Environment and Public Land
Environment and Public Land
"We are the authors, the Democratic Party, of Clean Air, of Clean Water, of the superfund...I think we know well who's going to help clean up this environment. The record is there, the history is there. And if we don't protect it, we'll destroy the future of our children." - Senator Lloyd Bentsen
From the Texas Democratic Party Platform
We believe every Texan should be able to breathe clean air and drink pure water, and recognize that a clean environment is essential to public health, our economy, and our planet's future. Texas' natural beauty is unrivaled by any other state, and Democrats are committed to preserving our environment for future generations. We support:
- Ending Gov. Perry's "revolving door" practices that result in the appointment of officials to environmental agencies that have backgrounds representing polluters, and replace them with regulators who will use science instead of special interest as a basis for water policy, public welfare and safety;
- Ending Gov. Perry's fast-tracking of permits for additional coal-fired power plants;
- Mandating the reduction of mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants by 90% to protect women and fetuses;
- Protections regarding transmission of highly explosive materials through pipelines passing through watersheds, aquifers, neighborhoods and in close proximity to schools;
- Environmental "siting" rules that protect poor and minority communities;
- Food safety regulations and the public's right to know what's in food products through honest and complete labeling;
- Real property rights protections from Republican proposals to take private land for privately-funded sports stadiums, Perry's Trans-Texas Corridor,
- The prevention of nuclear waste importation from other countries and other states;
- Cleaner emissions standards for vehicles comparable to standards manufacturers must meet for vehicles sold in foreign markets;
- Programs to reduce the threat to our children caused by indoor air pollution, including toxic mold, in our schools;
- Protecting Texas bays, estuaries, in-stream flows, and wetlands with regulations that safeguard offshore reefs, maritime resources, recreational and commercial fisheries;
- Increase state funding for local infrastructure to reduce illness-causing bacteria levels in public waters to levels that meet EPA standards;
- A sound state energy plan that balances fossil and renewable fuel, based on science and the best available technologies, to reduce the economic risks associated with pollution;
- Requiring 10% of the State's electricity to come from Texas based, non-polluting renewable energy such as wind and solar by 2015;
- Transportation policy that encourages the development of affordable vehicles and other transportation methods that can function on a variety of energy sources and affect efficient fuel economy.
Links:
Texas League of Conservation Voters
The Nature Conservancy of Texas
News from the TDP:
Saturday, July 28, 2007 - Texas Democrats Take Real Action to Protect the Environment
Action Center
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