather save a few $ than the environment.

[bvar22]

2. You got me.

In recent polls by the Pew Research Group, the Opinion Research Corporation, the Wall Street Journal, and CBS News, the American majority has made clear how it feels. Look at how the majority feels about some of the issues that you'd think would be gospel to a REAL Democratic party:

77 percent believe the country should do "whatever it takes" to protect the environment.

Looks like a sure winner to me.
I wonder why the Democratic Party does NOT make this PLANK ONE in a Contract With America.


On Edit: The 77% who believe the country should do "whatever it takes" to protect the environment are 77% of ALL AMERICANS...not just Democrats... but Republicans AND Independents.

[ruggerson]

3. It's such a no brainer

it truly baffles me.

[Che_Nuevara]

4. I question the scientificness of this poll.

I wonder how many of those 77% both to sort their garbage. I wonder how many bother to drive to the recycling site to recycle things that are not home recyclable. No, wait, I wonder how many of them WALK to the recycling site to save emissions.

Very, very few, I imagine.

[bvar22]

6. While your point is important overall,

it is irrelevant in THIS discussion.
Its importance here is WHAT ISSUES are SURE WINS for the Democrats.
Here are some more:

1. 65 percent say the government should guarantee health insurance for everyone -- even if it means raising taxes.

2. 86 percent favor raising the minimum wage (including 79 percent of selfdescribed "social conservatives").

3. 60 percent favor repealing either all of Bush's tax cuts or at least those cuts that went to the rich.

4. 66 percent would reduce the deficit not by cutting domestic spending but by reducing Pentagon spending or raising taxes.

5. 77 percent believe the country should do "whatever it takes" to protect the environment.

6. 87 percent think big oil corporations are gouging consumers, and 80 percent (including 76 percent of Republicans) would support a windfall profits tax on the oil giants if the revenues went for more research on alternative fuels.

7. 69 percent agree that corporate offshoring of jobs is bad for the U.S. economy (78 percent of "disaffected" voters think this), and only 22% believe offshoring is good because "it keeps costs down."

[Erika]

7. Recycling is a part of many communities garbage pickup

program. We have to pay extra if we don't set recyclables out for garbage pickup and recycling.

I live in a very red state.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

5. I Disagree Completely.

The notion that it is a great issue to nab swing voters is one that I think is false on its face.

I can't think of a single issue that motivates people less then their stance on the environment.

Sure, there is a select niche that is truly passionate about it, I think they're called green party members (course, I think they only get like .5% of the vote or somethin like that), but overall I can't think of one time I ever heard anybody in life complain about politicians and then say "if only they discussed the environment more".

Now, I have heard about unemployment, abortion, death penalty, health care, honesty, terrorism, social security, taxes, gas prices and a slew of other issues, but never once somebody in a political way talk about the environment.

Don't get me wrong, I care about the environment and want candidates who are responsible with it. But a great issue to nab swing voters? Not by a long shot.

[Erika]

8. It's hard for people to accept our planet is being ruined

but in their hearts they know it. They also know they have the responsibility to do something about it. Look at all the second hand smoke restrictions.

With all the new environmental info coming out, the environment will take on import.

Bill Richardson should take the lead on this for the democrats.

[Joe Fields]

9. First of all, I would like to applaud you...

You, a NASA scientist took a firm stance against the administration. That took courage. I am not a scientist, but I am an environmentalist, and what is happening to our planet scares me. Many people shrug these reports off, saying that the planet has always healed itself. But we just don't know how far we can push things until probably it will be too late.

I've written numerous posts regarding various studies I have read on given environmental issues. I've written numerous pieces concerning the Bush administration's dismantling of many ecological protections on air, land and wildlife. My postings have always gotten minimal response.

Anything that I write to you now would only be preaching to a much more well informed teacher. But you are not alone. Please fight to get the word out. We need people like you, scientists whose voices may possibly be heard and finally understood by the masses.

[raysr]

10. Why don't they raise

"holy hell" about everything?

[The2ndWheel]

11. Production and growth

If we were really serious about the environment, production and growth would have to take a hit. Good luck.

[fed-up]

12. IF WE KILL OUR ENVIRONMENT-we are doing just that-NOTHING ELSE MATTERS nt

[OneBlueSky]

13. why don't Democrats raise Holy Hell about ANYTHING??? . . . n/t

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