When did Environmental issues become a (D) vs. (R) battle?

Question

Democrats and Republicans breathe the same air, drink the same water, and eat the same food. Why has such a firm line been drawn in the sand about Environmental issues?
Why can't everyone work together to protect our environment?

Answer 1

Because the Democrats believe in controling the "demand" side of the consumer equation. Republicans on the other hand want control over the "supply" side -- i.e., everything our fragile environment can cough up.

Answer 2

It's a party issue because it's a big business/government issue. It's as simple as that. Who are the biggest polluters in the US? The US military and a lot of big businesses. (Most of the superfund sites in the US are military bases.)

The Democrats are into military downsizing, more regulations (essentially, more government control) and like to increase taxes - which neither the big business nor the military particularly like. The Republicans usually do the opposite - buildup of the military machine, fewer regulations, and decrease taxes for corporations and the wealthy.

Each party has different priorities. That's why it's a partisan issue.

Americans tend to be a bunch of extremists - Coke or Pepsi, Chevy or Ford, Republicans or Democrats. It's always either/or with no sense of compromise in order to meet in the middle. Until compromise becomes a fundamental aspect of American society, bi-partisan efforts will always be undermined.

Answer 3

The Ds and the Rs have different views on the environment and how to 'protect' both it and the American standard of living and way of life.

Will the Ds policies cause a major lessening of the standard of living? Will the Rs policies not protect the environment? Since we only have one world we can't choose both and see what happens, and then take the better one (and who is to say which is better after the test).

So, I guess we're going to have disagreements on this until we either die from the bad air or starve because of the bad economic policy.

Answer 4

Because it's rarely actually about the environment anymore. It's about politics, about votes. Many democrats tend to pander to environmentalist extremists by promising things that just aren't necessary. Republicans stand at the other end.

Nobody is willing to walk to the middle ground. You can protect the environment and still have 21st century capitalism and free markets. You can have fresh water AND factories.

Answer 5

Because protecting the environment costs corporations money, and since most of the politicians are owned by the corporations, protecting the environment thus becomes a political battle.

Answer 6

When the left made it an issue. Both sides want cleaner air, but you can't cripple industry to get it there tomorrow. You're screaming like banshees now because of energy prices, you would have coronaries if President Bush hadn't eased them. He did not reverse or take them away. He is just giving people longer to accomplish it, in addition to keeping the economy running.

Answer 7

Not too long ago. It's crazy and I feel out of place; I consider myself both a Republican and a Green Party member.

Answer 8

just another way for us to cheat american investors with stupid regulations that cut profits at the price of saving a few lives that in the end really do not matter to conservative's.

Answer 9

when bush repealed the clean air act and cut down all my forests

Answer 10

Because both parties dont want to admit that their wrong.