By Huck Fairman
The D&R Greenway Land Trust presented its third and final talk of this year’s series, Framing The Future. The focus of its two speakers, former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and state Sen. Bob Smith, of the 17th Legislative District, was environmental leadership in the 21st. century, and more specifically, environmental policy goals — the opportunities and obstacles to achieving them.
The Oct. 24 discussion was moderated by John Guttuso, host of The Green Hour Radio and editor of New Jersey Environmental News, and his co-host, Kathleen Biggins. Gov. Whitman served not only as the Garden State’s governor from 1994 to 2001 but then as the administrator of the EPA from 2001-2003. She helped conceive and then signed into law the Garden State Preservation Trust which preserved one million acres of open spaces in this, the most densely populated state in the nation. Now she runs the Whitman Strategy Group, consulting on environment and energy.
Sen. Smith has been representing the 17th District since 1986, and is now the chairman of the State Senate Environmental Committee. Under his leadership a considerable number of open space initiatives have become law.
Asked by Mr. Guttuso to name the most important environmental issues, state and national, both Gov. Whitman and Sen. Smith mentioned water, followed by open spaces preservation (New Jersey has the highest percentage of open spaces in the nation, despite its small size and high density.)
Sen. Smith noted that energy policy is also very important. He stated, in fact, that we should have a national energy policy. As we all know, the modern world runs on energy, while the greenhouse gases that much of that energy produces threaten to warm the planet to dangerous levels.
But what was particularly encouraging, over the course of the evening’s discussion, was the frequent agreement between these representatives of our two main political parties. It shows what can be done when science is allowed to inform legislation, and a sense of a greater good produces compromise. It was noted that Republican President Richard Nixon signed the bill bringing the EPA into law, along with the Clean Air Act. Gov. Whitman noted that many more Americans die of health problems from polluted air than from automobile accidents. And yet the population voices more support for safe cars and highways than for clean air and emissions control.
Asked to list the biggest obstacles preventing solutions to environmental problems, the two speakers agreed that it was the change in our politics. Today, as we witness too frequently, a partisan divide prevents movement on many issues.
While Gov. Whitman said that there are a number of moderate Republicans who are interested in preserving our environment, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the conservative wing of the party is in control — at least in Washington, if not in state legislatures. Sen. Smith pointed out that it is perhaps emblematic of the situation that Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works while contending that global warming is a hoax.
But the two speakers, largely in agreement, also pointed to other problems in our culture. One is that too many citizens, corporations, and politicians, opt for short- term solutions over long-term ones, citing costs. But by ignoring long-term savings and turning a blind eye to the crises that will inevitably follow a lack of prevention, preparation, or maintenance, this short-sightedness leaves all of us exposed to devastation that has been, and will be, more expensive than timely, preventative interventions.
The other point which Gov. Whitman noted was that we all bear some individual responsibility for our own energy consumption habits, for our contributions to waste and pollution, and for our lack of participation in our democracy. She pointed out that nationally the percentage of primary voters that put forth conservative candidates for Congress, beginning with President Obama’s second term, was only 10 percent of the populace. If we want smart, educated leaders — such as the two at this session — then we must, they gently reminded us, participate by getting out there, investigating candidates, and voting.
In addition, both stressed that education around environmental conditions and issues is essential. Indeed, Sen. Smith observed, with a self-effacing smile, that because many scientific situations are complex, legislators ought to be required to take updated science courses. He also urged schools to reinstate civics courses in the curriculum because it has become evident that more citizens need to understand how a democracy works — seldom like a well-oiled machine; more often, the senator noted, like herding cats.
Another point of agreement between the two was that incremental progress should not be spurned — as some environmentalists can do. While the two acknowledged that not all legislation is adequate to solve a particular issue, progress in a democracy, they suggested, should be recognized as generally coming through a series of steps, not in a single bound.
Finally, Gov. Whitman observed that the EPA was easy to demonize, as it often calls for long-term solutions and policies that can be expensive and which are anathema to those refusing to acknowledge the calamities predicted by science, and already unfolding, in our changing environments.
Among his last insights for the evening, Sen. Smith alerted us to the fact that as our representatives are quite human, they appreciate hearing not only about problems but about those laws, initiatives, and departments which prove to be beneficial in preserving our land, water, and air.
But again, in addition to the detail and insights provided, it was uplifting to hear the thoughtfulness, understanding, and agreement coming from two political leaders in this era of daunting environmental problems and harsh political climates.
Huck Fairman is a Princeton author who writes SOLUTIONS about environmental issues.
