Okay, that’s not true. However, it summarizes how environmentally out-of-touch I feel the Alaskan Governor is. For example, just one day before being picked as the GOP vice president, she wrote a letter to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urging him to shoot down pollution-reduction efforts aimed at cargo containers. Palin’s concerns were aimed at the Alaskan economy, and well…not the environment. Oh, and it gets better! Check out some of the other things Palin has had to say on the topic.

From Think Progress

Palin Denies Man-Made Global Warming. When asked for her “take on global warming,” Palin replied, “A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I’m not one though who would attribute it to being man-made.” [Newsmax, 08/29/08]

Palin Says She’s Not A ‘Doom-And-Gloom Environmentalist’ Who Blames Global Warming On ‘Human Activity.’ “I’m not an Al Gore, doom-and-gloom environmentalist blaming the changes in our climate on human activity, but I’m not going to put my head in the sand and pretend there aren’t changes.” [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 12/4/07]

Challenging ‘Uncertain Climate Models,’ Palin Is Suing To Lift Protected Status For Polar Bears. After a multi-year court battle, the Bush administration recognized in 2008 that polar bears are threatened with extinction by global warming. Announcing Alaska’s suit to block the listing, Palin said, “We believe that the listing was unwarranted and that it’s unprecedented to list a currently healthy population based on uncertain climate models.” [Reuters, 5/22/08]

Palin Established Illegal Fly-By Wolf Hunting Bounty. In 2007, Palin illegally established “a $150 bounty to the state sanctioned airborne wolf hunters as an added incentive to increase their kills,” soon overturned by the Alaska State Court. [Alaska Wildlife Alliance; Anchorage Daily News, 3/31/07]

Related posts:

Palin Changes Position on Global Warming - Then Denies It
Why Palin is a Bad Choice for the Environment
World Views of Sarah Palin & The Environment

Image source: bobster1985 on Flickr

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Palin’s concerns were aimed at the Alaskan economy, and well…not the environment. Duh! Claiming that shippers are already burdened by high fuel prices, she said this “may harm California by driving port business away from its ports.” As those three ports together account for over 40-percent of U.S. goods, that kinda seems unlikely. The bill’s author isn’t impressed by Palin’s suggestion either.

“We are losing about 3,400 Californians each year because of pollution. … I don’t think Gov. Palin truly understands the impacts going on here,” says state Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D), who sponsored the bill. “She certainly displays a lack of understanding,” Lowenthal went on to say.

Many California environmentalists consider this to be the most important pollution reduction effort made in the state this year.

“Why should Gov. Schwarzenegger take into account what out-of-state interests are saying?” said Lisa Warshaw, a spokeswoman for the Coalition for Clean Air. “It’s unfortunate that she is using her popularity to push her agenda on this state.”

The bill would impose a $60 fee for every 40-foot cargo container entering those ports. It would bring in about $400 million per year, which would go towards the installation of cleaner truck and train engines and projects aimed to reduce congestion and idling. That sounds pretty good to me!

Image source: tinou bao at Flickr