Friday, December 21, 2007

Moore, Perdue, and the Environment

There is no clear favorite on environmental issues between Bev Perdue and Richard Moore. They both have fine but not earth shattering records. So the support of environmentalists is one constituency group either of them could attract the support of by showing some strong leadership in the campaign.

The biggest non-drought related issue out there right now is the air quality permit for the proposed Cliffside coal fired power plant on the border of Cleveland and Rutherford counties west of Charlotte. The usual environmentalist suspects have come out against it. That's not exactly breaking news. But the EPA and the National Park Service- in this Republican administration- both have their qualms about it as well. Now that is not what you would have expected.

The Charlotte Observer wrote a great editorial yesterday saying it's time 'to put the brakes on Cliffside.' Will either of our Democratic gubernatorial candidates show some leadership and join them?

Our politicians tend to be pretty risk averse when it comes to antagonizing the utilities. One of the candidates speaking out on this issue would make a pretty strong statement that they deserve environmentalists' support.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I would imagine the environment to be one campaign issue where an "Earth shattering" record is not a plus. ;-)

 
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