Green Guide to Election Day 2010: Vote Tomorrow, Philadelphia!

Election Day is Tuesday, November 2nd.  It’s crucial that you vote, and here’s a quick guide to who’s on the ballot & their environmental stances to help you be informed & decide:

(Disclaimer: My opinion is italicized so you can tell the difference between what’s actually on the candidate’s page/fact and my opinion, which does not reflect the candidates’ thoughts. None of the candidates have contacted myself nor Green Philly Blog for endorsements – so my opinion is simply mine.)

U.S. SENATE – PA:

• Pat Toomey (R) – Toomey’s Energy/Resources policy supports oil drilling in Alaska – (Remember the Gulf Spill?), against cap-and-trade legislation (the legislation would force companies to lower emissions, therefore not having cap & trade would allow companies to continue to pollute) and against raising gas taxes.  (His energy page is very short and emphasizes keeping PA jobs – aka coal & dirty energy sources. Overall, my take is that he doesn’t give a crap about the environment and is aiming his platform against small town coal workers in PA – JH)
• Joe Sestak (D) – Sestak’s Energy & Environment policy, 4th on his “issues” page, supports the environment by Clean Water Action, establish a cap-and-trade policy (to lessen emissions), voted for American Clean Energy & Securities act (ACES), secured, $500,000 for hybrid electric buses in Southeast PA & supports tax credits for renewable energy sources.  He outlines his overall policy as “Our global environment is at a tipping point; we must reduce greenhouse emissions, stop global warming now, end our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, and our often careless disregard for precious natural resources.”  His policy page is detailed & supports energy, and also outlines an impressive environmental plan. Joe cares for the environment (or at least will support the voters who are eco-conscious and want to support positive green change).
  

PA GOVERNOR:

• Tom Corbett (R) – Corbett’s Energy Policy addresses both “encouraging renewable & alternative energy” and “cultivating PA’s Coal resources and developing PA Shale Resources, which would encourage drilling & and make it difficult to manage forests in a sustainable manner.  He encourages transitioning to competitive electric markets (which let’s you pick who you’re buying energy from) and getting the Dept of Environment back to “basics” – focusing on their organization and agendas/meeting length rather than addressing what issues/environmental policy to encourage. Overall, Corbett tries to appeal to sustainability and less-informed citizens by encouraging ‘green energy’ but the majority of his policies rely on the same environmental policies which aren’t helping our environment.  Additionally, his platforms to encourage coal and shale resources are potential for disaster.
• Dan Onorato (D) – Onorato’s Plan for Sustainability includes an emphasis on creating green-collar jobs and new green businesses, maximizing PA’s entire energy production portfolio (including renewable energy and PA Shale reserves). Onorato’s history in Allegheny County as County Executive included hiring the county’s 1st Sustainability Manager, improved county government buildings to be more energy efficient, and increased purchasing energy from renewable sources in Western PA.  He strengthened the county’s Air Quality Program  and expanded green space throughout the county – forming the Allegheny Parks Foundation.  Onorato’s plan is to make PA a national leader in Green-collar jobs, maximizing PA’s portfolio for environment & economic bnefits, & lowering your energy bill while encouraging sustainable growth.  Onorato had some impressive accomplishments while in office in Allegheny County – if his track record continues, we can expect to see environmental results in PA. While I’m not overly excited he also is interested in the Shale reserves, he has more initiatives and actions for the environment over Tom Corbett.

US Representative candidates depend on your location – Visit Philly.com’s Election 2010 page for more info.

Readers, please remember to vote tomorrow! (regardless if you like my positions or not…)

Posted by Julie

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher