Birders United Endorses Barack Obama for President of the United States
John McCain claims to model his environmental policies after those of Teddy Roosevelt.
But don’t be fooled. The hard evidence is that his policies will be similar to those of George W. Bush.
The eight-year presidency of George W. Bush has been an unmitigated disaster for those who care about birds and their habitats. Bush routinely sided with logging interests in the Northwest, with the oil and gas industry drillers in their effort to exploit reserves in critical bird breeding areas, and with sugar producers in Florida who have endangered the vitality of the Everglades. The Bush administration has favored mining procedures which consistently damage the environment and destroy bird habitats. Other Bush federal agencies have favored logging and drilling interests at the expense of birds and their habitat.
Bush has consistently appointed scores of environmentally insensitive federal judges who have undercut federal regulations regarding wetlands and clean air.
In the most extreme example of the Bush administration’s total disregard for the welfare of birds, in 2003 William Hayes, at the time a lawyer for the Department of Defense, defended a proposal to site a military practice bombing range on a Pacific island which is an important seabird nesting area. Hayes stated that the bombing would disperse the birds to other islands so many more people would be able to see the rare species.
John McCain states that the environmental record of Teddy Roosevelt is one that he admires. Indeed, it seems certain that McCain would be superior to George W. Bush in the protection of bird habitats. But there are reasons for serious concern.
In 2005 leaders of Defenders of Wildlife and the League of Conservation Voters sought McCain’s help to remove a provision calling for the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) from a Defense Department appropriations bill. McCain refused to help. The amendment was eventually stripped from the bill when other GOP senators joined with the Democrats to block the drilling. He now opposes efforts to drill in the ANWR.
However, McCain now wants to end a federal prohibition against drilling on the continental shelf. McCain is willing to allow states to decide if they want to drill off their coastlines. Offshore drilling could lead to oil spills which damage bird’s coastal habitats. In addition, lights on offshore drilling platforms have been found to disorient migrating birds. This causes the birds to endlessly circle the platforms until they are exhausted and fall into the sea.
McCain’s record on environmental issues always has been dependent on the direction of the political wind. When economic development is at stake, McCain will gloss over any negative environmental impact. McCain has pushed land swap deals which have produced expansions of some critical habitat in return for granting approval for massive construction projects to developers, many of whom have been McCain campaign contributors. Rob Smith, director of the Sierra Club in Arizona, told the Washington Post, “When the public trust intersects with private interests, he [McCain] has favored land development in every case.”
McCain has voted against legislation that would require automakers to boost fuel efficiency. He has also opposed efforts to require power companies to produce a certain percentage of their energy from renewable sources.
When the endangered red squirrel got in the way of a construction project on Mount Graham in Arizona, McCain pushed to set aside Endangered Species Act protection for the animal. One wonders what would happen if McCain, as president, favored a development project and the habitat of an endangered bird blocked the way?
The League of Conservation Voters rates John McCain as supporting the group’s position on legislation only 24 percent of the time during his tenure in the Senate. On the other hand, Obama’s rating is 86 percent. In 2007 McCain got a 0 rating from the League of Conservation Voters because he missed every important vote that the group deemed was important to the environment. Yes, he was running for president and was on the campaign trail. But Barack Obama, who was also on the campaign trail for much of 2007, managed to return to Washington to vote on many of the key environmental proposals.
Over the last two Congresses, McCain has supported the legislative position of Defenders of Wildlife less than half the time.
Barack Obama lists “promoting a healthy environment” as one of his key platform issues. Many of his proposals are largely concerned with energy independence and reducing greenhouse gases. But he also outlines proposals to increase water quality, preserving the Great Lakes, and managing the water resources of the western states. Obama calls for new measures to preserve the nation’s forests and national parks. He is opposed to oil drilling in important bird habitats in the Arctic and to additional logging in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. The forest is home to more than 300 species of birds including more than 10,000 bald eagles.
On his campaign Web site Obama pledges as president “to do more to encourage private citizens to protect the open spaces and forests they own and the endangered species that live there, to set aside new wilderness areas, to establish stronger policies to deter international deforestation, to improve domestic timberlands, and to encourage communities to enhance local greenspace, wildlife and conservation areas.”
The record is clear that Barack Obama is the superior choice for president. Birders United urges all members to support his candidacy.
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