Despite American corporate media's attempt to render every political discussion in binary terms, there are Republicans who want to protect the environment.
An increasingly vocal, potent and widespread anti-coal movement, including environmentalists, ranchers, farmers and others, is developing in the West.
Richard D. Liebert turned his back against a hard wind the other day, adjusted his black cap and gazed across golden fields of hay. Explaining why he is against construction of a big coal-burning power plant east of town, Liebert sounded like one more voice from the green movement.
Richard D. Liebert, who owns the Windwalker Ranch near the planned site, is a vocal, and unusual, opponent of the power plant. “The more I learn about global warming and watch the drought affect ranchers and farmers, I see that it’s wind energy, not coal plants, that can help with rural economic development. Besides, do we want to roll the dice with the one planet we’ve got?”
But Mr. Liebert, despite his sentiments, fits nobody’s stereotype of an environmentalist. He is a Republican, a cattle rancher and a retired Army lieutenant colonel who travels to South Korea to train soldiers to fight in Iraq.
He is also an example of a rising phenomenon in the West. An increasingly vocal, potent and widespread anti-coal movement is developing here. Environmental groups that have long opposed new power plants are being joined by ranchers, farmers, retired homeowners, ski resort operators and even religious groups.
[From Fight Against Coal Plants Is Creating Diverse Partnerships]
Coal pollution is nobody's friend. Sure, most of the Western Republican anti-coal coalition is based on a Not In My Back Yard impulse, but an ally is an ally.
Hello, Seth:
Glad to be back. Still not full time. Ah, yes, the comment. Coal should have been banned when Germinal by Zola was published. It's a known carcinogen thru its dust.
I am glad we live in the West.