Issue Position: The Environment

We hold our environment, our air, water, trees and soil, in trust for the future. Everyone, businesses, individual and government, has a responsibility to deliver to future generations a world in at least as good a condition as we have now.

Business must be made to account for the "silent" "hidden" costs of their operations. Pollution from production in any form must be taken into account by the business that creates it. If it increases the cost of the product, the market will determine if the product is that valuable or it will force the producer to become more efficient.

However, the private sector is but one part of the problem that we must solve. We must re-examine our whole transportation network, public and private. Where can we sensibly add rail lines; where can we improve traffic flow with HOV lanes and other energy saving, environmentally sound practices? My experience in other countries tells me we can do much, much better if we simply commit to it.

Government can and should take the lead: it must evaluate the overall carbon footprint of its transportation systems and set the goal that no public bus should run on petroleum products by 2012. Electric, hydrogen and other emerging technologies should be developed as alternate soles source of power for public transportation. Current buses should be retrofitted, if possible, or otherwise phased out in a reasonable period. Vehicles used for official business should likewise run on renewable energy by 2012, using phased in replacement of older vehicles with green vehicles.

Taxis in big cities should be required to be at least hybrid by 2012. This should be phased in to minimize financial hardship on private business and the costs increase which will ultimately be passed on to the consumer.

Government must encourage and assist individuals. Efficient recycling programs must be developed and implemented.

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