A first look at Palin’s environmental record

Articles — By forcechange on September 1, 2008 5:00 am

Before we begin our critique of Governor Palin’s policies towards the environment, we should note that Alaska is one of the biggest suppliers of domestic oil in the country and without it, our dependence on foreign oil would be even greater than it currently stands.  Additionally, being a successful politician in Alaska, a state whose wealth is built around an extractive economy, by definition makes Palin a proponent of mining, drilling and fishing. 

Even taking this fact into account, it appears that her overall position towards the environment is quite poor.  As the LA Times reports, “Palin may have swept into office as an independent thinker willing to challenge the establishment, but she has fallen in line with other Alaska politicians when it comes to environmental policies, according to interviews and a review of her record.”

The four major policies of Palin’s that are the most anti-green are:

1.  Support for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and other offshore drilling.

2.  Support for a $30 billion natural gas pipeline from Alaska’s North Slope.

3.  Bringing a lawsuit against the Federal Department of the Interior for putting the polar bear on the “threatened” species list.

4.  Support for mining in Bristol Bay, which could threaten salmon, bears, and caribou.

This is just a quick rundown of her major policies relating to the environment.  In the coming days and weeks we plan to delve deeper into these policies to see how they define her ideology and principles towards the environment.  For example, could her support for the North Slope natural gas pipeline be a pro-environment policy, or is it just another in a long-line of extractive policies?  (Given the above list, we tend to think it is probably the latter.)

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