Monday, February 15, 2010

Schwarzenegger Is Right About Nutty Environmentalism

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger states that he has:

"had enough of the mindless interference with development that characterizes the actions of many environmentalists...in a state where one out of eight workers is unemployed."
Governor Schwarzenegger, left, is asking the legislature for more authority to fast-track projects after they have undergone an environmental impact study. The Center agrees with him. America cannot build anything anymore, even solar and wind projects, because some extremist environmentalists are misusing environmental laws to, well, stop everything. The Center was the only environmental group to support the National Harbor Project just outside of Washington, D.C. and this is a perfect example of extremists misusing their power to try to stop the project. Now it is a gem on the Potomac River and everybody acknowledges its benefit to the area. We were also the only environmental group to support the Woodrow Wilson Bridge replacement. Now it is a gem across the Potomac River.

The California governor is frustrated about environmental obstacles that some environmentalists are using to block construction of alternative energy farms in the Mojave Desert. The same thing has happened with the Cape Wind offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts. Environmentalists and other opponents have virtually delayed that project to death. Schwarzenegger continues:

"So the environmentalists . . . are confused because they want to have renewable energy but then when it comes to the permitting process, creating that renewable energy and building the solar plants, they are then in the way."
We have been on some of the most intense protests ever with our colleagues in the environmental movement. We have also taken the other side when we have concluded that a project is beneficial and environmentally benign. We are also probably one of the only environmental groups with criteria for supporting or opposing projects. (WSJ, 2/12/10)

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