Paying attention to the green concerns

In this presidential election, candidates have many different views as to which shade of green they would rather preserve: leafy green or the color of the dollar bill.\nAlthough the overall issue of preservation of the environment is at hand, there are two areas of focus. Presidential hopefuls have been debating about the oil reserves, and breaching dams in the Pacific Northwest .\nIn the shadow of a potential energy crisis America might be facing this winter, the leading candidates, Democratic candidate Vice President Al Gore and Republican candidate Texas Gov. George W. Bush devised plans to alleviate the problem.\nGore proposed America tap into its Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a reservoir normally reserved only for times of war or other crises. Bush wishes to create a new plant in the Alaskan wilderness. According to his Web site, Bush said he believes America has the technology to create an oil drilling plant which is environmentally friendly.\nLynton K. Caldwell, professor emeritus of political science, has been to the proposed drill site in Alaska and said he can't understand Bush's plan. Caldwell said with the creation of an oil plant, you must provide places to live for those who are working on the plant, as well as other necessities that require land development.\n"I don't see how you can drill for oil without a substantial infrastructure," Caldwell said. \nGore, Bush and Green Party candidate Ralph Nader acknowledge the need for some regulation of greenhouse gases, which cause global warning. But their plans of action all differ.\nIn 1997, Gore helped engineer the Kyoto Protocol, a worldwide commitment by major industrialized countries to reduce the release of greenhouse gases. Director of student outreach for the Gore-Lieberman campaign, Alison Kiehl Friedman said the protocol is one of the initiatives Gore prides himself on.\nAccording to voter.com, both Bush and Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan oppose the protocol because of the potential harm it might cause to the economy. Bush's Web site said he "opposes the Kyoto Protocol because it is ineffective, inadequate and unfair to America. \nThe breaching of dams in Washington is another example of the debate between environment and the local economy.\nEndangered salmon in the Lower Snake River are in jeopardy because the dam inhibits them to follow normal behavior patterns. \nGore and Nader advocate the penetration of the dams and finding a way to preserve local interests as well.\nAccording to voter.com, Bush wants to find alternatives to completely breaching the existing dams, because of the potential damage it would cause to the surrounding communities.\nPractically every environmental issue rests on the debate between what is good for the economy and what is good for our surroundings.\n"The commitment to (economic) growth in the long run is going to be counter-productive."\nENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS\n• Democratic candidate Al Gore: \nwants to protect coastlines and continue promoting livable communities\n- www.algore2000.com\n• Republican candidate George W. Bush: \nwants to put states and local communities in charge of the environment\n - www.georgewbush.com\n• Green Party candidate Ralph Nader: \nadvocates government regulation of environmental issues\n - www.votenader.org\n• Reform candidate Pat Buchanan: \nsupports local control of environmental issues \n- www.reform-party-usa.org\n• For independent issue positions\n - www.vote-smart.org\n - www.voter.com