establish the first Jewish state in 2 ,000 years.

2

Thunderous sounds of gunfire erupted as British troops withdrew, and the next day, forces

from Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded.

3

This conflict has deep roots, tracing back to ancient times.

4

The large area in the eastern Mediterranean, including parts of today's Libya, Egypt,

Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Greece, and Iraq, was known as the Levant.

5

Within the Levant were the historical kingdoms of Israel and Judah, established around

6

The earliest mention of Israel

7

8

Archaeological evidence suggests that ancient Israelite culture evolved from Nicananite

civilization.

9

The kingdoms fell to Assyria and Babylonian empires, leading to exile and the Jewish

diaspora.

10

Over millennia, controls of this region changed hands repeatedly as the Jewish population

migrated to various areas in central and eastern Europe

11

the Middle East and North Africa.

12

Jewish culture thrived briefly in Spain, but was soon forced to leave, only to repeat the

cycle in Italy.

13

As they arrived in Poland in the 18th century, some historians believe that an

increasingly tense atmosphere between Jews and Europeans may have initiated the idea that

14

Jewish population couldn't survive if it didn't have a nation of its own.

15

By the early 20th century, the Ottoman Empire,

16

or Turkish Empire, had taken control of much of the Levant, including through horrific

events like the Armenian Genocide where 1 .5 million Armenians died through massacre,

17

forced labor, and death marches into the Syrian desert.

18

Internal conflict was growing within the Empire, and under the backdrop of the First World

War, Arab peoples separately revolted against the Ottoman Empire with the assistance of

19

the British.

20

Ottoman Empire was forced out.

21

The United Kingdom took control under the premise of honoring Arab independence.

22

However, the UK and France divided the area.

23

24

The League of Nations formalized this when it mandated Britain to govern the area that

they designated mandatory Palestine.

25

which stretched from the western border of Egypt to the eastern border of Jordan and up to

the southern border of Lebanon.

26

Jewish people slowly began migrating to the area, but relationships between Jewish and

Arab communities grew contentious.

27

Meanwhile, in German -occupied Europe, where more than 9 million Jewish people still lived

28

illegal immigration to mandatory Palestine.

29

Post World War II, Britain referred the matter to the United Nations, which voted to

30

The state of Israel, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which annexed territory on the West

Bank,

31

of the Jordan River and the Kingdom of Egypt, which established the all -Palestine

protectorate in the Gaza Strip.

32

Conflict persisted, highlighted by Israel, along with France and the United Kingdom,

33

President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Israel's attack and occupation of the West Bank and Gaza

34

The United States was the first country to recognize the nascent state of Israel.

35

alliance in economic, strategic, and military aspects.

36

During the Cold War, Israel was a valuable partner in countering Soviet influence in the

region.

37

One senator even referred to Israel as the equivalent of a U .S.

38

aircraft carrier in the Middle East.

39

remarks to the U .S.

40

I think it's about time we stop those of us who support, as most of us do, Israel in this

body for apologizing for our support for Israel.

41

There's no apology to be made.

42

None.

43

It is the best $3 billion investment we make.

44

Were they not in Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel to

protect her interest in the region.

45

The United States would have to go out and invent an Israel.

46

I am with my colleagues who are on the floor of the Foreign Relations Committee and we

worry at length about NATO.

47

And we worry about the eastern flank of NATO, Greece and Turkey, and how important it is.

48

They pale by comparison.

49

In kind.

50

the US and its allies often supported Israel through Arab -Israeli conflicts.

51

In response, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, launched an

oil embargo against them, contributing to a global energy crisis that affected the US

52

economy for years.

53

will cut production this month by 80 ,000 cars.

54

There's a crisis of such proportion that we probably haven't even begun to grasp it yet as

far as the country is concerned.

55

I have said to myself and to others that this is a Pearl Harbor again as far as the United

States is concerned because of the fact that it envisions a whole change in our lifestyle,

56

a whole change in the way this country has been built.

57

And I think that...

58

There's no question about what our national leadership and the economic leadership, the

business community leadership of our country is one that has really let us down because

59

they've taken us along with the idea that they're going to use that last drop of oil and

they're going to use that last bit of metal in order to last dollar of profit.

60

I'm Demetrius Lynch and this is Going Green.

61

you

62

I'm in the line two hours in, I can't get gassed.

63

This is baloney.

64

Carter doesn't get my vote next year.

65

People here in Washington involved in the public policy process, like the Congress,

officials in the executive branch, leaders in the national news media, have to depend on

66

ideas as the raw material for everything they do.

67

It's those new ideas that think tanks in Washington are involved in presenting to the

public policy makers.

68

This season, we've explored significant historical and environmental events, starting with

Thomas Newcomen's steam engine and its role in the Industrial Revolution.

69

We've discussed the transformation of the American landscape, the environmental awakening

triggered by Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, and the architectural evolution from modernism

70

to postmodernism.

71

If you haven't listened to the previous episodes, I encourage you to go back

72

and listen to all the episodes of this series in order.

73

Geopolitical strife and the environmental and energy crises were intimately connected in

74

President Jimmy Carter's energy policies and President Reagan's deregulation era

highlighted the complex interplay between politics, environmentalism, and global

75

challenges.

76

This would be a defining period for humanity's relationship with the environment.

77

And I'll get into that after this break.

78

Episode 5, Greed is Good.

79

States during a period of stagflation marked by high inflation and slow economic growth.

80

The stock market had lost nearly 50 % of its value over 20 months.

81

Weak economic growth led to rising unemployment.

82

Low interest, easy money policies of the previous administration resulted in high

inflation.

83

and a growing energy crisis was top of mind for many Americans.

84

After the oil embargo, gasoline prices spiked by 37%.

85

In this outward and physical ceremony, we attest once again to the inner and spiritual

strength of our nation.

86

As my high school teacher, Ms.

87

Coleman, used to say, we must adjust

88

to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.

89

Many thought the OPEC oil embargo was the sole reason for the crisis, but there was much

more at play.

90

In the mid -20th century, U .S.

91

coal usage was surpassed by petroleum and natural gas as the dominant energy sources.

92

the oil market, setting prices and managing imports and domestic production.

93

This regulatory framework created a balance.

94

keeping oil prices cheap, which benefited a rapidly growing auto industry that consumed 40

% of the nation's oil.

95

96

Special exemptions and tax benefits for oil production undermined federal import controls,

and domestic oil production capacity was nearing its limit, raising fears of energy

97

scarcity.

98

Internationally,

99

Rising consumption tightened global oil markets, with U .S.

100

consumption increasing by 51 % during the decade.

101

seasonal highs and creating a disincentive for heating oil production.

102

Although the freeze was lifted in November, oil prices remained regulated.

103

104

the US faced a severe heating oil shortage as crude oil supplies dwindled.

105

So what are you going to do?

106

There's nothing that we can do right at the moment until we just have to resort to some

other source of eat.

107

You weren't?

108

You're damn right.

109

And when you got babies, you gotta have to worry.

110

Did you ever think that this kind of thing would No way.

111

No.

112

Not really.

113

There's no reason for it to be.

114

That I can see.

115

Do you know of any reason?

116

No, we discussed putting in wood heat this summer and we thought it was all a big farce so

we didn't try and then when we tried to find a wood heater there were none to find.

117

You mean you didn't take the warning seriously?

118

No.

119

I just couldn't imagine something like this would happen in America.

120

Despite Nixon authorizing increased imports, major oil companies imported only a fraction

of the allowed amount and kept refineries running below capacity, leading to the first

121

peacetime petroleum shortage in U .S.

122

history.

123

Industry leaders blamed government policies, but internal documents suggested that

companies deliberately limited production.

124

As demand surged, major oil companies resisted expanding refinery capacity, contributing

to the shortages.

125

The Federal Trade Commission accused them of collusion, alleging they manipulated the

market to maintain high crude prices and suppress competition from independent refiners.

126

The resulting shortages and rising profits led to suspicions of monopolistic practices,

with the FTC filing an antitrust case.

127

In response to the energy crisis, new legislation, including the Emergency Petroleum

128

empowered the president to regulate petroleum products allocation and pricing, reflecting

the growing need to reassess America's reliance on fossil fuels.

129

We've been living like ostriches, you know, and, uh,

130

We use more than our share of the natural resources.

131

We know this.

132

But, oh, I don't know.

133

We kind of thought it was going to go on forever.

134

135

The Carter administration enacted a national energy policy for long -term conservation and

alternative resources.

136

He called for energy conservation

137

increased use of U .S.

138

coal reserves, and controlled nuclear power expansion.

139

His goals included limiting energy demand growth, cutting oil imports, and establishing a

strategic petroleum reserve.

140

Carter created the Department of Energy to oversee national energy policy and production,

nuclear power research, military nuclear weapons, reactor production for the Navy, and

141

energy conservation.

142

The first DOE energy plan included 113 provisions focusing on taxes on domestic oil

production and gasoline consumption, tax credits for energy conservation, and mandates to

143

convert from oil or natural gas to coal power.

144

The House approved much of Carter's plan, but the Senate passed a watered -down version.

145

146

deregulating natural gas and encouraging energy conservation and renewable energy

development through tax credits.

147

motorists into long waits at gasoline stations.

148

People ought to just take their cars, put them in their garages and let them sit there.

149

Let the stations, the owners, the oil companies choke on their gas.

150

I'm in the line two hours and I can't get gas.

151

This is baloney.

152

Carter doesn't get my vote next year.

153

You tell that god damn governor he's gonna police this god damn gasoline situation.

154

I will not take the blame for this thing.

155

I will not take the crap and the harassment from these customers.

156

Now let him police it or stop selling gas.

157

Look, lady, talk to this lady.

158

I'm not talking to anybody.

159

You get the governor down here, let him worry about how he's gonna sell this gasoline.

160

The dealers will not be subjected to this harassment.

161

we'll get gas, when you'll be...

162

This afternoon you'll be able to charge for half...

163

I'll you there's no gas, even at that price.

164

What do you think of that?

165

I'll bet you there's no gas.

166

heard this morning...

167

Well, you get the gas down ...the Commissioner of Energy from Washington, and they claim

there's gas.

168

What I this is ridiculous.

169

I travel.

170

I can go on disability.

171

I gotta wear two split prices.

172

What does the press like myself do?

173

To turn you down the...

174

Why didn't they come out and tell us there was no gas?

175

Three or four cars.

176

No they did not.

177

No man ever Eight o 'clock, were you supposed to at eight o 'clock?

178

It's a quarter to nine.

179

What are you doing in line?

180

What are you doing in line?

181

A quarter to nine.

182

You're only supposed to pump to eight o 'clock.

183

I have to be at work at eight.

184

I came here at six thirty.

185

Six thirty?

186

And you expect to get gas at six thirty in line?

187

Forget it lady.

188

In response, Carter asked Congress to deregulate domestic oil prices, which were set by

complex price controls.

189

Oil companies favored deregulation, but some Congress members worried about inflation.

190

A Gallup poll in late April and early May found only 14 % believed America faced an actual

energy shortage, while 77 % thought oil companies manufactured it for profit.

191

Carter paired deregulation with a windfall profits tax, returning about half of the new

profits to the federal government.

192

He phased in oil controls using the EPCA, but Congress balked at implementing the proposed

tax.

193

194

His pollster, Pat Cadell, told him the American people faced a crisis of confidence.

195

from the assassinations of major US political leaders, the Vietnam War, and the Watergate

scandal.

196

On July 15th, Carter delivered a televised speech calling for long -term limits on oil

imports and synthetic fuels development, stating, quote, all the legislation in the world

197

can't fix what's wrong with America.

198

What is lacking is confidence and a sense of community.

199

The speech?

200

was named a crisis of confidence.

201

And we are the generation that will win the war on the energy problem.

202

And in that process rebuild the unity and confidence of America.

203

We are at a turning point in our history.

204

There are two paths to choose.

205

One is a path I've warned about tonight.

206

The path that leads to fragmentation and self -interest.

207

Down that road lies a mistaken idea of freedom.

208

The right to grasp for ourselves some advantage over others.

209

That path would be one of constant conflict between narrow interests.

210

Ending in chaos and immobility.

211

It is a certain route to failure.

212

All the traditions of our past, all the lessons of our heritage, all the promises of our

future point to another path.

213

The path of common purpose and the restoration of American values.

214

That path leads to true freedom for our nation and ourselves.

215

We can take the first steps down that path as we begin to solve our energy problem.

216

Energy.

217

will be the immediate test of our ability to unite this nation.

218

And it can also be the standard around which we rally.

219

On the battlefield of energy, we can win for our nation a new confidence, and we can seize

control again of our common destiny.

220

Following the speech, Congress approved a $227 billion windfall profit tax and passed the

Energy Security Act, establishing the Synthetic Fuels Corporation.

221

Carter's policies contributed to a 10 % decrease in per capita energy consumption from

222

223

224

Aside from energy reform, Carter supported many environmentalist goals, signing bills like

225

established Superfund, a federal program designed to clean up mining or factory sites

226

Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which withdrew over 100 million acres of

public domain land in Alaska from commercial use to be designated as conservation areas,

227

doubling public land set aside for national parks and wildlife refuges.

228

During this period, unbeknownst to the public, the American Petroleum Institute, the

largest US trade association for the oil and natural gas industry, had formed a secret

229

committee called the CO2 and Climate Task Force, which included representatives of many of

the major oil companies.

230

The group privately monitored and discussed the latest developments in climate science.

231

dioxide and build up rigorous climate models.

232

Top scientists and a more than $1 million tanker project to study how much CO2 is absorbed

by the oceans were committed to this ambitious research program.

233

With shocking accuracy, Exxon's models predicted the climate conditions that we see today.

234

or IPCC, statistical techniques to test the performance of Exxon's models.

235

They found that, depending on the metric used, 63 to 83 % of the global warming

projections reported by Exxon scientists were consistent with actual temperatures over

236

time.

237

A skill score relates to how well

238

forecast compares to what happens in real life.

239

The corporation's projections had an average skill score of 72 % plus or minus 6 % with

the highest scoring 99%.

240

An Exxon senior scientist, James Black, told Exxon's management committee, quote,

241

In

242

One of Exxon's managers, Roger Cohen, sent an internal memo observing that the company's

long -term business plans could, quote, produce effects which will indeed be catastrophic,

243

at least for a substantial fraction of the Earth's population, end quote.

244

The next year, Exxon completed a comprehensive 40 -page report on climate change, which

predicted the climate events that we've already seen.

245

Sea level rise,

246

droughts, and more.

247

According to the front page of the report, it was, quote, given wide circulation to Exxon

management, but was not to be distributed externally.

248

While knowledge of the effects became definitive in the late 70s and early 80s, the oil

and natural gas industry suspected as much even earlier.

249

250

an oil executive and president of the American Petroleum Institute, referenced a report

called, Restoring the Quality of Our Environment.

251

Eichard shared with the audience,

252

heat balance will be so modified as possibly to cause market changes in climate." Eichert

253

also noted that the report found that, quote, non -polluting means of powering

automobiles, buses, and trucks is likely to become a national necessity, end quote.

254

Even before that, a transcript

255

from Edward Teller, a scientist who helped invent the hydrogen bomb.

256

Teller warned, whenever you burn conventional fuel, you create carbon dioxide.

257

Its presence in the atmosphere causes a greenhouse effect.

258

He went on to explain that if the world kept using fossil fuels,

259

the ice caps would begin to melt, raising sea levels.

260

Eventually, quote, all the coastal cities would be covered, end quote.

261

that Exxon privately studied options for avoiding global warming.

262

They found that by immediately transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, fossil

fuel pollution

263

264

Instead, there was a decision to engage in a coordinated global effort to dispute climate

science and block fossil fuel controls.

265

Ronald Reagan, former governor of California, and Republican Congressman John B.

266

Ederson.

267

who launched an independent campaign for president.

268

The makeup of the electorate changed behind two events that particularly motivated

evangelicals to engage more in this election.

269

status for Bob Jones University, a religious university that excluded black students from

270

admissions.

271

Bring an appeal to the rising conservative movement

272

that not only advocated cutting taxes and budget deficits, but also focused more closely

on social issues like abortion and homosexuality.

273

Evangelicals enthusiastically supported Reagan.

274

He called for increased defense spending behind Cold War concerns, tax cuts, domestic

spending cuts, and the dismantling of the Department of Education and the Department of

275

Energy.

276

Carter didn't think there was a chance that the American people would choose that

platform.

277

However, the inability to turn around the economy within his term left some to perceive

the administration as incompetent.

278

Furthermore, the negative attitudes many people held towards all three candidates led many

279

election.

280

The candidate with the most dedicated base, Reagan,

281

went on to win 50 .7 % of the popular vote, carrying all but a handful of states.

282

At the turn of the decade, much of the youth movement that was so integral to the social

283

adulthood where priorities changed.

284

individualism

285

moving towards what would be known as the decade of decadence or the era of excess.

286

Street, where corporate raider Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas, speaks at an

287

annual shareholders meeting of a company he's planning to take over.

288

But evolution in corporate America seems to be survival of the unfitest.

289

Well in my book you either do it right or you get eliminated.

290

In the last seven deals that I've been involved with, there were 2 .5 million stockholders

who have made a pre -tax profit of $12 billion.

291

Thank you.

292

I am not a destroyer of companies.

293

I am a liberator of them.

294

point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good.

295

Greed is right.

296

Greed works.

297

Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

298

Greed in all of its forms.

299

Greed for life, for money.

300

For love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed.

301

You mark my words.

302

We'll not only save Tel -Dar paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the

USA.

303

Thank you very much.

304

Gecko compares the United States to a quote, malfunctioning corporation that greed could

still save.

305

Reagan too viewed the free market as the best judge of what was good for the country.

306

He felt that corporate self -interest would steer the country in the right direction.

307

In his first term, Reagan implemented what would be known as Reaganomics, an economic

policy based on deregulation and cuts in both taxes

308

and government spending on public welfare.

309

introduced the federal income tax, the country has used a system called a marginal tax

310

structure.

311

This means that as you earn more money, you move into higher tax brackets and your income

is taxed at different rates depending on how much you make.

312

The intent is to tax individuals based on their earnings so that low -income earners do

not face a financially disproportionate burden compared to higher -income earners.

313

Income is divided into parts or tiers.

314

The higher the income, the more the tiers, and each tier is taxed at a higher rate.

315

The highest tier or tax bracket you reach is called your marginal tax rate.

316

However,

317

The average rate you pay on all your income is usually much lower than your marginal tax

rate.

318

This average rate is known as your effective tax rate.

319

Now the top marginal tax rate has varied over time.

320

321

It declined to as low as 24 % in the 20s and increased through the Great Depression,

topping out at 91 to 92%.

322

documented U .S.

323

history.

324

Through the 70s, the top marginal tax rate dropped to the 70 % range until Reagan's first

325

Reagan lowered the marginal tax rate to 50%.

326

The rate would drop again to a staggering 28 % on his way out from his second term.

327

328

While the rate cut was marketed to trickle down through the economy through consumption

and reinvestment into the workforce, some used their savings to fund the transformation of

329

policies in their favor through various means.

330

Economists were hired to support ideologies.

331

media outlets were purchased to control messaging.

332

The extra money also bought influence with politicians and shaped laws.

333

The tax cuts for the ultra wealthy arguably contributed to a cycle that disproportionately

increased their own wealth and influence.

334

When it came to cuts in government spending, one targeted area was environmental policy.

335

336

but emphasize reviewing and reforming environmental laws.

337

produce specific reform suggestions.

338

Chaired by Dan Lefkin, a former head of Connecticut's Department of Environmental

Protection, the task force also included two former EPA administrators, Russell Train and

339

William Ruckelsos.

340

It produced a report

341

calling for moderate reforms in line with the Republican platform, but did not advocate

cutting programs on a wholesale basis to maintain momentum of environmental protection.

342

Now, as the governor of California, Reagan had a strong environmental record, but in the

White House, his environmental policy took a dramatic turn, even diverging from his

343

party's platform.

344

The Lufkin Report was largely ignored

345

as the president's environmental policy agenda was now being shaped more by the views of

the Heritage Foundation.

346

Folner, a former congressional aide and foreign consultant, and Joseph Coors of Coors

347

Brewing Company, the Heritage Foundation is an activist American conservative think tank

based in Washington, D .C.

348

Hello, I'm Ed Folner, president of the Heritage Foundation, a Washington -based public

policy research organization.

349

That is a think tank.

350

Think tanks are basically idea factories.

351

We're in the idea business because we believe that ideas have consequences or as John

Maynard Keynes, the economist said, it is ideas not vested interests which are dangerous

352

for good or evil.

353

Ideas basically are the raw materials of laws.

354

which means that people here in Washington involved in the public policy process, like the

Congress, officials in the executive branch, leaders in the national news media, have to

355

depend on ideas as the raw material for everything they do.

356

And it's those new ideas that think tanks in Washington are involved in presenting to the

public policy makers.

357

Our ideas here at Heritage are usually described as conservative.

358

That is, we believe in...

359

promoting traditional American values.

360

We believe in a strong national defense and we believe in the free enterprise system and

free trade.

361

We believe that basically less government is better than more government.

362

But you're talking about ideas, Ed.

363

I assume you're talking about ideas transferred to action.

364

Indeed, the idea by itself is not enough.

365

We think of...

366

in the public policy arena, the three I's, ideas, individuals, and institutions.

367

The idea is the first basic raw material that begins the process.

368

But that idea then has to be articulated by an individual.

369

And that individual has to then make it happen and make it relevant, if you will, to the

public policy makers.

370

And that usually happens through an institution.

371

Growing out of the New Business Activist Movement,

372

that was inspired by discontent with Richard Nixon's embrace of the liberal consensus and

frustration with the non -controversial nature of existing think tanks, Weirich and Fulner

373

sought to advance conservative policies through their own version of a think tank.

374

In its early years, Coors was the Heritage Foundation's primary funding source,

contributing $250 ,000 and continued to fund it

375

through the Adolf Coors Foundation.

376

ExxonMobil has been another prominent funding source.

377

The foundation's trustees have historically included individuals affiliated with Chase

Manhattan Bank, Dow Chemical, General Motors, Mobil, Pfizer, Sears, and other

378

corporations.

379

The Heritage Foundation advocated for pro -business policies, but distinguished itself

380

by also advocating for cultural issues important to Christian conservatives.

381

Recently, it has influenced conservative media narratives and legislative recommendations

on transgender rights, critical race theory, Black Lives Matter, Ukraine funding, voter

382

fraud claims, and climate denial.

383

384

presidential election.

385

Leadership, a far -reaching, detailed publication that offered specific recommendations on

386

policy, budget, and administrative action for the incoming Reagan administration.

387

The document was 20 volumes, 3 ,000 pages,

388

and contained more than 2 ,000 individual suggestions to move the federal government in a

conservative direction.

389

The report presented a plan for reshaping public discourse on civil rights issues,

including halting past affirmative action policies, provided specific suggestions related

390

391

and increasing it by an average of $35 billion over the next five years, establishing

urban enterprise zones to encourage businesses, often high polluters, to move into the

392

nation's inner cities, reducing personal income tax rates by 10 % across the board,

calling for line item veto power by the president, and developing a new strategic bomber

393

using B1 and advanced bomber technology.

394

According to Mandate's authors, around 60 % of the 2 ,000 proposals in it were implemented

or initiated at the end of Reagan's first year in office.

395

That same year, Reagan famously asserted, quote, trees cause more pollution than

automobiles do, and that if, quote, you've seen one tree, you've seen them all, end quote,

396

a remarkable difference from his time in California.

397

As a further display of his posture on climate, in his second term Reagan removed 32 solar

panels that Jimmy Carter had installed on the White House during the Arab oil embargo.

398

The panels were removed while work was being done on the roof below the panels.

399

Some claimed that the only reason the panels were not reinstalled was because of cost

concerns.

400

However, the Reagan administration's opposition to renewable energy was clear by this

point.

401

At his first cabinet meeting, Reagan passed out copies of Mandate for Leadership, and many

of the authors were in the room, in particular, key mandate contributor James G.

402

Watt, who was appointed as Secretary of the Interior, a role that is responsible for the

management and conservation of most federal land, along with natural resources.

403

While Watt was being greeted by fellow Republicans at a luncheon fundraiser,

404

anti -Watt demonstrators were not far away.

405

They were angry about Watts' request to take another look at possible strip mining in

Utah's Alton coalfields.

406

Secretary Watt is sacrificing virtually every tradition, every law, and every regulation

to protect our national parks, our wildlife, our endangered species, our wilderness, our

407

clean air and water.

408

Later, while talking with reporters, Watt said he is merely asking for permission to

consider the coal fields.

409

He says no final decision has been made.

410

James G.

411

Watt was a lawyer and founding president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, or MSLF,

in Denver, a conservative group that acted on behalf of oil, timber, development, and

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mineral corporations.

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Initially funded by none other than Joseph Coors, the MSLF also took donations from some

175 corporations.

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MSLF was closely identified with an anti -environmental movement called Wise Use, which

advocated for increased access to and development of federal lands and resources with a

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preference for extractive uses like mining and oil drilling or utilitarian uses.

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like grazing over ecological, scenic, wildlife, or aesthetic values.

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The group promoted so -called takings legislation, which asked that private and corporate

landholders be compensated by government for having to comply with environmental laws,

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such as habitat protection.

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Watt initiated aggressive legal tactics at MSLF, filing lawsuits and pursuing pro

-business legislation

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on the environment in a way that hadn't been done before.

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He maintained that his actions were for the good of the people and the free enterprise

system.

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What was reportedly recommended to Reagan by Joseph Coors, who was also a leading

contributor to the Reagan campaign.

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This appointment had major implications for the direction of environmental policy

initiatives in the first three years of his administration.

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Reagan's administration made massive cuts to environmental program budgets.

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The Office of Management and Budget, or OMB, shaped these cuts to reinforce the

President's policy change agenda.

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The OMB is a key component of the White House that manages the implementation of the

President's vision across the federal government, overseeing the performance of federal

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agencies and administering the federal budget.

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Typically, you would expect department and agency heads to protest such cuts, but Reagan

appointed Ann Gorsuch, who welcomed the prospect of reduced budgets.

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Gorsuch, a Colorado attorney and politician, argued that states were better custodians of

resources

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and that market forces would bring more discipline to regulation.

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two two -year terms.

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She was voted outstanding freshman legislator, but often aligned herself with a small but

powerful group of conservatives called the, quote, house crazies, who were determined to

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permanently change government through tax cuts and deregulation.

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pleased with the result.

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This was the last act of a seven act passion play.

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We got essentially what we wanted.

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Reagan's budget requests for environmental protection faced opposition in Congress.

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responsibilities.

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Gorsuch tried to weaken pollution standards, but the Democratic House and moderate

Republican Senate held numerous hearings and investigations into the administration's

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controversial initiatives.

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There is ample evidence that OMB served as a conduit for business influence on regulation

and has directly attempted to change agency rulemaking.

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John E.

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Daniel, former EPA Chief of Staff, testified that

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OMB tried to dictate regulations to EPA, urge that cost factors to be considered in

setting health rules when the Clean Air Act prohibited their use, threatened retaliation

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against the agency, and showed proposed rules changes to industry officials before they

were made public.

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Most importantly, the entire process was closed to the public and there is no

administrative record.

448

At least one OMB official stated,

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We're not doing any heavy analysis.

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The economic analysis is just window dressing for the executive order.

451

452

What, when defending his widely criticized decision to authorize the sale of more than one

billion tons of coal from federal lands in Wyoming, argued that he was immune to

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criticism.

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because members of his coal advisory panel included, quote, a black, a woman, two Jews,

and a cripple, end quote.

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because documents exposed by Congress revealed major misconduct within the EPA.

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Environmental policy had become an extremely sensitive issue for the president.

457

To provide a sense of fairness and moderation at the Interior Department, he appointed

William Clark, previously Reagan's National Security Advisor, to replace Watt.

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To restore credibility to EPA, William Ruckelschaas, the former EPA Administrator from

Reagan's Transition Task Force, was brought in to replace Gorsuch.

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The change in style was unmistakable.

460

Ruckelschaus and Clark adopted a conciliatory posture before Congress, held well

-publicized meetings with environmental groups, and reversed several controversial

461

decisions.

462

backed down and accepted Ruckelschaus' recommendation to add another $165 .5 million to

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the original EPA budget.

464

465

would preclude restoration of environmental programs for the indefinite future.

466

increased,

467

and progress towards energy efficiency slowed.

468

Globally, the World Commission on Environmental and Development met for the first time in

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The goal was to catalog, analyze, and synthesize written submissions and expert testimony

from senior government representatives, scientists and experts, research institutes,

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industrialists,

471

representatives of non -governmental organizations, and the public.

472

Known today as the Bruntland Commission, a sub -organization of the United Nations, the

group published a report called Our Common Future, or the Bruntland Report.

473

474

It sought to place environmental issues firmly on the political agenda.

475

aiming to discuss the environment and development as one single issue.

476

Meanwhile, environmental disasters continue to pile up.

477

drought -triggered crisis in Africa, putting 36 million people at risk, killing an

estimated 1 million people.

478

A leak from a pesticides factory in Bhopal, India killed more than 2 ,000 people and

blinded and injured over 200 ,000 more.

479

Liquid gas tanks exploded in Mexico City, killing 1 ,000 and leaving thousands more

homeless.

480

the Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion which sent nuclear fallout across Europe,

increasing the risk of future human cancers.

481

Agricultural chemicals, solvents, and mercury flowed into the Rhine River during a

warehouse fire in Switzerland, killing millions of fish and threatening drinking water in

482

the Federal Republic of Germany and the Netherlands.

483

And an estimated 60 million people died of diarrheal diseases related to unsafe drinking

water and malnutrition.

484

Most of the victims were children.

485

Survey announced the detection of abnormally low ozone levels over the South Pole, known

486

as the ozone hole.

487

The ozone layer is a region of the Earth's stratosphere containing high levels of tri

-oxygen, which effectively blocks much of the Sun's most harmful ultraviolet radiation.

488

Scientists had pushed for regulating

489

chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, found in air conditioners and aerosol sprays due to their

adverse effects on this layer.

490

damage the Earth's atmosphere.

491

The Nature paper specifically revealed annual depletion of ozone above the Antarctic.

492

to record -breaking heat, severe droughts, and wildfires in the U .S.

493

This period drew heightened awareness about climate change.

494

nose.

495

Considering his love of being outside, the president may have been able to see how it was

related.

496

NASA, who initially focused on space, expanded its role in Earth science during this

period.

497

It established an Earth -observing system to explore global change, a concept encompassing

climate change, land use, oceans, and pollution.

498

global warming.

499

All the while, Exxon held a public stance that the science was still controversial.

500

For comparison of the accuracy between Hanson and Exxon's prediction, Hanson's global

warming predictions had skill scores from 38 to 66 % compared to Exxon's 72%, with their

501

highest score being 99%.

502

They knew all along.

503

Fortunately, the global response to the ozone layer's depletion

504

was swift and decisive.

505

Nations rallied behind the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer,

an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production

506

of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion.

507

508

509

197 UN members endorsed it.

510

21st century.

511

The intertwined history of geopolitical conflicts and environmental policy underscores the

complexity and interconnectedness of global challenges.

512

From ancient territorial disputes to modern environmental crises.

513

The decisions made by industries and nations reverberate across time and borders.

514

In the U .S., the politicization of the EPA deregulation and cuts in government spending

led to the loss of thousands of skilled personnel and the reduction by half or more in the

515

research budgets of EPA and other agencies, undermining the technical and analytical

capacities necessary to improve implementation.

516

of environmental programs.

517

In the end, the national debt still nearly tripled.

518

In Jimmy Carter's Crisis of Confidence speech, he shared a warning.

519

In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close -knit communities, and our

faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self -indulgence.

520

and consumption.

521

Human identity is no longer defined by what one does.

522

But by what one owns.

523

But we've discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing

for meaning.

524

We've learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have

no confidence or purpose.

525

The symptoms of this crisis of the American spirit are all around us.

526

For the first time in the history of our country, majority of our people believe that the

next five years will be worse than the past five years.

527

Two -thirds of our people do not even vote.

528

The productivity of American workers is actually dropping.

529

And the willingness of Americans to save for the future has fallen below that of all other

people in the Western world.

530

As you know, there is a growing disrespect for government and for churches and for

schools, the news media and other institutions.

531

This is not a message of happiness or reassurance, but it is the truth and it is a

warning.

532

Over the next decade, the long -term effects from this era of excess will ripple

throughout society.

533

Next time on Going Green.

534

There are lots of struggles around pesticides and farm workers, around communities that

are struggling against highways being built through their communities.

535

and with petrochemical plants, et cetera.

536

But it was not until Warren County, or that PCB landfill, that toxic waste landfill was

placed in the middle of this predominantly black county.

537

And residents in that community said no.

538

Thanks for listening.

539

Going Green is a Spaces podcast story brought to you by Lines.

540

If you learned something from this episode or think it would resonate with the print,

please share it and rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

541

It really helps others find the show.

542

If you have a question, want to submit a correction, or just share whatever is on your

mind, I'd love to hear from you.

543

You can do that at lines .studio slash podcast.

544

That's L -Y.

545

nes .studio .com and listen in to my wrap up episode to hear my response.

546

If you're looking for similar content, Spaces is a proud member of GableMedia, a digital

media platform where you can find even more content like this.

547

Visit gablemedia .com, that's G -A -B -L media .com, and before I go, if you want to see

additional photos, videos, clips, and other content that I found during my research,

548

you can visit lions .studio slash podcast.

549

Talk soon.