This is not satire — sadly.
There is a group out there, a very scary group. No, we’re not talking about jihadists, insurgents or Republican governors, we’re talking about a thing called Republicans for Environmental Protection, or REP America.
They have a philosophy:
We are Republicans. We share a deep concern for the environment. We know that a healthy environment and a sound economy are both essential to our nation’s prosperity. We believe that by working together, we can preserve both our environment and our economy for current and future generations of Americans.
They have an answer for the obvious question of how they can be a conservative and an environmentalist:
We remind skeptics that nothing is more conservative than conservation. True conservatives should safeguard the resources on which the health, recreation, and economic prosperity of present and future Americans depend. There is nothing conservative, and certainly nothing wise, in squandering our wildlife, wilderness, wetlands, and other natural treasures.
They have a list of great conservative conservationists: Teddy Roosevelt (national parks), Barry Goldwater (Arizona cowboy), Richard Nixon (signed the Clean Air Act).
Today REP America issued a press release commending 24 Republicans who signed a letter to House leaders asking for removal of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge drilling provisions in upcoming budget legislation.
“Opening the Arctic Refuge to drilling is not good energy policy. It would undermine the political will needed for positive change by raising false hopes that America can ‘solve’ its energy problems by chasing the last barrels of oil beneath our wildlife refuges, wildlands, and off our coasts,” said Jim DiPeso, REP America policy director. “We can’t. The drilling proponents’ claims don’t add up to greater energy security. America has only 2 percent of the world’s conventional oil reserves, but we use 25 percent of world production. As long as we depend on oil to meet 40 percent of our total energy needs, our security and economy will be at the mercy of events that we cannot control,” said DiPeso said.
“We must have a strategic energy policy that reduces oil dependence, boosts energy efficiency, and diversifies our energy choices with cleaner technologies,” DiPeso said.
But hey, that’s what I believe. You can’t have that! Liberals have staked out the enviro discourse!
Lord, they took away the presidency, our sense of security, our peace and our economy — don’t let them take away our environmental boosterism, too!
