A view of Palin’s views on the environment from a major U.K. newspaper.
Sarah Palin, the Republican party’s vice-president nominee, governs an oil-rich area that has seen some of the most dramatic effects of climate change. So what’s her record on environmental concerns?
By Britt Collins. The Guardian. Sarah Palin: Ice queen of the Arctic
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Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
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Though printed in a UK newspaper (most people discount the Brit’s opinions) this is a very accurate profile of Palin, issues that unfortunately won’t rise to the top of the mainstream public’s attention because they’re too focused on Palin’s rimless glasses. Defenders of Wildlife, through their Wildlife Action Fund, is airing a 60 second spot on Palin. Check it out:
http://actionfund.defenders.org/palinvideo
Here is another ad Defenders is running. They are both great ads and are supposed to appear on several networks, including CNN, MSNBC, ABC and others.
https://secure.defenders.org/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=1547&1547.donation=form1&autologin=true&s_src=6JY08WDC4F&s_subsrc=6JY08WDC4F_EJI08D1a
Yes great ads, but they need $ to air them, they are not showing anywhere except the internet right now, help out even with $5.00 to get these on the air for all to see!
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1841380,00.html?xid=feed-rss-netzero,
I thought this was an interesting read about how MCain and Palin have been on opposite ends of Pork. It spells out his priorities and talks of her requests for Pork spending of her very own!!
As far asthe ads go, send them to everyone you can, and make it circulate however possible…after all, Obama is the candidate brought to life by the internet, how about putting one to sleep by using it too!!!
Yesterday I gave another donation to Defenders as soon as I found out about the ad.
These ads indeed are airing in Ohio and Florida, and thousands of donations have been made to the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund to make it possible. Donate what you can, or forward the video to people who you think might be unaware of Palin’s record. Together WE have a VOICE!
Treating animals with compassion is not or SHOULD NOT be a partisan issue:
Here’s a great book by — you won’t believe it — GW Bush Sr’s speechwriter, Matthew Scully, on man’s abuse of animals:
http://www.nationalreview.com/interrogatory/interrogatory120602.asp
It’s an incredible book — title: Dominion
Scully says that there are not many Republicans who care much about animal issues but there are a few. He mentions Senator Wayne Allard. I would beg to differ. He thinks killing innocent feral horses in slaughterhouses with a 4′ bullet to their brain is “humane.”
http://www.grizzlybay.org/SarahPalinInfoPage.htm
The truth about Sara Palin views
http://www.grizzlybay.org/SarahPalinInfoPage.htm
Sean Hannity “interviewed her” (publicized and promoted her) on Fox “News” the other day.
We are in the biggest financial crisis ever since the depression and and all Fox “News” can talk about today is the “e-mail hacking of Sarah Palin.”
They are not educated or informed enough to discuss REAL issues obviously!
A time when we should be rallying around one another and our country we remain split as a society if we dont get our own way and everyone doesnt agree with our specific thoughts. I know we say we are open minded but are we? As a nature photographer who does it for a living and where it is my day job I have spent almost 50 years trapsing around in the woods and many parts of the world. I like to think I am open minded. I have seen and experienced a lot. I was in Alaska at Statehood, I felt the big quake. After the quake I reside in the lower 48. In March 2007 I was in the Canadian Arctic filming and standing on the ice with the big white bear and her babies. I believe there is global warming and global cooling. I believe man is a contributor but not the root cause. The program on Natl geo delving into prehistoric ice seems to agree with many of my thoughts. I have just come back from Alaska retracing many of my steps thru the years. I spoke with many Alaskans and to many young adults from outside the US (mostly eastern block countries) filling summer jobs in many of the cities and national parks in Alaska, around Yellowstone, the Smokies, etc. that our own children/young adults do not want to do because they can make more from mom and dad’s weekly allowance while staying home with friends. What else did I learn from this trip?
Alaska continues to change. I still found three groups of people, the Native American, those that live there because of their love of nature and their love of simplicity and privacy. Then there are those who want to make a buck, you know, regular day to day people.
While there I saw an abundance of tourists, I saw the pipeline (sorry no leaks and….oh I saw animals laying under it, I assume for shade), I saw Valdez (again sorry no leaks in the storage tanks or ships, nothing to talk about), I saw the wildlife around both. I saw the large areas set aside for those many people who still live off the land and eat what they grow and hunt. I saw the large areas of land that are set aside for sustenance hunting. I saw the Salmon swimming upstream. I saw local’s and tourists fishing. I several several young Native Americans highway hunting and wanting to know if I had seen any large Bull Moose or Caribou as they were trophy hunting. One said his Grandfather would give him hell if he knew he was trophy hunting.
Sarah Palin is the elected Governor of her state. Her responsibility is to her people to see that their needs are met. Politics aside almost everyone I spoke to thought she was doing a great job and looking out for them. No sales tax there. Oil gives back yearly divided checks to the people living there. It appears many democrats and republicans, as well as independants drive big SUV’s up there . My favorite was a big Suburban going down the road along the Richardson highway with three stickers on the back. One basically saying stop oil producion, use altermnate fuel sources, another a World Wildlife Fund sticker, and another saying Vote Ob… . It was hard to see them from the oil cloud the SUV was making. So I passed them. Im sure there is at least one message there. Maybe they were confused. At the cost of gasoline up there ($4.30 to $5.50 deoending where you are in the state) I was suprised on how many SUV’s, big trucks with trailers and 5th wheels there were at the end of the season. Imagine how many there were during the peak tourist season. Im sure they were using their share of the gasoline/diesel fuel. Im very familiar with Prudoe Bay. Do I think we should drill for more oil in the ANWR. I think so. Its not an answer but its a part of the answer. If we abruptly stopped the use of oil and went to other sources how could those folks making less than the top 10% of income affored to replace their gasoline/diesel vehicles with new ones when they cant afford to make their house payments? Switching to Ethanol has proved that fast action can also hurt us and the world as we create shortages in the world and local food markets. I think doing things in moderation makes sense.
Reviewing some of the Sarah Palin comments, I think all people should be dealt with respectfully and with kindness. Vicious name calling, picking on family members because they dont agree with ones views is disgraceful. If the viciousness of MSNBC comentators is your cup of tea Im sorry. If nothing else put yourself above those that do namecalling and belittling of those who differ with you. I was in Fairbanks when Sarah Palin arrived home on 9/11. The significance…..her son was being deployed to Irag. She returned home to say good by. Her decision to raise and not abort her baby that has Down Syndrome is hers whether one agrees with it or not. My friend years ago had a child with Down Syndrome that lived to about the age of 11-12. There daughter had a happy life. A thought just passing my mind is if somebody murders a woman that is pregnant we consider that a double homicide but if a woman decides to get rid of the child even though late term we call it abortion. I believe she cares for her state and its people. I believe she is doing her job by trying to impove the quality of life for her people. As with McCain and Obama, Im sure Polin shares their interests in providing the best for the USA. Be kind. Dont be an Ugly American.
Mr. Sonier,
So, what’s your point? You spent at least an hour writing all this and it absolutely says nothing other than you bragging about yourself and all the things you have done and do. I went over every post on this threat and not one is calling anyone names! By the way…good to see you made it another year
Phil,
I agree with your plea for a reasoned debate. However, I don’t see any of the name calling in this thread that seems to concern you? Rather, I see people posting a lot of links to various sources of information regarding the views of Ms. Palin; and I don’t see any links to MSNBC or the Huffington Post.
I would suggest that your plea for rational debate about the candidates would be more credible if it didn’t sound so much like an advertisement for Sarah Palin. You make note of what you perceive of as biased reporting of MSNBC (I wouldn’t disagree) but leave out the biased reporting of Fox “News”, and the hate-filled vitriol that spews from the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and other conservative “journalists”.
You said that you think we should drill in ANWR, arguing “If we abruptly stopped the use of oil and went to other sources how could those folks making less than the top 10% of income affored to replace their gasoline/diesel vehicles with new ones when they cant afford to make their house payments?”
Abruptly stop? C’mon, you’ve got to be kidding me!? No one–absolutely NO ONE–is naive enough to think we can throw a lever and switch all new cars to alternative fuels. However, even if we were able to do this there would still be plenty of people around driving gas-powered vehicles. Gas stations would still provide gas to these people; in fact, the cost of gas might actually go down if enough people switched over to other sources (with increased supply, lessened demand). Cars that use alternative fuels (even electricity) that could be produced in the U.S. would mean less dependence on foreign oil and less money sent to Saudi Princes.
I submit to you that it would be easier to treat Sarah Palin with respect if I didn’t have to listen to her attack ads filled with blatant lies like “Palin stopped the bridge to nowhere” and Alaska supplies “20 percent of U.S. energy.” It would be easier if I didn’t have to listen to the Republicans cry crocodile tears, claiming Obama made sexist remarks against Palin when he used the phrase “you can put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig,” a phrase that both Obama and McCain have used multiple times during the campaign. It would be easier to support Palin and McBush…sorry McCain, if they hadn’t been shouting about over regulation despite ENRON, the housing market, and now the insurance crisis. It would easier to support them if their was any truth at all in Republican claims about being for “small government.”
I don’t buy into the personal attacks and I don’t watch the TV news (MSNBC or otherwise). I will vote on the issues. And on the issues, McCain/Palin fail again and again.
JB, I agree with you. I’m sick of people trying to shove this Sarah Palin down my throat. I just don’t like her. She promotes the aerial killing of my favorite wild animal, a magnificent predator who has been villified and persecuted throughout history by ignorance and fear — the wolf. The aerial killing is especially upsetting in light of the wolf’s history but it takes some research and concern for animals for people to do it.
Although I appreciate Phil’s courtesy, I found this comment (below) quite hypocritical as the word “MSNBC” should be replaced with “Fox News.”
Phil said:
“If the viciousness of MSNBC comentators is your cup of tea Im sorry. If nothing else put yourself above those that do namecalling and belittling of those who differ with you…”
Often when people say “put politics aside” like Palin said re: the Iran conference, she didn’t care about “putting politics aside.” She wanted to simply PROMOTE HERSELF and jump into the game. She hasn’t EARNED the right to participate.
And, let’s get real –elections are a CONTEST — competition — a contest for the hearts and minds of voters nationwide — for the highest office of the president of the United States. The stakes are high. And believe me, we want to win as badly as McCain + Palin do.
Sean Hannity, who can ONCE IN A WHILE SEEM DECENT, just pummels the airwaves with HATE every single day on his show — hatred and disdain for anyone who disagrees with his worldview — people who care about the environment are “tree huggers,” “enviro-wackos,” etc. He doesn’t put Rush Limbaugh on his show much but he might as well as he is straight in line with Rush’s views.
Fox “News” is anything but. It’s an absolute joke. Once in a while they might have someone on who knows something about economic issues, but then it always slides into “it’s the “Liberals fault — they’re stupid, they want socialism, they’re not patriotic, they hate America….”, and they go on and on with their rantings.
It’s what children do when they don’t know what else to do. And yes, MSNBC does it too.
Though I tend to swing a bit conservative on personal responsibility, I am much more on the Dem’s side when it comes to the environment and concern for animals.
It is complicated — and not as black and white as it seems. Many D.C. Dems have not done much at all for the environment, or in fact, have squelched environmental legislation. Usually — though — they don’t go out of their way to vote against environmental legislation. Some environmental legislation might not be “good” legislation though — everything has to be judged on its own merits, not by WHO proposed it, which is too often done.
Currently, it’s the media doing the “partisan bickering” right now and the candidates.
The Dems and Repubs ARE trying to work together now behind the scenes as they realize we — the American public — their constituents — are depending on them– and they had BETTER NOT SCREW THIS UP.
I thought this post from someone blogging on the Idaho Statesman was very worthy of re-posting:
Who’s to blame?
Submitted by mac on Sat, 09/20/2008 – 6:47pm.
I’m a little confused about all of this back and forth, because we can blame Clinton and Bush all we want, and we can blame Democrats and Republicans all we want.
The truth of the matter is that both parties are at fault, because every bill that is passed has to be passed by a majority.
Now seeing that neither party has enough in congress and senate to push their agenda through, they all need people from the other side. Oh by the way, congress comes up with the budget and the appropriations, so most on both sides have their hands dirty of everything that is going on.
THESE ARE NOT bipartisan issues. Don’t get sucked in to believing that they are because you happen to lean one way or the other.
Just in case any of you believe that government has your best interest in mind, think again. It’s all about power and getting elected and most could care less about the people that are supposed to serve. To prove that point, how is social security and medicare doing?
If the government was really interested in the people for any other reason than to get elected, then we would still have these programs for the people being ran efficiently. These are not problems that have arose recently, I have been hearing about these problems for twenty years now. They talk of improving education, then throw money at the problem, only to have the same problems. They don’t have any real solutions for the people, they only have platitudes to get elected.
I believe that we need to have a smaller government, not bigger. If governemnet is the problem, then why not shrink the problem. Bigger government is only going to mean more government waste, and more government ran programs that are ran into the ground, by both sides. Think about it!
Also…..
As long as the Dems and Repubs keep us thinking the other side is the “bad ones”, and each can keep their approximate 50% share of the vote, they retain their power.
GREAT INSIGHT HERE!!
Gosh…I seem to have opened a political sore. JR you had some interesting comments. Thanks. Barb….Your last post regarding the Dem’s and Republicans thinking the other side are the bad ones is….right on. Some interesting comments to reflect on. I mentioned MSNBC and several responded with Fox, Huffington, Limbaugh, Hannity, and so on. I only mentioned MSNBC, and not the others, as I had that cable channel while in Alaska and no other news. It was quite a political experience. Never did get the real news. Well, like a Doctor, I recommend for normal viewing CSPAN and PBS, 1/2 hour of local news, and 1/2 hour of CNN Headline news and not the talk (supposed news shows) on TV and Radio. Oh…and on the radio I recommend soft music and book CD’s of your choice and not talk radio. I think one can get better facts on CSPAN by listening to the person who is making the news vs sound bites from a biased commentator. Newspapers?? Well too many sales adds, a waste of trees. And Breeze…I missed the parts in my writeup that cover my bragging about myself, and all the things I have done and do. I thought I covered many of the topics that have been recently slung out to try and bash Palin. Everybody deserves a chance. I think anybody running for office should be commended for their bravery to take on the task of trying to satisfy all the experts that we preceive ourselves to be. Maybe the peson criticizing should step up to the plate and run for office themselves. Would the community or nation be better off?? Also, by not saying things oneself and by referring to somebody elses articles is almost the same as secretly reflecting ones point of view, while not sticking your own neck out, dont you agree. Its like not using ones own name in an article to conceal yourself from your own statements. Remember kindness, fairness, honesty, and logical thought. And to think…I actually went to the Maughan’s Wildlife News initally for a Wolf report in Yellowstone. Didnt see any recent Wolf reports but a lot of political commentary. Guess I’ll go to Yellowstone anyway and find out for myself. Its better to see and hear things firsthand than relying on others for their information because….who knows, they may be biased. I must say however….the gal that does some of the winter/spring wolf reports does one great job. Unfortunately I forget her name. Stay cheerful.
Phil, you certainly hit a political “sore,” one, in fact, that has been festering for roughly 8 years. First, I agree that we should judge candidates based upon the facts; I also agree that these can be hard to come by. I expressed this idea in an earlier post on Palin. Still, most of us do not have access to these people, so we absolutely MUST rely on the media (biased or otherwise) for our information regarding their positions and how these positions square with their previous actions.
You said: “I think anybody running for office should be commended for their bravery to take on the task of trying to satisfy all the experts…”
I would indeed commend someone for taking on such a noble and improbable task. However, I don’t think satisfying everyone (or even just the experts) is on any candidates agenda. Moreover, I don’t see that it takes a lot of bravery to run for political office…more like hubris.
You said: “…by not saying things oneself and by referring to somebody elses articles is almost the same as secretly reflecting ones point of view, while not sticking your own neck out, dont you agree.”
I do not agree. We refer to a trusted source for information when we do not have the time or capacity to acquire that information on our own. As I already noted, there are only a few people who actually have access to the candidates. We rely on these individuals (and the organizations they work for) to keep us abreast of the topics that we feel are important. Would I rather ask McCain or Obama the questions myself? You bet. If you think you can arrange this, please let me know?! As it is, the alternative to published sources of information is word of mouth where, in my experience, you are more likely to hear rumors, exaggerations, and outright falsehoods about political candidates.
Granted, Gov. Palin is no Al Gore. But, reports of her actual record are distorted. Regarding aerial hunting of wolves, she essentially rubber stamped the decision and policy of the State’ wildlife commission. I live in Michigan and wish that our politicians listened to the professionals in our DNR! She launched a program to convert rural areas of Alaska (read, almost all of the state) from dirty diesel power to cleaner, renewable fuels. She has been a vocal advocate for the sustainable use of the Tongass. She is pretty good on water quality issues, too. As a partner in her family’s commercial fishing business, she knows all too well the importance of clean water and resource management.
Contrary to the Obama camp’s misinformation, she does believe climate change is real. And she believes Alaska will suffer changes more than most other places. She created a commission to research and advise the state on how to best deal with climate change. Sure, she’s skeptical about whether mankind has caused any or all of the problem. Give her a break, she’s lived in a place where its winter six months out of the year!
As Governor of Alaska, she has had to govern for the benefit of Alaskans. As Vice President, she is going to have to respect the wishes and desires of an entire nation. She’s pragmatic–she’ll doe just that.
Rather than beat her short record to death, everyone concerned about conservation issues should be engaged in educating her and her camp on the issues and the required action. Don’t alienate her.
Obama spent 3 years in the Illinois State Senate voting “present” rather than making any decisions. Since he was elevated by the Chicago machine to the US Senate, he has done nothing but run for President. Excuse me, he did vote against two bills that would have required improved oversight of the Army Corps of Engineers projects…. This week on the campaign trail, he said he was coal’s best friend. Sen. McCain reiterated his opposition to mountaintop removal…..Obama’s been a no-show…fearful of alienating union members who use the big equipment to flatten Appalachia.
My point is, there are enough “disagreements” between all the candidates and conservationists. Don’t take any advertisement or article you see as gospel…do some digging on your own to verify.
Rob
Rob,
She rubberstamped aerial wolf hunts that are not predicated on any science – and the voters had voted against twice. She just recently conceded that climate change is occuring, despite the many years of evidence in her own back yard – the one she can see Russian from. When are we going to get the chance to educate her on enviro issues? Her handlers only allow her to smile and shakes hands.
Obama is for CLEAN coal technology, and has spoken against mountaintop removal (McCain as well). Obama cast 129 “present votes” out of over 4000 votes while in the Illinois state senate. That’s about 3%. There are many reasons pols use the present vote – maybe you should “dig” a little closer yourself.
Moose,
Rob is from Republicans for Environmental Protection
Ahh…nevermind.
Any politician that “rubber stamps” legislation is not any legislator I’d want in office.
Besides, Rob Sisson, is being untruthful here.
Palin, with the financial help of The Safari Club (a canned exotic animal hunting club for wealthy people), not only “supported” the barbaric wolf hunting, she promoted it.
I’d bet if truly pressed, Palin would admit to believing that wolves are “witches” and her minister needs to “pray them away.”
“Regarding aerial hunting of wolves, she essentially rubber stamped the decision and policy of the State’ wildlife commission.”
Ha! A great example of why you can’t trust Republicans! The policy was put forward and approved by the Alaska Game Board (the vast majority of whom are not scientists) and ALL OF WHOM WERE APPOINTED BY SARAH PALIN!
“The Board of Game is the state’s regulatory authority that passes regulations to conserve and develop Alaska’s wildlife resources….The board has seven members, each appointed by the governor for a three year term.”
You can read their bios here: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/gameinfo/member/membios.php
Rob, Phil, quick note for you boys, any suggestion that anyone other than Hussein is the way our country needs to go or any suggesttion that you may be getting news from any other network besides msnbc, NYT or Hufffington post will be quickly dismissed uneducated and shortsighted and just plain dumb,,i personally like to throw a t–d in the punchbowl, so to speak just to get em riled, but unless you have hide as tough as an old grannys combat boots,, you political interest and your attempts are promoting or providing other than socialst or Husseinomy ideas, will be quickly batted down as wrong sided thinking,,
just a heads up
Kim,
Rob’s a paid political operative. I don’t think he will be discouraged.
What’s up “Kaiser”, started any world wars lately?
Hey Kim,
So far I haven’t cited MSNBC or the Huffington Post and the only statistic I cited out of the Times turned out to be accurate! Sorry if the facts don’t sit well with your worldview, but I’d sooner you update the latter than try to further distort the former.
Kim would much rather vote for someone that would look you straight in the eye and lie to you, and than follow that with another lie when you call him on the first one, than to vote for someone with integrity. She deserves John McBush.
The Republican record in a nutshell: Enron, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG, Bear Stearns, Iraq, Haliburton, soaring national debt, huge tax breaks for oil companies, “drill baby drill”, the biggest nationalization of government since the great depression… I could go on, but what’s the point? Tell me again why we should vote for these guys?
JB,
So we don’t have to strain our lower backs when removing our heads from the sand.
Remaining oblivious on all the issues in order to suuport or oppose another is very poor judgement. I expect many people will continue to support poor judgement-they are called republicans.
Kim,
You have a very narrow view on what is actually going on. You should enlighten yourself about the greater majority of issues instead of hiding behind the few you rant about.
OUr economy is in the dump (and depression looms not too far over our heads). Do the math…..republican+president=bad economic policies, that boils down to ….no$+no travel+no vacations=no money in you cash register. Unless you are planning an early retirement , like this summer, I would be worrying a bit more about the larger picture.
Ralph,
Do you know anything about the organization that Mr. Sisson represents? Specifically, I’m wondering if they are legitimately concerned with conservation issues, or if they are one of those political organizations with an ironic name?
I believe it was Ronald Reagan, the hero of the Republican party, who once said, “when you’ve seen one red-wood tree, you’ve seen them all.”
JB,
They (REP) are not just an “astroturf” group. They are conservative conservationists. Because John McCain is one of their honorary directors, their support for him seems to be built in, although it probably came before McCain adopted his move-to-the-far-right strategy.
Wikipedia on them.
Thanks, Ralph!
SCREW DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE you are the biggist bunch of laisr around what you jerks need to do is quit living in your fancy high rises and penthouses and quit watching the usial junk like disneys WHITE FANG,JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN and NEVER CRY WOLF as well as that junk SILVER WOLF becuase the wildlife needs protection from you idiots
I let Mad Bluebird’s comments through because he or she is my stereotype of a Palinite — can’t spell and doesn’t care, thinks people who disagree with him or her are rich and don’t have any real knowledge about the outdoors.
He (assumption) also apparently doesn’t read the blog much. Defenders has taken a lot of heat here from folks that don’t like their positions, their affinity for litigation, or their use of collaborative approaches.
By the way, what the hell is “Silver wolf”?
JB,
I don’t know what “Silver wolf” is, JB; and we’re supposed to be experts according to him!