George Pataki presidential campaign, 2016/Natural resources
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 George Pataki |
Governor of New York (1995 - 2007) |
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016 |
This page was current as of the 2016 election.
Climate change
- George Pataki discussed how his love of bird-watching has informed his “progressive stance on climate change” during an interview on October 19, 2015. He said, “There’s no question that human CO2 emissions are contributing, in some way. And to the extent it's consistent with a strong economy and a strong America, we should be taking steps to help the future generation deal with that.”[2]
- Discussing climate change and energy production at the No Labels conference on October 12, 2015, Pataki said the private sector and universities should “solve” the alternative energy question, not the federal government. He also expressed support for fracking which he suggested caused a decline in the production of greenhouse gasses in the United States.[3]
- In an interview with Grist on September 24, 2015, Pataki explained why he supported a gradual approach to addressing climate change. “America is not the problem, America is the solution. Today, we emit only 16 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. If we were to reduce that by a few percentage points, the growth in the economy in other parts of the world would still result in a massive increase in greenhouse gas emissions. When America innovates, we can export those technologies to countries like China that are emitting almost certainly far more greenhouse gasses. There are a lot of things that can be done to encourage American innovation, American technology, to dramatically lower CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions without the need to raise costs on the American people," said Pataki.[4]
- Pataki was appointed to co-chair the Independent Task Force on Global Climate Change for the Council on Foreign Relations in 2007.[5] This task force released a report in June 2008 with recommendations for comprehensive environmental policy change, but warned against signing any agreement that contained an emissions cap without including "strong commitments to actions from the major emerging economies."[6]
Keystone XL Pipeline
- After President Barack Obama vetoed a bill to extend the Keystone XL Pipeline in February 2015, George Pataki took to Twitter to express his disapproval:
Energy production
- While touring Green Leads marketing firm in New Hampshire on October 16, 2015, George Pataki “called geothermal technology the wave of the future, saying more contractors should embrace its use in the design and construction of commercial and residential buildings,” according to The Eagle Tribune.[7]
- In 2012, Pataki wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, outlining the steps necessary to make the electrical grid more reliable following major storms like Hurricane Sandy. Pataki recommended investment in "strategic infrastructure change" such as moving electrical-distribution networks underground, modernizing transmission systems for electricity and using more distributed power sources.[8]
Fracking
- George Pataki supported fracking across the Marcellus Shale in a 2011 New York Daily News op-ed. Pataki wrote, "The benefits of these natural gas reserves for our economy would be enormous, even transformational. Domestic natural gas waiting to be unlocked will give us the opportunity to reduce our dependence on foreign oil while making our air cleaner through the use of more natural gas in electric power generation and transportation. Then there’s this not-insignificant point: The development of the Marcellus Shale formation means jobs and investment throughout New York."[9]
Cap and trade
- George Pataki pioneered the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in 2003 to create a cap-and-trade program between states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. Describing his concept, Pataki wrote, "The debate about global warming has often been marked by confrontation and litigation. Today we are pursuing a course of cooperation and we are confident this will achieve meaningful reductions in harmful emissions without disrupting electricity markets."[10] Member states have reduced their carbon emissions by 18 percent since 2009.[11]
Environmental protection
- After extended disputes between New York state Democrats and Republicans regarding the clean up and redevelopment of the state's brownfields, George Pataki joined the leaders of the New York State Legislature, Joseph Bruno and Sheldon Silver, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding releasing $30 million to restore the brownfields in March 2005.[12][13]
- During Pataki's tenure as governor of New York, he expanded the amount of open space preservation by one million new acres and added 26 new state parks.[14]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term George + Pataki + Natural + Resources
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ The Boston Globe, "George Pataki to end presidential campaign," December 29, 2015
- ↑ ABC News, "Off-the-Trail: Birdwatching With Presidential Candidate George Pataki," October 19, 2015
- ↑ WMUR 9 ABC, "Updated: No Labels Problem Solvers convention attracts 8 candidates," October 12, 2015
- ↑ Grist, "Interview: Republican candidate George Pataki says it’s time to talk about climate change," September 25, 2015
- ↑ Council on Foreign Relations, "Independent Task Force on Climate Change," accessed May 14, 2015
- ↑ Council on Foreign Relations, "Confronting Climate Change: A Strategy for U.S. Foreign Policy," accessed May 14, 2015
- ↑ The Eagle Tribune, "Pataki calls for more use of 'green' technology," October 17, 2015
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "In Sandy's Wake, Time to Upgrade the Power Grid," November 25, 2012
- ↑ New York Daily News, "Fracking can bring good jobs to New York without harming the environment, says former Gov. George Pataki," December 1, 2011
- ↑ Bloomberg BNA, "RGGI Holds Bipartisan Support in Northeast as Climate Change Issues Debated Nationally," September 20, 2013
- ↑ The New York Times, "Best of Both Worlds? Northeast Cut Emissions and Enjoyed Growth," June 6, 2014
- ↑ The New York Times, "Cleanup of Industrial Sites Faces a Question: How Clean Is Clean," April 20, 2003
- ↑ The New York Times, "$30 Million Stalled in Albany Heads to Brownfields Projects," March 24, 2005
- ↑ George Pataki Leadership Center, "Environment," accessed May 14, 2015