Getting to Green: Saving Nature; A Bipartisan Solution

No presidential administration has signed a major environmental bill since the Clean Air Act of 1990, says Rich (Christian Nation), a novelist, environmental activist, and former corporate lawyer, as he seeks the reasons behind such a failure in this straightforward volume. The historic bill, considered “a triumphant success for the Green movement,” also marked a “legislative dead end.” Rich cites a gulf between conservatives, who are “deeply suspicious” of and hostile toward environmentalist goals, and a Green movement often equally “hostile to business and economic growth.” To bridge the gap, he argues that each side must work toward a “Center Green,” focusing “on that space where the values of right and left overlap.” Only then can they escape “hyperpartisan paralysis.” Reminding readers of the significant role conservatives have played in American environmentalism, Rich makes his case for forging beneficial partnerships between the two sides. Conservatives need to understand that climate change is real, he says, and they need to realize environmentalists are not elitists “whose goals come at the cost of jobs and economic growth.” Meanwhile, those in the Green movement must rein in skepticism “that any good can come from a for-profit corporation.” Rich makes some good points and maintains his optimism, but it’s difficult to see how groups so fundamentally at odds will find common ground. (Apr.)