We may no longer have the luxury of examining the details of a candidate's spending plan or how they stand on tax reform. If they are not sensitive to the need to have environmental protection and restoration be the basic priority from which all others are measured, then they cannot have my vote. This may seem an extreme position to many who have been brought up to view the environment as just another societal factor to be considered along with road construction, health care or tax reform. This is no surprise and such folks cannot be criticized for their perceptions. Most of us have grown up in a culture that works hard to disconnect us from the web of life.
Precious earth is called dirt and has to be washed off.
Most animals are considered pests if they enter our homes and must be killed. The natural world is considered unsafe and we are taught that the wild is to be feared. Cleared land is considered more valuable than a rich, vibrant forest. We have been relentlessly raping the Earth for centuries and we are near the end of the line in many areas. Rapid industrialization and resource consumption on a scale never before seen in history has been taking place since the Industrial Revolution in the 1700's.