By LEE BALLARD

I think I understand why Republicans have the negative attitudes they do toward global warming, environmental protection and other “green” things.  What I don’t understand is WHY.

 What I mean is, I see how they come to their ideology ─ we’ll discuss that later ─ but the great mystery to me is why Republicans don’t ask, “What if I’m wrong?” 

After all, Republicans don’t KNOW that global warming is a hoax. It’s their belief ─ and melting icebergs should give at least some passing doubt.

 But they roll on. This year in North Carolina, we will see decades of proven environmental protection policy swept away by the Republican-dominated General Assembly. Senate Bill 851, for example, has been through committees and is ready for action.  

It reduces the Environmental Management Commission ─ the agency set up in the 1960s to see that N.C.’s environment is protected without hindering economic prosperity ─ from 13 to seven members.  The member slots eliminated? 

The member experienced in health services, the one experienced in fish and wildlife conservation, three members interested in water and air pollution control, one who has special training in air pollution control and the effects of air pollution.  The resulting makeup of the commission is a dramatic tilt away from real environmental protection.  (Google “news observer unbalancing environment” for an insider’s view.)

 The national GOP has taken a similar turn to extreme deregulation. Their 2008 Platform contained a section titled, “Addressing Climate Change Responsibilities.”  In the 2012 Platform, climate change is absent. Instead, they “call on Congress to take quick action to prohibit the EPA from moving forward with new greenhouse gas regulations.”

 Why? What’s driving the GOP to positions that must necessarily be temporary?  After all, a major political party cannot possibly sustain narrow ideas like these over time.  The icebergs ARE melting.

 Rush Limbaugh and his followers oppose environmental management and everything else favored by “liberals.”  It’s knee-jerk, not intellectual.  And their influence is huge.  Many Tea Party activists are included here.

 But by far the greater influence on N.C. Republicans is the intellectual, ideological, Libertarian philosophy of Art Pope and his John Locke Foundation. Their first principle is the sanctity of private property.  It trumps everything else. They oppose environmental controls because, in their view, they violate private property ─ including the private property of corporations. Pope has the power in North Carolina right now, and his beliefs will be seen in the actions of our General Assembly.

 (The 2012 GOP Platform, dominated by Libertarian views of the Tea Party, included this amazing bit:  “Private ownership has been our best guarantee of conscientious stewardship, while the worst instances of environmental degradation have occurred under government control.”  Think through the history of environmental success and have a good laugh.)

 I understand their irritation.  When I had to get clearance from Fish and Wildlife people to bridge my creek, I was annoyed.  But I understood that their regulations are for the greater good of society (and, incidentally, I wanted their regulations to apply to upstream farms that were polluting my creak with chemicals).

 When I think of the private property fixation of Art Pope Libertarians and the Tea Party, the word that comes to mind is “selfish.” The higher virtue, to me, is the higher good of society ─ now and generations to come.

 So, again, I ask Republicans: Why?     

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Lee Ballard lives in Mars Hill.