Category: Environment
Latest
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Do you think that America is strong enough to withstand taxing the right to emit CO2? Do you think that taking steps to limit CO2 emissions is a moral issue or an economic issue? More
Asked 16 weeks 2 days ago of U.S. Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA)
by TC Loving from Humboldt, IA -
There are so many simple measures that could make a difference: mandatory recycling, idling and littering fines, turning out lights/regulating heat and cooling in federal bldgs. Must the mandate come from the mayors' offices? Why can't our elected state officials lead the way? More
Asked 18 weeks 2 days ago of All U.S. Senators
by Sarah Robinson from Boston, MA
Popular
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Do you think that America is strong enough to withstand taxing the right to emit CO2? Do you think that taking steps to limit CO2 emissions is a moral issue or an economic issue? More
Asked 16 weeks 2 days ago of U.S. Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA)
by TC Loving from Humboldt, IA -
There are so many simple measures that could make a difference: mandatory recycling, idling and littering fines, turning out lights/regulating heat and cooling in federal bldgs. Must the mandate come from the mayors' offices? Why can't our elected state officials lead the way? More
Asked 18 weeks 2 days ago of All U.S. Senators
by Sarah Robinson from Boston, MA
Answered
What are your thoughts, four years after Hurricane Katrina, about the federal government's efficacy in assisting residents of Louisiana to recover from a natural disaster? What has worked and what has failed? What should the federal government do differently?
Asked by: Ayl G. from New York, NY. Received 1 Vote.
Listen to: U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
“Yes this administration has done better by any number of objective judgments. One, the people they’ve appointed are better – they’re more qualified. They’ve restructured the office in New Orleans. They have implemented an arbitration panel. They have moved over a billion dollars of projects through the pipeline in a short period of time. So that’s a “yes” they are doing much better. But the answer is still, in my view, “no” this country is not prepared for a catastrophic disaster.
Answered on Nov 5th, 2009 More
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Three hundred fifty parts per million is what many scientists are now saying is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. As one of your constituents, I would like to ask you what you are doing to bring CO2 levels within an acceptable range.
Asked by: Deborah F. from Boston, MA. Received 9 Votes.
Listen to: U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
Lynch: As a legislator you mean? Well I supported the recent energy bill which I think will provide huge incentives for green technologies to be developed. It’s pending in the Senate but I understand there’s a willingness at least on part of Senate to take that up. I think it’s a long range bill, this is so called cap and trade, that I think will reduce our reliance on foreign oil. I think that’s the big shift that has to occur for us to make any dent at all in climate change, global warming.
Answered on Nov 5th, 2009 More
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In the US we have a court system that makes legal decisions. It is increasingly apparent that environmental health is intrinsically related to economic health. With this in mind, do you think it makes sense create environmental courts that would decide legal issues around development and the environment?
Asked by: Elvin J. from Nashville, TN. Received 12 Votes.
Listen to: U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall II (D-WV)
Rep. NICK RAHALL: No, I think those issues are addressed properly through the current judicial system. Uh, we have a number of cases for example in southern West Virginia that involve lawsuits against coal companies by environmental groups. Uh, they appear to have perfectly legitimate and [assessable/accessable?] access to our courtroom. So no, I’m not in favor of a separate environmental court. I believe the current system works fine.
Answered on Oct 26th, 2009 More
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What is your position on ensuring that computers and other electronics are recycled responsibly and safely in this country, rather than in other countries, doing harm to the environment and the workers doing the separating?
Asked by: Mabel Liang from Cambridge, MA. Received 11 Votes.
Listen to: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ)
Well the listener who recommended that knows what they’re talking about. I’ve been fighting for years now get us to recycle our plastic products. Because the less we put into the ground environmentally we’re better off and it becomes more effectives and efficient. So you better tell your listeners to stay on track. I believe in that.
Answered on Oct 21st, 2009 More
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Do you believe there should be stricter laws and harder consequences for animal cruelty? For example, Michael Vick spent only 18 months in prison for knowingly running a dog fighting ring. Should such criminals not be charged as true criminals instead of someone who has merely committed a seemingly minor crime?
Asked by: Caroline F. from Pensacola, FL. Received 40 Votes.
Listen to: U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD)
Reporter: …your position on toughening laws for animal cruelty? Michael Vick served a relatively short sentence considering the violence and cruelty of the crime. Do you feel like these are individuals who should be charged as “serious” criminals as opposed to people who’ve committed a fairly minor infraction of some kind? Sen. Ben Cardin: Well, I think that Michael Vick paid a significant consequence because of his actions, including missing a significant part of his career. So I think it had an impact, a major impact on him.
Answered on Oct 13th, 2009 More
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Do you believe there should be stricter laws and harder consequences for animal cruelty? For example, Michael Vick spent only 18 months in prison for knowingly running a dog fighting ring. Should such criminals not be charged as true criminals instead of someone who has merely committed a seemingly minor crime?
Asked by: Caroline F. from Pensacola, FL. Received 40 Votes.
Listen to: U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD)
Reporter: …your position on toughening laws for animal cruelty? Michael Vick served a relatively short sentence considering the violence and cruelty of the crime. Do you feel like these are individuals who should be charged as “serious” criminals as opposed to people who’ve committed a fairly minor infraction of some kind? Sen. Ben Cardin: Well, I think that Michael Vick paid a significant consequence because of his actions, including missing a significant part of his career. So I think it had an impact, a major impact on him.
Answered on Oct 13th, 2009 More
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Since the shoe-bomber threat, the government has required airline passengers to leave their water bottles behind at security checks, prompting a spike in discarded plastic. What role should the government have towards requiring all airports to place recycling bins at security checkpoints so that this massive source of plastic can be recycled?
Asked by: Antonio G. from Richmond, VA. Received 13 Votes.
Listen to: U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)
I think the decision about recycling which I think all local governments should be encouraging is a local one. And I would certainly encourage airports to provide recycling receptacles so that when plastic bottles with liquid in them have to be discarded because they can’t go through the magnetometers that they be placed in recycling receptacles. But that’s a locally controlled issue.
Answered on Sep 24th, 2009 More
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Has obesity in America reached a point where we should penalize in some way those who could easily prevent themselves from reaching such a "condition"? In turn, is the economy exacerbating the situation because unhealthy fast food is cheaper?
Asked by: Caroline F. from Pensacola, FL. Received 12 Votes.
Listen to: U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Flake: On the first one, no. I don’t think the federal government ought to be involved in that. And the second one, perhaps. Maybe so. Maybe it’s cheaper to eat more unhealthy. But on the first, no. We’re in far too much now. We shouldn’t get into that. Reporter: Is there anything the federal government can do to deal with the obesity epidemic? Flake: Well I think we could trim a little fat ourselves, particularly on the spending side.
Answered on Sep 24th, 2009 More
