Former Md. Governor Says It’s Time to Push Back
(This eighth installment in our series, What’s It Going to Take?, looks at how the environmental community can regain the initiative and build the political will necessary to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.)
In this exclusive interview on the state of the Chesapeake Bay, former Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening tells the Bay Action Plan that it’s time to broaden the base of citizens willing to speak out on behalf of the Bay:
“We have got to get the message out. Social media is a good opportunity to do this. We have got to reach people who don’t automatically think of themselves as environmentalists. We have to reach the younger enthusiastic generation that can easily depose a dictator in Egypt or start a whole movement here. But they can’t get together and do something that is so essential as getting mercury out of our air and water?”
“A good healthy Bay and good healthy communities surrounding the Bay are just good economics,” the former governor says. “I’ve got a beautiful 9-year-old daughter. There are regular times when we are afraid to even let her go in the Bay. Now that is just truly ridiculous.”
Watch the entire interview here:
We agree, Gov. Glendening! Share this post using the buttons below, and then follow us at @bayactionplan!
Governor Glendening has got it right. His views are in line with Governor Hughes and the several other distinguished current and former elected officials and the many distinguished scientists who have joined together in Senior Scientists and Policymakers for the Bay. The job now is for us to join with them in convincing other current elected officials of the urgency of acting now. As Dr. Boesch makes clear in his column in the Capital (http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/env/2012/02/11-01/Our-Bay-The-moment-in-time.html), we have a last-chance “moment in time.” If we miss this opportunity, we may not have another.
Bob Gallagher
What is the plan? Spend more money with questionable results?
How about a market based solution that takes the money that would have been spent on policies and practices that may or may not work and reward people who implement the most cost effective solutions to reduce N, P and Sediment in the Watershed.
No more expensive, prescriptive practices that cost us all too much money with questionable results. Let’s do it and let’s do it right!