Clark Unveils Environmental Platform
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean grabbed the campaign spotlight this week by earning the endorsement of former Vice President Al Gore. Meanwhile, off in the shadows, fellow Democratic presidential contender retired Gen. Wesley Clark presented his environmental platform yesterday. Perhaps it befits Clark’s military background that he described that platform not in terms of natural resources it would preserve or emissions it would reduce but rather in terms of the number of lives it would save: 100,000 people spared premature death from cancer or respiratory ailments by 2020. Other than the spin, the details of his environmental plan are similar to those unveiled by other candidates: cuts in dangerous emissions, greater enforcement of environmental protections, and increased fines for repeat environmental offenders.
