NAN A. S. HAYWORTH: “It seems to me especially on this topic, which touches every American, perhaps we should pledge ourselves not to an…”

“It seems to me especially on this topic, which touches every American, perhaps we should pledge ourselves not to an extremist environmentalism, but to an enlightened environmentalism; not to a radical environmentalism, but a rational environmentalism; not to the environmentalism of the elite, but to the environmentalism of the enlightened. Our President has made sense of this because he says, Mr. Speaker, that one has to cease looking at this as an either/or. It is not, well, we will have a clean environment, or we will burn fossil fuels. It is not, we will have clean air, or we will commit to motor vehicles. Indeed, there is an enlightened approach that uses the latest scientific data for clean-burning energy; for environmentally-sound exploration. Though it may not be commensurate with the theatrical politics of demonization and disinformation that drives some of the eco campaigns my colleague talks about, it is what we should do because it is the right thing to do, to provide for our economy, but at the same time protect our precious environment.”