Issue Position: Environment

Issue Position

What Hank believes:

*We cannot achieve or maintain a high standard of living if our environment is severely degraded or damaged.

*The window of opportunity to secure our natural environment against existential threats produced by human activity is rapidly closing.

*Humans are in large part responsible for climate change, a potentially devastating threat to our security and health that must immediately be addressed.

*Clean water is becoming increasingly scarce, and efforts must begin now to secure safe, clean drinking water for all Americans, today and in the future.

*We must immediately work to reduce U.S. dependence upon and consumption of oil, a scarce resource that is approaching its "peak," or the moment after which production will continually fall.

*If it continues to proceed so recklessly without international cooperation and coordination, unregulated human economic activity will destroy our planet's delicately-balanced ecological equilibrium

What Hank has done:

*Awarded 100% for his environmental voting record in 2010. The 2010 Scorecard -- released amidst the greatest attack on the EPA's budget in 30 years and current Congressional assaults on the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, wildlife and wild places.

*Introduced the TIRE (Tire Investment, Recovery, and Extension) Act of 2007, which would provide tax credits for large vehicle-operating companies (like UPS, Federal Express, or DHL) to purchase tires made from recycled rubber.

*Cosponsored the successful Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which will: move the United States toward greater energy independence and security; increase the production of clean renewable fuels; protect consumers; increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles; promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options; and improve the energy performance of the Federal Government.

*Voted to remove subsidies to oil and gas companies.

*Testified before colleagues in Congress to explain the severity of Georgia's water crisis and worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state governments to help broker water-sharing agreements in the Southeast.

*Cosponsored legislation to establish the H-Prize, which would award competitive cash prizes to advance the research, development, and commercial application of hydrogen energy technologies.

*Cosponsored the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008, which passed the House. It extends tax credits for the production of electricity from renewable resources.

What Hank will do:

*Never compromise my commitment to the defense of non-renewable resources, healthy ecosystems, wildlife, clean air and water, and pristine national parks.

*Make energy independence a central cause of my service.

*Demand stringent environmental regulation of industry by the EPA, no matter who is the president.

*Continue to introduce legislation that aims to reduce our overall negative environmental impact, in broad strokes and bit by bit.

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