Planet Earth 🌏 Trumps Trump

May 1, 2018

By Mike Hersh for Deb, Donna, Mike F., Judy, Janis, Dan, Kimberly, Bryan, and Dr. Bill—Your PDA National Team

Tell Congress to Fire Scott Pruitt

Every Tuesday Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) honors a person or even a concept that “Trumps Trump”. On International Workers Day, we’re tempted to honor the Striking Teachers who definitely Trump Trump, but instead we’re pointing out the obvious, emphasizing that Planet Earth Trumps Trump. If you feel as we do, we hope you’ll use this action alert to tell Congress to stand up for Planet Earth. Please click here to tell Congress: Fire Scott Pruitt.

Please click here to tell your Senators
and Representative to Fire Scott Pruitt

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is corrupt. His words and actions prove that he is strongly opposed to civil rights and environmental justice. He has even gone as far as actively working to tear apart our environmental protections. Currently, Pruitt is plagued by scandal for his many disreputable actions—bringing his top aides on a lavish trip to Morocco, spending $120,000 on a trip to Rome, hiring 20 personal bodyguards, squandering public funds on a soundproof “cone of silence,” and helping to secure massive raises for two favorite aides—misusing taxpayer funds appropriated to protect the environment.

As the Trumpublican regime moves to obliterate environmental regulations and protections, we must rise together and address the climate emergency and defend the environment in every possible way. Please click here to tell Congress: Fire Scott Pruitt. Then, please pitch in to support PDA’s Climate and Environmental Organizing.

In case you missed it, here’s the Earth Day vote of confidence PDA was honored and humbled to receive from Paul N. “Pete” McCloskey, Jr., the Co-Chair of Earth Day 1970. Rep. McCloskey is a historic figure, a champion of principle, and one of the giants of democracy. Here’s what he shared with us:

The real founder of Earth Day in 1970 was a great progressive Democrat, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. He wanted Earth Day, set for April 22nd, the same day as Arbor Day, to be a bipartisan and bicameral effort, and I was honored when he asked me to be his Republican Co-Chairman.

Arbor Day had been the idea, in 1874 of a Nebraska school teacher, who thought each school child should plant a seedling each April 22nd. Arbor Day is now celebrated all over the world, as is Earth Day.

Senator Nelson’s concept led thousands of young people to join in celebrations of the beauties of our planet on a warm Sunday afternoon, but neither he nor I would predict that those same thousands of young people would name12 Members of the House of Representatives as “The Dirty Dozen,” and then walk precincts to defeat 7 of the 12 in the November elections.

When Congress convened in January, 1971, and over the next 24 years, suddenly a majority of the members of both parties in Congress announced themselves as “Environmentalists.” An amazing thing happened. Bi-partisan support in both the House and Senate produced landmark legislation for Clean Air, Clean Water, protection of wildlife habitat, coastal zones and national forests.

Now, in 2018, the protections of those earlier years are being dismantled by a President and a Republican Congress who think that even basic environmental protections are an unnecessary burden on land developers, manufacturers, farmers, food processors and businessmen.

The removal of the ban on lead bullets, permission to hunt grizzly bears from helicopters, allowance of offshore drilling on our coasts, removal of millions of acres from national monuments to allow mining and oil drilling, reversal of clean air and water regulations—all of these things could be changed if progressive Democrats in the image of Gaylord Nelson could be elected around the United States so that balance could again be achieved between economic and environmental values.

The young people of 1970 did this 48 years ago, and can do it again this November. Environmental depredations of Trump, his Secretary of Interior and EPA Administrator should cause every high school graduate from 1970 to 2018 to emulate their predecessors of 1970 and turn out voters for Democrats this November.

The Republican Party of Teddy Roosevelt has become the party of more and more golf courses, hotels, and the exploitation of oil and coal reserves at the cost of irreplaceable landscape, coastal reefs and the ocean itself.