A tale of two platforms

Now that the exuberant Republican and Democratic national conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia are over, with their flag-waving appeals to patriotic fervor and their affirmations of the virtues of favored candidates for high office, the time has come for more sober reflection on the policies the two parties represent, which the candidates up and down the ballot, once elected, will be called upon to realize.

This, of course, presumes that we know what the overall policy issues and specific positions actually are. A good way to get an overview of this is to compare line-by-line pronouncements of the two party platforms actually adopted during their respective conventions. What does the Democratic Party platform say, and what does the Republican Party platform say, about major policy issues of concern to you?  For most of us in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut, a major issue is the environment. Both parties promise Environmental Progress, writ large, but let’s review their respective proposals in a bit more detail.

The Democratic platform leads off with dire warnings and statistics, drawn from scientific sources, concerning man-made environmental pollution, global warming and the need “to combat climate change.” In contrast, the GOP platform denies this and passes climate change off as “politicized science.”

The Democratic platform then calls for building a clean energy economy, reducing fossil fuel pollution by maximizing solar energy and other sources of renewable energy. The ultimate aim is to “power every home in America.”  This requires responsible regulations and standards for controlling greenhouse emissions, such as carbon dioxide, as well as tax incentives for homes and industry to promote energy efficiency. In particular, say the Democrats, this means federal regulation curtailing the dangerous practice of  fracking.

The GOP platform dismisses all this as the Democratic Party’s “radical agenda against the fossil fuel industry,” and in particular, President Obama’s “War on Coal.” According to the platform, “Coal is an abundant, clean and affordable domestic resource.” The GOP platform would cancel the Clean Air Act and the proposed Clean Power Plan, and would oppose any carbon tax to conserve energy.  The Republican platform would repeal any act  regulating emissions, and  even proposes to abolish the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Instead, responsibility for the environment would be shifted to the individual States. Any federal fracking regulation should be killed because nothing should limit the freedom and profitability of fossil fuel resource development.

Both party platforms mention the Keystone XL Pipeline intended to transport Canadian tar-sands oil across the United States and onward for export abroad. But their views are diametrically opposed. The Democratic platform endorses a “Keystone test” to reject infrastructure projects that will exacerbate pollution and climate change. In contrast, the Republican platform pledges to complete the Keystone XL pipeline, and build others like it, “for national security reasons.”

The Democratic platform supports, and intends to comply with, international agreements that limit environmental pollution and reduce human contribution to global climate change. In contrast, the Republican platform explicitly states: “We reject the agenda of both the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.” The Republican platform rigorously opposes any national or international attempts to limit the freedom of action or the future profits of global capitalism.

The Democratic platform affirms policies for protection of our public lands and waters, most especially the preservation of natural space and “America’s best idea,” the creation of national, state and local parks, as well as designated “scenic” rivers and trails, and national monuments. 

In contrast, the Republican platform declares  that: “Congress should give authority to State regulators to manage energy resources on federally controlled public lands within their respective borders.” Each state will thus be empowered to determine the balance between protecting the natural environment and protecting developers’ rights to exploit formerly protected federal lands within the state. The Republican platform explicitly revokes the president’s power to designate national monuments.

 The fundamental differences between the Democratic and Republican platforms on environmental progress should be abundantly clear. It is now for each of us, the citizen voter, to vote our conscience for the policies and candidates that best reflect our views and beliefs. 

The future of our country is in our hands. Finally, if we don’t vote, we don’t count, and in that case the environment pays the price and we have no one else to blame but ourselves.

Sharon resident Anthony Piel is a former director and general legal counsel of the World Health Organization.