Update 2014-01-03-energy-environment.md

Firstly, our environment is a lot more than just its ability to help meet energy demands. It's a disgrace to have your only environmental platform be lumped under such a title. As a Pine Barrens native, I don't want a politician to further risk public health by risking our land for short-sighted gains. We need to be working toward both preservation of current open spaces and fostering new ones. 

As a congressman, you should work to bolster the scientific arm of the US EPA, to work toward better ways to protect our nations health, environment, and design our urban spaces. We need fewer skeptics about how fraking affects our health (try to imagine shooting a bunch of chemicals into the ground to cause mini earth quakes and not have it affect public safety) and more investments in real solutions. Shifting from one resource to another, does not make it green. Proposing it here, means you are shortsighted and failing to tap into the creative problem solving happening around the world today. We need more big new ideas and less easy bandaids.

We do not have the climate that makes "solar" energy cost efficient or able to meet our demands. Too many wind turbines will decimate our native bird populations. Natural extraction and pipelines do little more than destroy our soil and drinking water and put out highly populated state at great health risks. So far None of these "suggestions" are well thought out or provoking of real change and ensuring the survival the Pine Barrens. 


We don't need more new buildings, we need to use what we have already better. There are plenty of abandoned former storefronts and homes that need to be repurposed and put towards the public good. What we don't need is for more companies to move in and strong arm their way to developing on pinelands soil. The health risks poised by fracturing our protected lands (such as the rise of Lyme disease and other tick borne diseases) outweighs any benefit from allowing new construction. Our county is plagued by preventable diseases, conservation and wildlife management are the investments to keep people healthy. 

In regards to manufacturing jobs, those we'd rather give to other areas of the country that wish to risk the health of their environment. How about instead, we give the resources to create lasting and meaningful jobs (not ones to be risked at the next bust). If we provide resources and foster companies that propose designing the future of energy, innovating new technologies, we will reap the long terms benefits. If we foster tax incentives to encourage short-term employment goals, we will just be gambling what we have and may be left in worse shape.