The Endangered Species Act By Pete Mccloskey - 1767 Words

I was inspired to get involved in politics in the 1970s by my local Congressman, Pete McCloskey, a leading environmental advocate, co-founder of the first Earth Day, and one of the original authors of the Endangered Species Act. As a lifelong hiker and nature lover, two of my early heroes were John Muir, the founder of the Sierra Club, and Rachel Carson, a leading conservationist of her time. Today, I enjoy hiking through Catoctin Mountain Park, biking along the C and O Canal, and I am committed to preserving the wildlife and natural resources of the 8th District and Maryland. Among my top priorities as your Representative in Congress will be protecting nature and addressing climate disruption by supporting a transition to a clean energy†¦show more content†¦I will also support regulatory measures and incentives to conserve energy in buildings, homes, cars and other transportation, as well as funding for mass transit. Fracking / Fossil Fuels The shale revolution has provided a new source of natural gas and energy independence for the United States, but it must be carefully regulated to keep our nation’s water supply safe and clean. That’s why I am a firm supporter of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. In Congress, I will diligently work to end the â€Å"Halliburton Loophole,† which has dangerously exempted fracking from necessary federal environmental regulation, and I will advance efforts to create stronger regulations by the EPA to ensure that hydraulic fracturing is practiced in a safe and environmentally conscious manner. I also oppose the Keystone Pipeline and support ending costly fossil fuel subsidies, which totaled over $18.5 billion in the United States in 2013.2 This is a waste of taxpayer money, as the top five oil companies earned $93 billion in profit in the same year.3 In Congress, I will fight to end Republican expansion of oil subsidies and instead focus on incentivizing the production of clean energy that will eliminate our dependence on coal and oil companies. Conservation I was raised in a family that practiced â€Å"reduce, reuse, recycle,† and brought that