TreeHugger Radio: Republicans and the Planet
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide 
on 04.12.07
This week’s podcast is an interview with the remarkable Martha Marks, the co-founder of president of Republicans for Environmental Protection, nature photographer, and inspiring optimist. In 1995, along with a small group of women, Marks decided it was high time to revive the spirit of conservation in the Republican Party. She speaks with Simran this week about how political labels have been turned topsy-turvy, how environmental history will judge Bush, and what the business world has to say about global warming. Also, stay tuned for the full-length podcast of this powerful interview. Catch TreeHugger Radio each week on Air America’s EcoTalk, here on TreeHugger.com, or juice up your iPod on iTunes. (listen/right click to download) ::TreeHugger Radio
(Interview conducted by Simran Sethi, produced by Jacob Gordon)
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Nice work! Glad to see political stereotypes going out the window!
Good episode, thanks!
I think Republican environmentalists will have to take a few issues head-on, and could make contributions with their special expertise.
They love tax breaks. They should dream up some tax breaks which benefit the environment. Investment tax credits for sustainable business practices. Property tax breaks for reforestation and wetland restoration. To prevent them from being blind giveaways, set up a benchmarking or standards regime that quantifies the environmental benefit.
Republicans also love free trade. How can we use GATT to encourage clean production? Can we lower tariffs for green economies, and raise them for global polluters?
They want to cut deficits. Set up a benchmark for government spending which requires it to be low-impact. Why have a pork-barrel highway project when cutting it will save tax dollars AND cut down on environmental impacts?
In the spirt of TR and Barry Goldwater - welcome!
Was nice to see Newt Gingrich put a theoretical stake in the ground, claiming conservatives need a position at the green table. If for example Newt had simply said he was in favor of carbon trading, it would have been three steps in the right direction.
In this manner: until a prominent US conservative takes a stance on significant environmental and health issues of the day ...mercury emissions from coal, air emissions from ethanol plants, or pet food contamination for examples...that require a strong governmental intervention to have timely effect on the market, its all just so much foo foo dust to avoid having to confront the free market utopians.
I visited this group's website at rep.org and as a Republican, I am heartened that such a group exists. Voters did thin out the ranks of some of the non green Republicans last fall but some of the green ones also got whacked due to the Bush administration’s record on just about everything. Hopefully the Inhofe's, Sununu's and other non-greens will be given the heave-ho next year and this party can return to its solid environmental roots.