1 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: On this episode of Newts World. The first Earth Day 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: was established on April twenty second, nineteen seventy. At the time, 3 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: I was still studying in Brussels for my dissertation in 4 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: modern European history. The following year, I became a professor 5 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,440 Speaker 1: in the history department of West Georgia College, and I 6 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: asked to get involved in the environmental studies program, which 7 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: in fact I helped develop, and I taught in the 8 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: second earth Day and then we created an entire program 9 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: around environmental studies, which was one of the most exciting 10 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: things I did during the period when I was a teacher. 11 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,199 Speaker 1: But my interest in the concept of Earth Day and 12 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: the concept of conservation goes back way before that. I 13 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: grew up in Central Pennsylvania until I was eleven, and 14 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: then I would go back in the summer when my 15 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: dad was stationed in the army at Fort Raleigh, and 16 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: I grew up going up into the mountains and really 17 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:15,040 Speaker 1: being surrounded by nature, and I had a fascination with animals. 18 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: In fact, my relatives would all take me to the 19 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 1: Philadelphia Zoo, to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, and 20 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: for a very long time I thought I would become 21 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:29,559 Speaker 1: either a vertebrate paleontologist, probably studying dinosaurs, or I would 22 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: become a zoo director. My first experiences in public life 23 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: were at the age of eleven trying to help Harrisburg 24 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 1: get a zoo which it had lost during World War Two. 25 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: So I had a very deep interest in the natural world, 26 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: and in natural history, and in the whole concept of 27 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: the environment that surrounds us. And in that sense I 28 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: found the idea of working in the environmental studies program 29 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: just absolutely right down my alley. One of the great 30 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: driving forces in the creation of Earth Day was Rachel 31 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: Carson's New York Times bestseller Silence Spring, which came out 32 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty two. The book really described the impact 33 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: of chemicals, in particular on birds and on other parts 34 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: of nature. It sold over five hundred thousand copies in 35 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: twenty four countries, and it really had a dramatic impact 36 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: in raising public awareness and concern for living organisms and 37 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: for the environment. In some ways, it was really really important. 38 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: We had been using DDT very widely. DDT saved lots 39 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 1: of lives in World War Two. Is a very powerful pesticide, 40 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: but one of its side effects was that it was 41 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: preserved going up the food chain, so that if you 42 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 1: had enough DDT in the environment, fish would absorb it. 43 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: Then if you had an animal like for example, the 44 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,519 Speaker 1: bald eagle, when they ate the fish, they were getting 45 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: very heavy doses of DDT and that was leading them 46 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: to lay eggs that would not come to term. And 47 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 1: so it was a real collapse, particularly among fish eating words. 48 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: And we have had vivid evidence that by banning DDT 49 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: or limiting its used in very specific cases and generally 50 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: eliminating it from the larger environment, you've had a tremendous 51 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: rebound of eagles. And remember at one point being on 52 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: a cruise in Alaska and seeing a tree that had 53 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 1: I think forty eagles sitting it. It was astonishing because 54 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: eagles are really big but really beautiful animals. So a 55 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: number of people were directly moved by Rachel Carson's book. 56 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: But then I think the next big breaking point was 57 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: that there was a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, 58 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: and that really led Senator Gaylord Nelson, who was the 59 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: junior senator from Wisconsin, had a long interest in the environment, 60 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: and he got involved in trying to create the more 61 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: public awareness of the problems, so he took a lesson 62 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: out of the Vietnam War movement and announced the idea 63 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: for a teaching on college campuses and convinced Pete McCloskey, 64 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: a conservation minded Republican congressman, to serve as as co chair. 65 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: They recruited Dennis Hayes, a young activist, to organize the 66 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,799 Speaker 1: campus teachings, and they chose April twenty second, a weekday 67 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: falling between spring break and final exams, to maximize student involvement. 68 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: This has been an ongoing, continuous recognition of the importance 69 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: of earth and the importance of environmental approaches, and the 70 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: result is by nineteen ninety For example, in the twentieth 71 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: anniversary Earth Day had two hundred million people in over 72 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: one hundred and forty nations participating. The fact is that 73 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: younger people have a very very deep commitment. For example, 74 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: a majority of gen Zers some fifty six percent and 75 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: millennials some fifty seven percent support a move to phase 76 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 1: out gasoline powered vehicles. There are smaller support in older 77 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: generations A generation access at forty five percent and Boomers 78 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: are older at thirty eight percent. Roughly two thirds of 79 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: gen Z adults sixty six percent and millennials sixty four percent, 80 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: a pose increasing offshore oil and gas drilling, compared with 81 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 1: forty six percent of baby boomers in older adults. But 82 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:25,160 Speaker 1: notice that even among the least pro environment generation, there's 83 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 1: still a very large block that is deeply concerned about 84 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: the environment. So the environment has become part of the 85 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:35,479 Speaker 1: background environment of American politics. There's a sense that we 86 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: ought to be concerned, and the truth is, we have 87 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: made enormous progress. If you look, for example, at the 88 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:45,840 Speaker 1: impact Jerry Lewis, who I served with when he was 89 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: in California legislature offered the first Clean Air Act, And 90 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: if you look at the amount of smog in Los 91 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,719 Speaker 1: Angeles to day compared to thirty five or forty years ago, 92 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: there is an astonishing difference. If you look in London 93 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: at the impact of the Great Fog which killed people 94 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:06,600 Speaker 1: after World War Two, and then you look at how 95 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 1: much they have cleaned up the atmosphere over London, it's 96 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: a remarkable change. If you look at the Cuyahoga River, 97 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 1: which at one point was actually burning, it had chemicals 98 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: from an upstream chemical plant. The chemicals were floating on 99 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: top of the river caught fire, and in the middle 100 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: of the city of Cleveland you had a river on fire. 101 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: Now you know, it's pretty hard to argue that that 102 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 1: is an acceptable environmental policy. We also, at one point 103 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: we're in danger of losing Lake Erie. There have been 104 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: continuous efforts to try to change our impact on the environment, 105 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: when the US has actually been a leader in doing 106 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 1: that over and over again. For example, our total emissions 107 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: declined thirteen percent from two thousand and five to two nineteen. 108 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: At the same time, there are other countries that are 109 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: doing a terrible job. In two thousand nineteen, for the 110 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: first time since we began measuring greenhouse gas emissions, China's 111 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: annual emissions by itself exceeded those of all the developed 112 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: countries combined. China's emissions were less than a quarter of 113 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: developed country emissions in nineteen ninety, but as the Chinese 114 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: have developed economically over the past three decades, they have 115 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: more than tripled their emissions, reaching over fourteen billion tons 116 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: of CO two equivalent in twenty nineteen. And I might 117 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: point out that this is one of the reasons virtually 118 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: all current strategies are childish. If you don't deal with 119 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: India and you don't deal with China. Everything else you 120 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: do to try to change the environment is very tiny 121 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: if you're talking about global warming, because these two countries 122 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: are huge. Between them, they're almost half of the entire 123 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: human race. They are building more and more call plants, 124 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 1: and in fact, you would have a bigger impact on 125 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: the carbon loading of the atmosphere by replacing Chinese and 126 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: Indian coal plants with natural gas than any other single 127 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: practical thing you could do. And yet almost nobody advocates 128 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 1: thinking globally about how you deal with it, so we 129 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 1: bend over backwards spend huge amounts of money. Meanwhile, the 130 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: Chinese are rapidly increasing the amount of carbon they're putting 131 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: in the atmosphere because it's the least expensive way for 132 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: them to develop. The fact is that every ton of 133 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 1: carbon reduced by the United States is offset because China 134 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: increases its emission by many tons. At the same time, 135 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:58,319 Speaker 1: we also have a reality about the nature of the 136 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:03,440 Speaker 1: production of food. The US has increased productivity by over 137 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: two hundred and fifty percent while reducing emissions from farmland. 138 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: We've cut the total emissions required to provide each of 139 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 1: your meals by twenty four percent since nineteen ninety. So 140 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: the fact is the United States produces more food with 141 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: less environmental damage than virtually any other country in the world. 142 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: We also have some of the most pristine federal lands 143 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,719 Speaker 1: in the world with conservation programs that are funded by 144 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: our energy production and by the sportsmen and ranchers who 145 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: utilize those lands for hunting, fishing, and livestock. The US 146 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 1: Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program pays a yearly rental 147 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 1: payment in exchange for farmers who remove environmentally sensitive land 148 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: from agricultural production and who plant species that will improve 149 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 1: environmental quality. What this has done is it's meant that 150 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: the farmers are focused on the best land for growing 151 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,199 Speaker 1: ops are taking out of production the least useful land. 152 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: They get paid by you, the taxpayer, and the result 153 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: is you have a great deal more land that is 154 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: being in reserve and that helps the environment. It's just 155 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 1: remarkable how much time and energy we have gone into 156 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: this whole program. And in fact, the US Department of 157 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: Agriculture has an entire Farmable Wetlands program designed to restore 158 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 1: wet lands and wetland buffer zones that have been farmed 159 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: and the result is that they give farmers and wrenchers 160 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 1: rental payments in return for restoring the wetlands and establishing 161 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 1: the plant cover. And you really see this when you 162 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: look at the number of birds who are now once 163 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: again flying over, many of them in a migratory pattern, 164 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: and the impact of having enough wetland for the various 165 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 1: birds to use is just astonishing, and re establishing very 166 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,520 Speaker 1: very large flocks of a species that at one time 167 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: were in danger, frankly, of disappearing. We've also worked to 168 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 1: prove in America that you don't have to choose between 169 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 1: a cleaner planet and a better economy. Between nineteen seventy 170 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 1: and twenty nineteen, the combined emissions of pollutants dropped by 171 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: seventy seven percent in the US, while the US economy 172 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: grew by two hundred and eighty five because of the 173 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: application of science and technology, and because of the right incentives, 174 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: and because of a commitment to educating people about how 175 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: they could be more effective. And in fact, in the 176 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: recent past, from two thousand and five to twenty eighteen, 177 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: total US energy related carbon dioxide emissions fell by twelve percent. 178 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: So we're busy investing heavily bringing our systems into line, 179 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: having less and less carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time, 180 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: the China and India, with half the world's population, are 181 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:01,320 Speaker 1: dramatically ramping up. And you understand it. These are very 182 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 1: poor countries. They are desperate to provide a better standard 183 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: of living for their people, and the least expensive way 184 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:11,079 Speaker 1: to do that is to invest in coal plants on 185 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: a huge, huge scale. The fact is that the United 186 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: States has continued to be the leader in the world, 187 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: which is part of why it's ironic when environmentalist attacked 188 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:25,439 Speaker 1: the Trump administration for withdrawing from the Paris Accord, because 189 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 1: the fact is the policies we were following were better 190 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 1: than the Paris Agreement, produced better results, produced a better 191 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: production of the economy, or at the same time, producing 192 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:41,960 Speaker 1: a more dramatic decline and energy In twenty nineteen alone, 193 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: the US saw a decline and energy related carbon dioxide 194 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:50,199 Speaker 1: emissions by two point nine percent in one year. For 195 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen and twenty nineteen, the combined critical air polluting 196 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: emissions dropped seven percent. So here you have a growing 197 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: economy using better technology, using better approaches, actually reducing its 198 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: burden on the environment while people live better lifestyles. In 199 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, the Environmental Protection Agency actually completed twenty seven 200 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: Superfund sites, the largest number from the National Priorities List 201 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: since two thousand and one. So it was possible to 202 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: have a practical, common sense approach. Now, by contrast, what 203 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 1: the woke left ones to do and what the big 204 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: government socialists want to do kills the economy and doesn't 205 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 1: get you very much on the environment. There's an American 206 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 1: Action Forum report that the Green New Deal would cost 207 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:47,080 Speaker 1: somewhere around fifty two trillion dollars over the next ten years, 208 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: but could be as high as ninety three trillion dollars 209 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: over the next ten years. The Biden illinistration has already 210 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: rolled out five billion dollars to fund adding electric vehicle 211 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 1: chargers across the nation over the next five years. And 212 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: by the way, nobody who talks about electric vehicles talks 213 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: about where the electricity is going to come from. I mean, 214 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: if we had every electric vehicle on the road that 215 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 1: people would like to have, thought, California would see the 216 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:18,319 Speaker 1: entire grid breakdown and you wouldn't have any electric lights. 217 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: Because we're not talking about how are you going to 218 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: invest both in the production of electricity, Where's it going 219 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:26,840 Speaker 1: to come from? I would argue that if you're willing 220 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: to talk about a next generation modular small nuclear power system, 221 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: that makes some sense and that could actually work. But 222 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: if you're going to talk about providing the electricity for 223 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: fifty or one hundred million electric cars through purely green 224 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: wind and solar, it's not going to happen. And in fact, 225 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: Great Britain just discovered recently that when the wind stops, 226 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: it turns out the windmill stops. This came as a 227 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 1: huge shock because they had relied so heavily on wind 228 00:14:57,840 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: power and nobody had said what are we going to 229 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: do if the windpower disappears? So, you know, the Biden administration, 230 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: faced with a dramatic rise in gasoline prices, once to 231 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: have a fifty percent increase of new vehicle sales that 232 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 1: are electric by two thirty. They claim that would reduce 233 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: the transportation related emissions and help put the US on 234 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: a path to net zero emissions by new lead in 235 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: twenty and fifty. My question is where's the electricity coming from? 236 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: What kind of system are you going to use? What 237 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: does it take to build the grid? Remember, building an 238 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 1: electric grid takes energy building a windmill takes energy. A 239 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: lot of these things also, by the way, require the 240 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: use of exotic minerals and are much more complicated than 241 00:15:42,360 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: people think. On the Republican side, Leader Kevin McCarthy and 242 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 1: the House Republicans created an Energy Innovation Agenda or they 243 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: introduced nearly three dozen bills and energy innovation, clean energy, infrastructure, 244 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 1: natural solutions, and conservation. According to the Energy Innovation Agenda 245 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 1: website quote, Unlike expensive, haphazard proposals like the Green New Deal, 246 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: this legislation will have an immediate, lasting impact on Earth's 247 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 1: changing climate without sacrificing American jobs or our competitiveness. They 248 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: introduced several bills focusing on nuclear power and nuclear energy, 249 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:43,120 Speaker 1: which I think is the absolute key to breaking out 250 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: on carbon production. If you're really serious about minimizing carbon production, 251 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: not just for the US, but for China and India, 252 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: you want to have first of all, the maximum use 253 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: of natural gas and second the maximum use of modular 254 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:05,200 Speaker 1: new resafe by electric generating nuclear power systems. These technologies exist, 255 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 1: it's very clear, they work. They are extraordinarily stable, they're 256 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:13,680 Speaker 1: much simpler than the old gigantic systems of the past, 257 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 1: and they are clearly a major part of the future. So, 258 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 1: for example, representing Patrick McHenry introduced the International Nuclear Energy 259 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:28,920 Speaker 1: Financing Act. This bill would established forest conservation practices through management, reforestation, 260 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 1: and utilization to lead to the sequestration of greenhouse gases 261 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: and for other purposes. Representing Richard Hudson introduced the Advanced 262 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 1: Nuclear Deployment Act. The SPILL would set forth requirements to 263 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: provide for the rapid deployment of these new modular nuclear reactors. 264 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: Representing Bill Johnson introduced the Strengthening American Nuclear Competitiveness Act. 265 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 1: This bill would require expediting consideration of certain nuclear technology exports. 266 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:02,399 Speaker 1: Representing Robert Latta introduced Nuclear Prosperity and Security Act. This 267 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: build establish and operate a uranium reserve to ensure the 268 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 1: availability of uranium mind in the United States. You know, 269 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:13,119 Speaker 1: I believe when you look around the world, as of 270 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:18,359 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, there were fifty five nuclear reactors under construction, 271 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 1: fifteen of them in China, six in India, four in 272 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:25,879 Speaker 1: South Korea, four in Russia, and only two in the 273 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:30,200 Speaker 1: United States. And yet we created the nuclear power industry. 274 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:36,440 Speaker 1: We know that you can build extraordinarily safe nuclear power facilities, 275 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:41,440 Speaker 1: and you can in fact generate energy for electric cars 276 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 1: or for your air conditioning or whatever you want with 277 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:48,680 Speaker 1: virtually no carbon. And so it is in the long run, 278 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: a major breakthrough according to the US Energy Information Administration quote, 279 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: Unlike fossil fuel fired power plants, nuclear reactors do not 280 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:02,200 Speaker 1: produce air pollution or carbon dioxide. According to the Nuclear 281 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: Energy Institute quote, every year, nuclear generated electricity saves our 282 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:12,880 Speaker 1: atmosphere from more than four hundred and seventy million metric 283 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:15,960 Speaker 1: tons of carbon dioxide emissions that would otherwise come from 284 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: fossil fuers. So if you're serious about reducing the carbon imprint, 285 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 1: and if you're serious about having electric cars in the 286 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 1: long one, you will be forced to look at modular 287 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,439 Speaker 1: nuclear energy plants and these new models. Now, there are 288 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:36,720 Speaker 1: several other steps towards energy innovation. Representive Kathey mc morris 289 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 1: Rodgers introduced the Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act to modernize 290 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 1: the hydropower licensing process and promote the next generation of 291 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: hydropower projects. Representive Gregg Pence introduced the Clean Energy Hydrogen 292 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 1: Innovation Act to expand the types of hydrogen projects that 293 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: are eligible for loan guarantees from the Department of Energy. 294 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 1: Representative Dave McKinley introduced the Innovation Act, which would amend 295 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:06,399 Speaker 1: Title seventeen of the Energy Policy Act of two thousand 296 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: and five relating to the eligibility for loan guarantees for 297 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:14,920 Speaker 1: carbon capture, utilization and storage projects. In other words, there's 298 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 1: a whole philosophy that says, one technique is to put 299 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,919 Speaker 1: less carbon in the atmosphere. Another technique is to figure 300 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: out technologies that take carbon out of the atmosphere and 301 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 1: store them or use them for other purposes. Iceland has 302 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:32,200 Speaker 1: been a real leader and for example taking carbon out 303 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:36,440 Speaker 1: of the atmosphere and turning it into building the materials previsidy. 304 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:41,439 Speaker 1: Michael Waltz introduce the American Critical Mineral Independence Act of 305 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 1: twenty twenty one to provide support for a domestic supply 306 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 1: of critical minerals. Established deadlines to complete the environmental review 307 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: of critical mineral projects on federal land. And by the way, 308 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 1: critical minerals become a very big deal if you're worried 309 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 1: about China, because far too many of them today are 310 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: being produced only in China, or primarily in China, or 311 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:04,880 Speaker 1: in China and Russia. And so there's a real vulnerability 312 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 1: for the US in that area. Representative Frank Lucas introduced 313 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 1: the Securing American Leadership and Science and Technology Act, which 314 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 1: would authorize programs, projects, and activities focused on energy science research. Now, 315 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: I think the point of all this is that you 316 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: can develop new technologies, new approaches. That's what we've been 317 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: doing for several centuries now, and the result is that 318 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:33,680 Speaker 1: we produce more food with fewer farmers with less impact 319 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 1: on the environment. We produce more manufactured products with fewer 320 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: people with less impact on the environment. And we have 321 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: historically used science and technology powered by entrepreneurship within a 322 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 1: free market framework to enable us to invent over and 323 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: over and over again new and better approaches. And I 324 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 1: think that these bills are steps in that direction. But 325 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: in addition, there are several really exciting bills about conservation 326 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: solutions that involve the natural world. Representing Bruce Westerman introduce 327 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 1: the Trillion Trees Act, which has one hundred and two 328 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:14,679 Speaker 1: co sponsors, both Democrats and Republicans. This is one of 329 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 1: my favorites. If you look at a map of North 330 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: and South Korea, South Korea is filled with forests. North 331 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 1: Korea isn't because it's so poor, they've been cutting down 332 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: the trees. If you look at a map of the 333 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 1: Middle East, Israel is filled with forest because they have, 334 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:33,359 Speaker 1: in fact had a program to go out and create forests. Now, 335 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:38,879 Speaker 1: if you plant enough trees, they absorb carbon. They also 336 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:43,200 Speaker 1: produce actually better environment for rain and so as a result, 337 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 1: you can reclaim large parts of the desert by the 338 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 1: gradual process of introducing more and more trees. And that's 339 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:54,160 Speaker 1: where a Representative Westerman's program on planting a trillion trees, 340 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 1: which is a lot of trees, really would have a 341 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:02,760 Speaker 1: huge change impact. Representative Cliff introduced the SOS for Seedling Act, 342 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:06,160 Speaker 1: which would address the nationwide shortage of tree seedlings. I'll 343 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 1: bet you didn't know that we have a shortage of seedlings, 344 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:10,919 Speaker 1: but we do, and this is a step in the 345 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 1: direction of solving them. Representative Doug Lamalpha introduced the Restore Act, 346 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,880 Speaker 1: which would require the US Department of Agriculture to select 347 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 1: a forest landscape in the state to conduct a forest 348 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 1: landscaping project. And Representive dust Say Johnson introduced the Fire Act, 349 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 1: which will provide for salvage activities after a wildfire is 350 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: contained to certain National forest system lands. If you look 351 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 1: at the great forest fires, they're almost all caused by 352 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 1: really stupid policies. Historically, we had lots of relatively small fires, 353 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 1: and those small fires cleaned out the underbrush, and as 354 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:50,160 Speaker 1: a result, they were almost never really giant, extremely hot fires. 355 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:52,960 Speaker 1: I first encountered this when I was a speaker and 356 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 1: I went on a field trip in Idaho, and they 357 00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: were showing me an area where these giant Douglas fir 358 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:03,199 Speaker 1: trees had been damaged by fire, which they said historically 359 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:06,639 Speaker 1: would never have happened, but it required a really dumb 360 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 1: environmentalist policy of not clearing out the underbrush, and the 361 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: result was that the fires grew so hot that even 362 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: these giant trees that had historically survived mild wildfires found 363 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: themselves being damaged because the heat was so much greater 364 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: than it should have been. I also happened to be 365 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: in Arizona looking at a huge stand hundreds and hundreds 366 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 1: of square miles of trees which had been killed by 367 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:38,920 Speaker 1: a particular beetle. And again the fallicies don't take down 368 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:42,119 Speaker 1: the trees, don't try to stop the beetles. The result 369 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:45,199 Speaker 1: is you end up with huge number of dead trees, 370 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 1: all of whom become part of an enormous fire and 371 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,960 Speaker 1: caused tremendous damage. So if you were to look around 372 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,679 Speaker 1: the country, you'd be shocked how many of the worst 373 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 1: forest fires are in fact caused by really bad environmental 374 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: policies fundamentally violate everything we've learned about conservation in the 375 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:07,400 Speaker 1: last one hundred and fifty years. So I look at 376 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 1: Earth Day and I think to myself that in the 377 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:14,639 Speaker 1: period that we've had over the last fifty two years, 378 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:17,680 Speaker 1: the truth is, in many ways we're much better off. 379 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,119 Speaker 1: We have saved a number of endangered species that you 380 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:23,080 Speaker 1: may have seen the picture on Fox of the seven 381 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 1: foot alligator that was running around at a taco bell, 382 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 1: and alligators were almost endangered, and now they've come back 383 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:33,480 Speaker 1: so much that they're kind of a nuisance. You see 384 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:37,200 Speaker 1: this happening again and again. We've had an intelligent approach 385 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:41,919 Speaker 1: to dealing with the environment, to save endangered species, to 386 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 1: save beautiful areas of wildlife and wilderness, and to try 387 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:49,640 Speaker 1: to find ways that we can have human beings cohabiting 388 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:54,480 Speaker 1: with nature in a way that makes our lives dramatically better. 389 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: I've written recently about the work along the Chattahoochie that 390 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:01,440 Speaker 1: my daughter Jackie has been involved with fifteen years. I've 391 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 1: been involved with the Chattahoochee since the early nineteen seventies. 392 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 1: The river is now cleaner, it has parks all along 393 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,159 Speaker 1: the river. In fact, they'll eventually have over one hundred 394 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,880 Speaker 1: miles of parks. It's one of the most heavily visited 395 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: rivers in the United States. And it's a great quality 396 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: of life, and it's a great area where people can 397 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:25,239 Speaker 1: swim and fish and canoe, and it's the way we 398 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:28,360 Speaker 1: can find a way to live together. We are a 399 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 1: part of our environment, and if we are good stewards 400 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: of that environment, we're going to have a much better 401 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: life living in a much better environment. And I would 402 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:40,159 Speaker 1: like to think that that's what Earth Day tries us 403 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: to get across to people, that it is worthwhile to 404 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,200 Speaker 1: think through how we can improve what we're doing. It 405 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 1: is worthwhile to find ways not just to have a 406 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:53,640 Speaker 1: good environment with a bad economy or a good economy 407 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:56,200 Speaker 1: with a bad environment, but how do we develop a 408 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,159 Speaker 1: win win so that we have a great economy and 409 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 1: a great environment and have a quality of life that 410 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 1: is truly what we want to give to our children 411 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 1: and grandchildren. Thank you for listening. I hope that this 412 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: podcast is giving you a little bit of insight into 413 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 1: the environmental movement and into what we've been doing over 414 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: the years. I am deeply committed to a balanced, scientifically 415 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:21,199 Speaker 1: based approach, and I really do believe that we have 416 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 1: the capacity to both solve our problems and to have 417 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 1: a great economy and a great environment, and I think 418 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:39,560 Speaker 1: that's what we should be striving for. Thank you for listening. 419 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 1: You can read more about Earth Day and current Republican 420 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:47,680 Speaker 1: environmental proposals on our show page at newtsworld dot com. 421 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 1: Newtsworld is produced by Gingwich three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our 422 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:56,600 Speaker 1: executive producer is Garnsey Slump, our producer is Rebecca Howell, 423 00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:00,680 Speaker 1: and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. Work for the show 424 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: was created by Steve Penley. Special thanks to the team 425 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 1: at Gingwide three sixty. If you've been enjoying news World, 426 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:10,400 Speaker 1: I hope you'll go to Apple Podcast and both rate 427 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: us with five stars and give us a review so 428 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 1: others can learn what it's all about. Right now, listeners 429 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:20,640 Speaker 1: of news World can sign up for my three free 430 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 1: weekly columns at Gingwich three sixty dot com slash newsletter. 431 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 1: I'm Newt Gingrich. This is news world,