THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume XIII, Issue # 243, October 5, 2011
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
OUR CHILDREN ARE AT RISK:
EEN Needs to Get it Right, Before it Preaches to Others
By Bishop Harry R. Jackson
THE EVANGELICAL ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK: AN ORGANIZATION OF LEFTWING LIBERAL EVANGELICALS WHO
ARE USING RADIO SPOTS TO TARGET REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ON THE U.S. HOUSE ENERGY & COMMERCE
COMMITTEE -- EEN PROCLAMATIONS DEFENDING JOB-KILLING GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS THAT WILL HARM THE MOST
VULNERABLE PEOPLE, WHILE PROVIDING NO DEMONSTRABLE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS -- THE EEN'S PROPAGANDA &
MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN -- CHALLENGING THE EEN'S PARTISAN & MISLEADING RADIO SPOTS -- THE PROPER
HANDLING OF EEN'S ALARMIST "WARNINGS" & "ADVICE."
FULL STORY:
Once again, partisan political activists are defending job-killing regulations that will harm the most vulnerable people,
while providing no demonstrable environmental benefits. Unfortunately, these environmentalist activists are also
working hard to seduce sincere Church leaders.
Well-meaning prominent Liberal evangelicals are using radio spots to target Republicans on the U.S. House Energy
and Commerce Committee. We know and respect several of these leaders. Yet the activists’ panic over speculative or
imagined risks to American children dominates their proclamations, even as they condemn legions of Third World
children to death from real diseases that the simplest of modern technologies and living standards would prevent.
The Evangelical Environmental Network’s ads claim the Congressmen want to “delay” and “disarm” Environmental
Protection Agency regulations that the EEN asserts would safeguard the health and neurological development of
unborn children, by reducing mercury emissions from power plants.
In our opinion, this is another misinformation campaign.
As pastors and parents, we stand tall in protecting children. But, as concerned civic leaders actively engaged in
energy and environmental discussions, we know the EEN radio spots are partisan and misleading. We cannot leave
them unchallenged.
First, we must look at the facts. There is no credible evidence that American children are born with dangerous levels
of mercury in their blood, or have impaired mental or neurological abilities, due to mercury. The Centers for Disease
Control says mercury in U.S. children is well below even EPA’s “safe” levels.
The Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and World Health
Organization have all established risk levels that are 2-3 times less restrictive than EPA’s. Under those guidelines no
American children, in the womb or otherwise, are remotely at risk from mercury from power plants, fish or other
sources.
As independent natural scientist, Dr. Willie Soon, has documented (read his report at www.AffordablePowerAlliance.org),
US power plant emissions account for barely 0.5% of mercury in America’s air. The rest comes from forest fires, volcanoes,
and other sources. Even closing every U.S. power plant will not make us safer than we already are.
Disregarding these facts, EPA’s proposed mercury, cross-state pollution, and “maximum achievable control
technology” rules for major power plants and other generating systems will increase electricity prices by up to 24%
in just a few years, NERA Economic Consultants and other experts predict. That means factories, schools, offices,
shops and hospitals will be forced to raise prices, cut services, and lay people off.
The result will be more families unable to afford proper heating, air conditioning, nutrition, healthcare and prenatal
care, or even pay their rent or mortgage. More children will have trouble in school and suffer impaired mental,
physical, and emotional well-being.
The EEN religious leaders claim they want to “protect life,” and “believe children are entitled to abundant life.”
However, their actions, alliances and political agendas violate those proclaimed beliefs at every turn.
Christian organizations need to balance their concern for the environment with a healthy concern for human life. In
our book, Personal Faith, Public Policy (2008), Tony Perkins and I note:
“Unfortunately, a number of religious leaders have
joined the alarmist crusade and are attempting to
make the environment the most important issue in
the Church. In some ways, they are correct in
pushing for the Church to get involved. In other
ways, many of them are like the young prophet
who ran to King David before he heard the message.
(See 2 Samuel 18:22–28.) They have zeal and a desire
to change things, but they do not have the message
the Church needs at this time.”
A million abortions are performed in the United States every year, according to the “pro-abortion rights” Guttmacher
Institute. Hispanic women are 2.7 times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to have an abortion, while Black
women are four times more likely.
Can EEN cite even one instance where it expressed outrage or even concern about these deaths? Can it cite one
instance when it criticized abortionists, or supported calls to reduce federal funding from abortion clinics that end so
many minority lives?
In poor, tropical regions, hundreds of thousands of children die in agony every year from preventable insect-borne
diseases. But radical environmentalists campaign against the use of insecticides and the powerful insect repellant DDT
– ensuring that the carnage continues.
Environmentalists also oppose hydroelectric, coal, nuclear, and natural gas for generating abundant, reliable,
affordable electricity. Yet hundreds of thousands of children die every year from lung diseases, caused by breathing
toxic pollutants from heating and cooking fires, and from intestinal diseases resulting from spoiled food and unsafe
water – because their communities lack electricity.
Can the EEN cite one instance when its belief that “children are entitled to abundant life” caused it to condemn these
radical Green policies -- or resulted in a call for access to insecticides and plentiful, dependable, affordable electricity?
Our children are at risk, but not from mercury. They are at risk from policies defended and promoted by the EEN and
other partisan political activists.
The EEN should proclaim a universal right of access to modern, life-enhancing, life-saving technologies. It needs to
recognize that regulations too often impose unacceptable costs on the poorest and most powerless among us. It
needs to terminate its alliances with groups whose policies result in imposed poverty and racial genocide.
Until then, EEN’s warnings, advice, and radio spots should be taken with a shovel of salt.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
Political Environmentalism Versus Human Progress & Prosperity:
Policy Issues Relating to Energy, Environment,
& Natural Resources
Science, Ethics, & Human Health:
Human Health & Public Policy
Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr. of Beltsville, Maryland, is Chairman of the High Impact Leadership Coalition and Co-Chair of
the Affordable Power Alliance.
Return to Top of Page
Go to the WEBSITE INDEX
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Public Issues & Political Controversies
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
Most Recent Articles
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Volume XIII, 2011
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Subject Matter Highlights
Return to POLITICAL EDUCATION Homepage
CONTACT & ACCESS INFORMATION
This is not a commercial website. The sole purpose of the website is to share with interested persons information regarding civics,
civic and social education, political science, government, politics, law, constitutional law and history, public policy and political
philosophy and history, as well as current and recent political developments, public issues, and political controversies.
POLITICAL EDUCATION, CONSERVATIVE ANALYSIS
POLITICS, SOCIETY, & THE SOVEREIGN STATE
Website of Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr.
Government, Politics, Public Policy, Legal Issues, Constitutional Law, Government & the Economy, Cultural Values, Foreign Affairs,
International Relations, Military Defense & National Security, Geopolitics, Terrorism & Homeland Security, American National Interests,
Political Systems & Processes, Political Institutions, Political Ideologies, & Political Philosophy
INDEX FOR THE ENTIRE WEBSITE
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic,
Cultural, Military, International, Strategic, & Geopolitical Issues
Conservative Government Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity