Earl Blumenauer: “while the headlines deal with the United States' struggle against terrorism and securing the peace in Iraq after the…”

“while the headlines deal with the United States' struggle against terrorism and securing the peace in Iraq after the war, there is another less heralded battle, that is, for the world's environment, literally saving the planet. When it comes to pure military might, the United States is unsurpassed. No one is even close. On the battle to save the planet, the prognosis is not quite so positive. Sea levels are rising, glaciers are retreating, pollution around the world is on the rise, energy consumption by both the United States and the developing world is increasing, large swaths of forests continued to be devoured, the world's fisheries depleted, and coral reefs dying. In the United States, on the environmental front, when not missing in action, is certainly not as aggressive in leadership as other developed countries in Europe and Japan. The world's greatest polluter and energy consumer is not accepting our responsibility in our capacity as the world's wealthiest and most powerful Nation. Ironically, part of the solution is to be found with our Defense Department. The greatest source of pollution in the United States is associated with our military and the testing and development of weapons. The most serious and dangerous, of course, is the nuclear waste in various parts of the country.”