Ask the Candidates & Your Elected Officials
By asking questions and prompting elected officials and candidates for elected office to present their vision for how to address the mounting environmental problems facing us today, we can help elevate the environment to an issue of prominent importance.
Questions are listed by topic and highlight the most important environmental issues in America today. All of these questions could easily be asked of any elected official or candidate for elected office.
CLEAN AIR
CLEAN WATER
ENDANGERED SPECIES
ENERGY
GLOBAL WARMING
MERCURY
OIL DRILLING
SPRAWL AND OVERDEVELOPMENT
TAKINGS
TOXICS
TRADE
TRANSPORTATION
WILDERNESS PROTECTION
CLEAN AIR
Should we close the loopholes that allow older coal-fired power plants to disproportionately pollute the air?
Despite some progress in reducing harmful emissions that lead to air pollution, many cities and states across the U.S. continue to deal with poor air quality. In some states, air quality is even getting worse. Emissions from older, coal-fired power plants are one of the biggest contributors to air pollution problems, causing regional haze in the Southeast, acid rain in Northeastern states, and a variety of health problems elsewhere. In addition, emissions from these plants have been linked to water pollution and global warming. Elected officials have an important role to play in determining the implementation and enforcement of clean air regulations. Their actions could help determine whether these polluting power plants are allowed to continue harming our air.
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CLEAN WATER
How do you propose to ensure that communities have clean and safe water supplies both now and for future generations?
More than 40% of waterways in the United States are threatened by pollution, much of which can be traced to polluted runoff from farms, ranches, parking lots, city streets and stormwater discharge systems. While U.S. waterways have been cleaned up dramatically as a result of the Clean Water Act, pollutants are still being discharged into rivers, lakes and streams, and there are still many places where fishing and swimming are not allowed. Serious water pollution problems - such as contaminated drinking water, massive fish kills and large algae blooms - in at least 30 states have been linked to inadequate pollution control and lax enforcement of environmental regulations. For example, the rapidly growing poultry industry on the Eastern Shore of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia is one of the main sources of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and other waterways. In addition, combined sewer systems in many large, older or coastal cities cannot handle large influxes of water. During heavy rains or snowmelts these combined sewers often overflow, sending untreated wastewater into waterways. How elected officials at all levels of government address this issue, will determine whether America's waterways remain healthy for future generations.
Would you support maintaining the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act as established in 1972?
The Clean Water Act was enacted in October of 1972 to restore the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of our nation's waters. The Act provides federal protections for the nation's waters to the full extent allowed under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. However, there have been numerous attempts to narrow the definition of waters protected under the Act. Most recently, the federal government attempted to limit the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act by saying that at least 20% of all remaining wetlands (excluding Alaska) and approximately 60% of streams and other bodies of water, all of which are critical to the environment and economy, would have been excluded from federal protection.
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ENDANGERED SPECIES
Do you support strengthening the Endangered Species Act as a means of better protecting declining populations of plants and wildlife?
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was designed as a means of counteracting the alarming rate of species extinction. Since its passage in 1973, more than 1,000 endangered or threatened plant and animal species have been awarded federal protection. Today, animals such as the California condor and bald eagle are returning to the wild and wolves are being reintroduced in states like New Mexico, Arizona and Wyoming. Unfortunately, growing pressure from special interest groups, such as oil, timber, mining, and livestock interests, threatens to weaken the ESA. Future elected officials will have a say in whether this important conservation act will continue to safeguard our nation's heritage of plant and animal diversity, or whether it will be weakened to incorporate the wishes of the special interests who view it as too costly and burdensome.
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ENERGY
Would you support an energy plan that reflects a greater balance between renewable energy sources and fossil fuels?
A majority of the United States' electricity is provided by polluting coal power plants, which contribute to the emission of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide. The health and environmental impacts of these gases include respiratory problems, global climate change, disruptions in ecosystems, and acid rain. Renewable energy projects including wind, solar, and other renewable sources provide the nation with an opportunity to move away from its dependency on coal power towards cleaner energy solutions.
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GLOBAL WARMING
With new studies linking dying coral reefs, melting glaciers, coastal erosion, and flooding to global warming, how do you propose to deal with this growing problem?
Do you support the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act, which would establish mandatory reductions of greenhouse gas emissions?
Scientific evidence exists linking human activities with the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and changing the earth's climate. Our use of coal, oil, and gas for fuel, certain land use practices, and forest clearing contribute to the accumulation of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. Global warming causes plants and animals to change their behavior and threatens human health by triggering the northward migration of infectious diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes. Over the last two years, efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions have all but drawn to a halt. While the majority of Americans are beginning to recognize climate change as a significant problem in need of a solution, profit-driven industry lobbyists are questioning the science behind global warming and fueling fears that reducing emissions will wreak havoc on the U.S. economy. The McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act proposes a "cap and trade" program that would limit heat-trapping gas emissions and give companies a financial incentive to reduce their emissions.
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MERCURY
Would you support stronger measures to eliminate mercury emissions from power plants?
Mercury is a hazardous neurotoxin, which collects in streams, rivers, and lakes, contaminating the fish we eat. Even at low levels of exposure, mercury can permanently damage the brain and nervous system and cause behavioral changes. Power plants are the largest, unregulated source of mercury emissions, releasing 48 tons of mercury into the air annually. Over forty state health departments, the EPA, and the Food and Drug Administration have issued fish consumption warnings due to mercury concentrations in fish. Current federal government plans propose to weaken mercury regulations, leaving much more toxic mercury in the air for a longer amount of time than currently allowed. The proposal would save the electric utility industry billions of dollars while exposing pregnant women and children to unnecessary levels of the dangerous neurotoxin that can have serious health-related consequences.
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OIL DRILLING
Do you think it is appropriate to resolve the current gas price hike by opening Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling?
Often referred to as "America's Serengeti," the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of North America's last-remaining wilderness ecosystems. It is home to nearly 200 species of wildlife, including polar bears, caribou, wolves and more than 100 species of migratory birds. Habitat destruction associated with oil drilling development, not to mention air and water pollution, and oil spills could forever compromise the biological heart of this globally important wilderness area. We must encourage our elected officials to fight to protect this national treasure. Only by defeating anti-environment measures such as these, can we ensure that the Arctic Refuge, and other important ecosystems, are protected for future generations.
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SPRAWL AND OVERDEVELOPMENT
Many cities and states across the country increasingly struggle to find ways to preserve open space and curb suburban sprawl. How would you address this problem?
From Arizona to Colorado to Maryland, sprawling suburbs are encroaching on some of the nation's last remaining green spaces. As housing tracts, strip malls, highways and golf courses replace acre after acre of land, cities and states are forced to deal with increased air and water pollution, traffic congestion and a loss of key wildlife habitat. In the Pacific Northwest, a March 2000 study by Northwest Environment Watch found sprawl to be one of the region's biggest problems, as population growth results in both a loss of land and increased carbon dioxide emissions from more auto traffic. Elected officials - from zoning boards and county commissioners to governors and state legislators - must address suburban sprawl and related open space preservation, land-use planning and transportation issues, well into the new century.
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TAKINGS
Do you support paying property owners to comply with environmental laws?
The 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that private property "shall not be taken for public use without just compensation." Historically, the Supreme Court has interpreted this amendment as a protection for landowners from a "physical" taking of property by the government. Over the past several decades, however, the Supreme Court has considered whether government regulatory protections might also result in a taking of private property. As a result of these considerations, the Court has designed an approach to address the needs of property owners, while also allowing for reasonable laws that protect community, environmental, and public health interests. Unfortunately, "takings" legislation attempts to bypass the Court's balanced approach and block accepted public health, safety, and conservation measures, while mandating costly new taxpayer funded payments. Laws commonly threatened by "takings" measures include, community zoning regulations, land use planning measures, health and safety measures, and conservation and wildlife management efforts.
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TOXICS
Would you support reinstating Superfund's "polluter pays" fees?
In 1980 Congress created the Superfund law to cleanup toxic waste sites around the country, based on the principle that polluters should pay to clean up the messes they created. Funded by a tax on chemical manufacturers and feedstock chemicals, Superfund has cleaned up over 840 toxic sites. However, the tax expired in 1995, and Superfund's reserve funds which once totaled $3.6 billion have been exhausted, leaving the program entirely funded by taxpayers for the first time beginning in 2004. The Superfund law must be adequately funded to cleanup toxic sites and remove risks posed to public health and the environment.
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TRADE
Do you believe that environmental standards should be incorporated into trade agreements?
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organization (WTO) talks held in Seattle, WA, and Washington, DC, in the last few years serve to highlight the growing tensions revolving around trade issues. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the WTO regulate domestic and international law in order to promote international trade and investment. In an effort to comply with the rulings, governments may weaken their own laws or regulations. In the past, dispute panels under these agreements have ruled against a number of environmental and public health laws, including protections for sea turtles, food safety standards, and clean fuel laws. Elected officials will likely have a say in whether trade rules are changed to prevent such weakening of public health and environmental laws.
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TRANSPORTATION
Do you support strengthening fuel economy standards for automobiles and funding public transportation alternatives as means to reduce air pollution?
Automobiles account for a third of the United State's total green house gas emissions, which trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere and are slowly warming the planet. Current technology could help boost automobile fuel efficiency by 50% and help curb these harmful emissions, but U.S. automakers have been slow to jump on the bandwagon, citing a lack of consumer demand. In addition, many cities have been slow to offer public transportation alternatives. Elected officials have a chance to quick-start the transformation to the next generation of automobiles and fuels. By encouraging the development of new fuel-efficient technologies, utilizing current technologies and promoting public transportation, we can all begin to breathe easier.
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WILDERNESS PROTECTION
What is your vision for protecting and managing America's natural resources and public lands both now and for future generations?
The millions of acres of U.S. parks, wildlife refuges, national forests and other public lands are valuable resources enjoyed by all Americans. These lands provide unique economic and recreational opportunities, while also serving as critical habitat for plants and wildlife. Today, however, many of America's public lands are threatened by air and water pollution, logging and mining activities and other human impacts. How elected officials address this issue, both locally and on the state and federal levels, will determine whether these national treasures are managed in a way that protects wildlife, while fostering sustainable timber and recreational opportunities.
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