The Environment – by Vic Meyers The environment and our government’s environmental policies should not be a political football. As with almost every issue in Washington these days, environmental policy is not debated as much as it is used to divide the American electorate. We cannot let this continue to be the case. The beginning point in any discussion concerning the environment must center on the future. Our economic future, technological future and the planet that we leave to our future generations must all be equal parts of the discussion. Science is real. The vast majority of scientists are in agreement that climate change is real. It is the height of arrogance or the depths of ignorance that allow most climate change deniers to say it isn’t real. Unfortunately, greed is probably the biggest factor that prevents progress on doing anything about climate change. We’re not going to positively affect climate change for our generation and we might not be able to do much for our children’s generation. If we don’t start doing something then our grandchildren’s generation and subsequent generations will suffer for our failure. We must overcome the greed of those who refuse to act responsibly because they feel that profit margins today are more important than saving the planet for tomorrow. The key to overcoming the profit vs. future problem is to make doing the right thing profitable in a business sense. China is currently accounting for almost a quarter of all green energy investment worldwide. America is investing less than half of what China is. Those who are short-sighted see this as okay. Those of us who are looking at the long-term picture realize that we have a choice to either invest more now or buy all of our technology from China when we finally reach the point where green energy is no longer an option but a must. There was a time where America didn’t settle for being second best in anything. It was this spirit and determination that put a man on the moon. It was our determination to be the best that resulted in America leading the world in innovation in everything from auto manufacturing to medical advancements to computer technology. Leading in those areas gave resulted in leading the world in patents. Now is the time for America to decide that we will continue to lead the world by leading in green energy technology. Tomorrow is the time for America to reap the benefits of leading the world in green technology. From the time that John F. Kennedy challenged the nation to go to the moon through today, NASA research has resulted in technology that touches our lives in innumerable ways. Much of this technology has been transferred to the private sector and resulted in jobs, and profits, all across the country. By putting the same emphasis on green technology that we did in the space program, America can regain its lead as the world’s technological leader. We can once again claim to be number 1. Leading the world in green technology is not something that can be accomplished by environmentalists alone. The business sector cannot do it by itself either. In order to reach this goal we all must work together. The government, the business community, the environmental community and the citizen community must all be valued partners in this endeavor. As a teenager I worked for a rancher named Jimmy Armstrong. I remember a conversation I had with him once about the environment. He explained that he took care of the environment on his ranch by doing his best to not interrupt nature. He believed that he was successful as a rancher because the less he interrupted nature, the better nature provided him with the natural resources he needed to succeed. The 4th Congressional District has many farmers and ranchers. The ones I’ve met are like Jimmy Armstrong. They aren’t just living off of the land; they are stewards of the land they live off of. As a congressman for the 4th CD, I will look for ways to forge partnerships between government, business, environmental interests and our farmers/ranchers for a better future. Help me show the Washington Democrats and Washington Republicans that you don’t have to be a wealthy party insider to represent Main Street Americans. Send a contribution to Vic Meyers for Congress at 34900 Eastview Rd., Trinidad, CO 81082.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 02:21:28 +0000
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