From: cberlet@igc.apc.org (NLG Civil Liberties Committee)
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
Subject: Re: Wise Use in Northeast (anti-Green)
Date: 13 Dec 92 22:24:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #R:cdp:1425500034:cdp:1425500040:000:3171
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!cberlet    Dec 13 14:24:00 1992


/* Written  2:22 pm  Dec 13, 1992 by cberlet in igc:publiceye */
The Scent of Opportunity:
A Survey of the Wise Use/Property Rights 
Movement in New England 

by William Kevin Burke

December 12, 1992

Conclusion


 The year 1992 represents a political watershed 
for the discussion of environmental issues in the 
U.S. Recently President George Bush backed Dan 
Quayle's Council on Competitiveness over his own 
appointees at the Environmental Protection 
Agency. Bush upheld a Competitiveness Council 
ruling that allows factories to increase 
pollution emissions by up to 245 tons without a 
public hearing (N.Y. Times 6/26/92). David 
McIntosh, the Competitiveness Council's point man 
for such deregulation efforts, spoke at the most 
recent national Wise Use gathering in Reno, 
Nevada. In several recent environmental photo 
opportunities and public statements, President 
Bush voiced the Wise Use argument that an 
extremist application of environmental protection 
laws harms economic growth. The election of Bill 
Clinton and Al Gore changes the atmosphere in 
Washington, D.C., but the Wise Use/property 
rights movement will undoubtedly continue to 
target state and local environmental projects.

Environmental regulations may impede certain 
development projects, especially those planned 
for fragile or valuable eco-systems, but there is 
ample evidence that environmental concerns can 
equally well serve as the basis for rebuilding 
our economy and infrastructure. This 
environmental point of view holds that our 
society needs to move from environmental 
regulation to environmental investment. By 
protecting vanishing resources, we lower the net 
social costs to future generations from foul air 
and water. The corollary to this argument, that 
it is possible to build a sustainable economy by 
promoting energy conservation and the growth of 
industries like recycling and solar power, has so 
far gotten little national airplay.

These are serious issues that deserve wide public 
debate. Some applications of environmental 
regulations are no doubt burdensome to resource 
extracting industries and developers. If both our 
nation and the ecosystems that make human life 
and prosperity possible are to survive, it is 
important that all sectors of U.S. society debate 
ways of continuing to expand environmental 
reforms while promoting economic activity. But at 
the national level--and in New England--the Wise 
Use/property rights movement is dedicated to 
preventing such open, fair debate. Intimidation 
and misinformation are not the basis of a 
free society.

===============================================================
Copyright 1992, PRA. Electronic network posting of unmodified
text is encouraged. Printing of copies is expressly forbidden.
See order information and address at end of text. PRA is an
independent non-profit institute. Donations are tax-deductible.
===============================================================

This report is available in print form from PRA.

For information about this and other PRA publications write:

Political Research Associates
678 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 702
Cambridge, MA 02139