Bush and the environment

The latest Capital Commentary from the Center for Public Justice is penned by Gordon College's Timothy Sherratt: "Doing Justice to Environmental Complexity." For some odd reason self-styled conservatives in North America have been insufficiently supportive of a governmental role in the proper exercise of environmental stewardship. The current Republican administration of US President Bush has done nothing to rectify this deficiency. There is a certain irony in this, according to Sherratt:

Conservatism has come a long way. It can distinguish among the roles and norms of economy, national security, core moral issues, and social institutions, and it has begun to fashion appropriate governmental responses to each.

But on the environment, the Republican leadership has regressed towards a shallow libertarian treatment by designating the environment a free-market, small-government issue. Its policy proposals are a mix of market-based solutions, eased regulations, and deference to energy needs.

Even within the Republican Party there are those taking a more sophisticated approach to the environment. At this point, however, the current administration is not listening to these voices, which "represents poor stewardship and not even good conservatism."