Virginia LCV was thrilled to receive the following accolades from the editorial board of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in their Sunday, Aug. 21 editorial focusing on our latest Conservation Scorecard.
CONSERVATION VOTERS
Editorial: League wins top marks for vote ratings
Various groups grade legislators for their ayes and nays in the Virginia General Assembly. The Virginia League of Conservation Voters ranks among our favorites. The organization’s scorecard comes in a handsome, informative brochure.
Although the league is politically engaged, it is not a partisan front. Democrats dominate its top scorers nevertheless. And that says something about Republicans not only in Virginia but nationally.
Democrats outscore Republicans on the league’s list, often by a wide margin. We would not hit 100 percent but would like to reach the honor roll. We particularly would like to ace issues related to natural and historic preservation and to climate change. We probably would do less well on energy policy. We remain committed to a do-everything approach that combines production (fossil fuels and nuclear), conservation, innovation (solar, wind) and other vehicles. “Do everything seems” to annoy purists on all sides. We support the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley natural gas pipelines — and the carbon tax..
Theodore Roosevelt was the first environmentalist president and one of the most passionate greens ever to occupy the White House. Historian Douglas Brinkley calls TR the wilderness warrior. A child of urban Manhattan, he valued nature’s trove. Conservation issues contributed to Roosevelt’s split with the GOP and helped to explain his 1912 run as a Progressive. The Bull Moose epitomized what should have been the Republican soul — and should remain the party’s soul even now.
Conservatism and conservation share roots. Republican colors ought to include red, white, blue — and green. We salute the Virginia League of Conservation Voters.