Elizabeth Ross-Harrison - Environment

<< Elizabeth Ross-Harrison

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States should be allowed to adopt tougher fuel efficiency regulations than the federal standard. The Fed tends to take a long time when it comes to adopting new regulations of this kind. We need to lose our dependence on foreign oil as soon as we can. If that means having states encourage change in the auto industry by having tougher fuel efficiency regulations, so be it.

Congress should not pass a 'cap and trade' bill. Congress doesn't have a sensible solution on the table, and honestly is going in the wrong direction with this. It should be focusing on tougher regulations/fines for emissions that we already know cause harm to people's health, and earmark fines collected for research into technology that will improve air quality in industrial areas (i.e., filtration technology, chemical management systems, etc.)

Global warming is a problem primarily caused by humans; higher average temperatures are partly or entirely the result of human actions. Partly. Nature and the state of the universe in general have a greater part in the current climate changes. (Higher average temperatures and lower ones - where I am, we are having record low temperatures this summer.) Lately it seems that the astronomers have the most information on our climate changes, and they are apparently linked to changes in our sun.

The U.S. should have signed the Kyoto Treaty. At least it would look like the government was attempting to take the environment seriously.

Plastic grocery bags should be banned. Not enough people recycle them, and they are adding far too much to our landfills.

The benefits of recycling do not outweigh the costs. Not yet. That's not to say they won't later. We really need to invest more time/money in finding better (less expensive) ways to recycle.

The carbon tax system would be more effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Cap and trade seems to be a bit too complicated to implement, and more importantly, it leaves too many openings for graft. We don't need to create a new market for trading, since we obviously can't manage to keep people from exploiting the system to the detriment of everyone.

Prior to Katrina, local and federal authorities knew the breaching of the levees was possible.

The federal government should not release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Congress should not lift the ban on offshore oil drilling.

The U.S. should not expand oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

There is a link between global warming and the rising intensity of natural disasters.

The EPA does not effectively protect the environment.

The government should regulate greenhouse-gas emissions.

The U.S. should allow drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

Global warming is a problem that humans must take actions to address.

The U.S. government should increase the national gas mileage standard.

Plastic grocery bags should be banned. Not enough people recycle them, and they are adding far too much to our landfills.

The benefits of recycling do not outweigh the costs. Not yet. That's not to say they won't later. We really need to invest more time/money in finding better (less expensive) ways to recycle.

The carbon tax system would be more effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Cap and trade seems to be a bit too complicated to implement, and more importantly, it leaves too many openings for graft. We don't need to create a new market for trading, since we obviously can't manage to keep people from exploiting the system to the detriment of everyone.

Congress should not pass a 'cap and trade' bill. Congress doesn't have a sensible solution on the table, and honestly is going in the wrong direction with this. It should be focusing on tougher regulations/fines for emissions that we already know cause harm to people's health, and earmark fines collected for research into technology that will improve air quality in industrial areas (i.e., filtration technology, chemical management systems, etc.)

UNKNOWN: Should polar bears be listed under the Endangered Species Act?

UNKNOWN: Can global warming be stopped?

UNKNOWN: Should the U.S. government provide incentives for manufacturers to build fuel-efficient cars?

UNKNOWN: What effect will expanded ethanol production have on the economy?

UNKNOWN: Can the U.S. meet all of its energy demands within 10 years through carbon-free sources?

UNKNOWN: What effect will climate change have on the economy?

UNKNOWN: Should U.S permit commercial logging in national forests?

UNKNOWN: What overall impact will expanded ethanol production have on the environment?

UNKNOWN: Should governments create mandatory recycling programs?

UNKNOWN: Is reducing meat consumption an effective way to combat global warming?

UNKNOWN: Has racism affected the government response to Katrina?

UNKNOWN: Was the government well-prepared to respond to Katrina?

UNKNOWN: Should landfills be privatized?

UNKNOWN: Should current air pollution laws be changed?

UNKNOWN: Should government regulate mercury levels in the environment?

UNKNOWN: Should Congress raise the gas tax?

UNKNOWN: What effect do air pollution laws have on the economy?

UNKNOWN: Should Al Gore win the Nobel Peace Prize?

UNKNOWN: Should the U.S. Bureau of Land Management euthanize wild horses to curb overpopulation?