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Sarah Palin on Environment and Energy
Q: What's your position on global warming, do you believe it is man-made or not? A: ...there are man's activities that could be attributed to the issues that we are dealing with right now with these impacts. I'm not solely going to blame all of man's activities on changes in climate because the world's weather patterns are cyclical and over history we have seen changes there. But it kind of doesn't matter at this point as we debate what caused it. The point is, it's real, we need to do something about it.
Q: Do you still believe global warming is not man-made? A: I believe that man's activities can certainly be contributing to the problem of global warming and climate change…
"Q: What role does state government have, if any, in addressing global warming and climate change? A: We need to analyze the potential economic costs, needs and opportunities associated with climate change. Let's be cautious in how we react--to make sure we don't overreact."
Anchorage Daily News: 2006 gubernatorial candidate profile Oct 22, 2006
"Q: What is your take on global warming and how is it affecting our country? A: A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made."
Q&A with Newsmax.com's Mike Coppock Aug 29, 2008
"We need a comprehensive approach to long-term energy plans, not just fiscal "shots-in-the-arm." I'm appointing an Energy Coordinator, to activate a statewide Energy Plan. We'll use earnings from a $250 million 'Renewable Energy Fund' for alternative projects, like hydro, wind, geothermal, and biomass."
State of the State Address to the 25th Alaska Legislature Jan 15, 2008
Q: You favor drilling in the Arctic National Refuge, he [McCain] does not. A: I sure do. Q: He does not. Have you changed him on that? A: ANWR is a 2,000 acre swab of land that we are asking the feds to unlock so there can be exploration and development.
"Q: The governor of Alaska sent a letter to Senate Leader Harry Reid with a very clear demand--drill in ANWR now. Governor Sarah Palin is on the phone right now. Governor, I'm curious how you were received today, when so many of your constituents, I would assume, want to protect the land, not drill. How did it go today? A: I'll correct you there with all due respect--the people of Alaska understand that Alaska has so much to contribute in terms of energy sources to the rest of the US. Folks up here want ANWR to be unlocked by the federal government so that we can drill."
Fox News Channel "Your World" with Neil Cavuto Jun 27, 2008
"Q: The Congress is going to take their summer recess without a vote on rolling back the moratorium on drilling on shore and off shore. Nothing on ANWR, nothing on shale, nothing on the Outer Continental Shelf. What's your reaction to this? A: Well, it's pretty pathetic, that action that they've taken. Appreciate the president's call to lift the moratorium. Appreciate the president's call to drill in ANWR, to do all those things for American production opportunities."
CNBC "Kudlow & Company" Interview Jul 31, 2008
"ANWR is right for drilling."
"With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers. To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies ... or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia ... or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries ... we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas."
"What the GOP has got to do, on a real practical level, between now and the election, is to convince Americans that it is our energy policy that is best for our nation and the nation's future, that if we are to become energy independent and if we are to become a more secure nation then we had better start supplying our very, very hungry markets across the nation with American supplies of energy. The GOP agenda to ramp up domestic supplies of energy is the only way that we are going to become energy independent, the only way that we are going to become a more secure nation."
Q&A with Time Magazine's Jay Newton Small Aug 14, 2008
"What I bring in terms of that credential is the know-how, how we can get to energy independence and a greater security for our nation. By producing more domestically and by becoming less and less reliant on foreign sources of energy…"
"Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more nuclear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative sources."
"Industry knows we want responsible development. Anadarko will drill Alaska's first-ever gas-targeted wells on the North Slope. Chevron, FEX, Renaissance--many others are exploring. That's ratification of AGIA's promise to make investments profitable for industrious explorers. There's more we can do to ramp up development. Our new reservoir study can increase development and we will ensure better, publicly supported project coordination. To cultivate timber and agriculture, we're encouraging responsible, economic efforts to revitalize our once-robust industries."
State of the State Address to the 25th Alaska Legislature Jan 15, 2008
This month, Ms. Palin issued a last-minute statement of opposition to a ballot measure that would have provided added protections for salmon from potential contamination from mining, an action seen as crucial to its defeat.
New York Times, pp. A1 & A10, "An Outsider Who Charms" Aug 29, 2008
"I believe in protecting Alaska's environment through fair enforcement of our environmental laws. Having a clean record on environmental regulation is critical to getting ANWR open and maintaining our fisheries mining, timber, and tourism industries. I would also revisit the change in regulations on the Alaska Coastal Zone Management program in which the past administration by eliminating the rights of local districts to write specific local enforceable policies on important issues like subsistence."
Campaign website, www.palinforgovernor.com,
Gov. Palin yesterday sent a letter to Senators and the Bush Administration advocating defeat of a bill that would prohibit oil and natural gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Joe Leiberman (I-CT), aims to designate ANWR as wilderness. Palin criticized the bill as it would effectively ban oil and gas exploration in the most promising unexplored regions in North America--the coastal plain of ANWR.
Letter to members of the U.S. Senate & Pres. Bush Nov 10, 2007
"We are suing the federal government recognizing that the Endangered Species Act is not aplace to mess around with in terms of listing a species that is right now very very healthy. In fact, the number of polar bears has risen dramatically over the last 30 years. Extreme environmentalists will use the ESA as a tool to halt North Slope drilling of very rich resources that America needs."
Governor Sarah Palin announced today the State of Alaska has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to overturn Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne's decision to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This action follows written notice given more than 60 days ago, asking that the regulation listing the polar bear as threatened be withdrawn. "We believe that the Service's decision to list the polar bear was not based on the best scientific and commercial data available," Governor Palin said.
"An efficient and functional transportation system is absolutely vital to our economy. Throughout history, strong transportation systems have been the cornerstone of economic growth and success throughout the world. It is equally important in Alaska, where so much of our state is remote and still not connected by roads. Transportation infrastructure is a basic necessity that Alaska must have to succeed and prosper. Improvement and expansion to our aging network of public facilities, roads, harbors, airports, and rail is required for any development, and gas line construction success. A highly functional, well-maintained, statewide transportation network of public facilities, roads, ferries, trains, and airports is required, to improve Alaska's economy and the quality of life for all Alaskans."
When it comes to spending state money, Palin is generally conservative. Yet Palin supports the state's "roads to resources program," which funds roads to mines and other natural resources projects such as oil and gas.
Anchorage Daily News: 2006 gubernatorial candidate profile Oct 31, 2006