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It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s….Super-Lamar?
Posted By katie allison granju
Rikki Hall argues that Lamar Alexander should “be a hero” and make clean air his legacy:
Despite his wavering commitment, Sen. Alexander is among the few Republicans who take air pollution seriously. He has worked to limit mercury and particulate releases, and he understands that excessive emissions can damage tourism, health, and agriculture. On the other hand, he opposes wind power because he thinks turbines are ugly. Like other elites who own property on Martha’s Vineyard, Alexander cannot bear the prospect of tiny, spinning specks on the horizon marring his perfect sunset view. The view from his mountain property in Blount County also plays an important role in determining his stances on energy and emissions issues.
It is time for Sen. Alexander to transcend self-interest and lead Republicans and the United States out of the era of profligate pollution and into the era of smart energy. Future generations will look back fondly at the time when emissions stopped growing and energy gluttony was curtailed. They will resent us for burning fossil fuels frivolously and for poisoning the oceans, but they will celebrate those who turn the tide toward sustainable living. However sick the planet is in a century, people will be grateful for the moment things stopped getting worse….
Many Democrats are ready to tackle emissions, and Lamar Alexander is just the guy to lead Republicans out of the embarrassing era of anti-science their party has descended into. Teddy Roosevelt went to the Dakotas to kill one of the last bison, but he wound up protecting them from extinction. If our senator finds the courage to protect the atmosphere, may he be remembered as fondly.
May 1st, 2008
