Major environmental group makes first ever endorsement of Hillary Clinton

[riversedge]

Source: washington post






Major environmental group makes first ever endorsement of Hillary Clinton


By Abby Phillip May 31 at 6:30 AM

Democratic presidential candidate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton walks in the Memorial Day parade May 30, 2016 in Chappaqua, New York. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

A major environmental group, the NRDC Action Fund, will endorse Hillary Clinton on Tuesday in its first-ever political endorsement in a presidential election.

In a statement, the NRDC Action Fund, a political affiliate of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said that the unprecedented endorsement is reflective of the need for left-leaning groups to unite against Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee.

“Hillary Clinton is an environmental champion with the passion, experience and savvy to build on President Obama’s environmental legacy,” Rhea Suh, president of the NRDC Action Fund, said in a statement. “More than any other candidate running, Hillary Clinton understands the environmental challenges America faces, and her approach to solving them is grounded in the possibility and promise our democracy affords us.”

Suh specifically cited Trump's recent energy speech in North Dakota as one of the main rationales for the announcement....................


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/05/31/major-environmental-group-makes-first-ever-endorsement-of-hillary-clinton/

---

CONGRATULATIONS TO HILLARY AND HER TEAM.

[MariaThinks]

1. Good to see that some people are thinking.

[quickesst]

2. K&R...

Nice!!!

[livetohike]

3. Excellent! Great endorsement.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Where the Rubber Meets the Road for this Election

NRDC, longtime member here

Trump will be after National parks and Federal Lands for drilling, mining, developing
of golf courses, hotels, casinos --- all labeled "T"

He's a real estate developer

Yes, Hillary is mainstream, supported oil and fracking as Sec'y of State: what was she
going to do, stop the need for energy and economic growth? Not exactly a way of engaging
the world.

So I'm glad to see someone is thinking of the big, long term picture

Buttonhole those reluctant Democrats and Independents and Millennials

Bernie and Hillary must unite on the environment

[Surya Gayatri]

5. Massive K & R. Thanks for posting. Good for Team Hillary.

[pangaia]

6. "Left-leaning?".. well sort of. Depends on the meaning of left...and leaning...

Everything is relative.

Anyway, next to that republican egomaniac, anybody would look good.

[spanzini]

7. The passion experience and savvy to build on Obama's environmental legacy

How do they say it with a straight face? Gulf coast disaster anyone?

We write it and say it, therefore it's true! Three cheers for team Hillary!!!!

[raindaddy]

14. How about opening up the Santra Barbara coastline to fracking?

"The Obama administration's offshore regulators ruled Friday that fracking has no significant environmental effect off the California coastline."

Considering the Ventura fault line and Santa Barbara is already a major earthquake risk what could go wrong?

[Divernan]

9. This is a PR puff piece, not an investigative report.

I'm very disappointed in the low level of "journalism" and "reporting" of this article. The reporter cough-stenographer-cough basically repeats the release from the NRDC statement without any follow up questioning of the organization or it's spokesperson as to Clinton's international promotion of fracking in Europe, Africa and the Middle East while she was Secretary of State, her support for the Keystone Pipeline, Clinton's very private, very lucrative, no-press-allowed Philadelphia fundraiser for Big Energy lobbyists, criticism of Clinton by other major environmental groups, Hillary's BFF relationship with Monsanto, etc.

Don't tell me that the Washington Post is held in such low regard by the NRDC that it's president or PR person would not take a phone call from a Wa-Po reporter with follow up questions.

The reporter repeats paragraph after paragraph of the pro-Hillary press release, but didn't take time to get a response from Sanders or his campaign. And the NRDC's silence on Sanders is deafening. I suggest that the reporter put down the cheerleader pom-poms & try her hand at investigative reporting. She's never going to be getting an SDX award at the National Press Club with puff pieces like this. I am not surprised that her degree is in government, not in journalism. I suggest she take a career break and enroll in Columbia's graduate program for a master's in journalism.

Check out comments following the article. Here's a sampling:
8:55 AM EST

So what you're saying is, the NRDC Action Fund is thumbs up for Fracking and the Keystone XL Pipeline? Oh, lets not forget about the TPP which will give corporations an opening to pollute more, since they'll be suing every government under the sun to do so, since they'll be sovereign entities now. Good job on your research NRDC Action Fund ... you really knocked this one out of the park, or padded your pockets, either way you've sold your morals and screwed the people of this planet.

Meanwhile the rest of the legit environmental groups found Hillary's supports Fracking which is Hillary approved, According to Greenpeace : Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Super PAC supporting her have received $138,400 from fossil fuel lobbyists and $1,327,210 from bundlers. http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/0...

The NRCD Action Fund endorsing Hillary an Arch supporter of fracking? I thought I'd seen it all. Look, if Clinton has you in her pocket just say so and stop already the Trump bogeyman. Hillary might edge out Sanders in California but she's toast. She's been unelectable as POTUS before and since 2008. She WILL lose to Trump come November. The writing has been on the wall for a long while and only members of her cult are convinced she's presidential material.

[TwilightZone]

15. "And the NRDC's silence on Sanders is deafening."

Because they endorsed Clinton. This isn't complicated.

"Check out comments following the article"

Yes, because comments are always fact-based and accurate. Just like on DU.

[Cryptoad]

10. Great news for Hillary

just an addition to her Wins proving HRC's superiority over Bern.

She won most votes
She won the most delegates
She won the most endorsements

She is the Best Candidate
and will be a Great President!

[Lean]

18. How is it that Hillary

is "the Best Candidate" if she has a 55-57% disapproval rating? How does one square that peg?

"Superiority?" Now that is funny stuff! It's not like corruption will follow her into the WH.

She won the most votes in closed primaries.
Super-delegates are not Democratic.
Endorsements mean so much to the voting populace.

You just gotta love the Red Arrow pointing the the Right in her logo. Speaks volumes.

[puffy socks]

59. You gotta love those who continue to point to polls

especially after Bernie's wins defied all the polls and the Bernie camp bragged on and on about their lack of accuracy and how that meant he would sweep the rest of the states.


Oh and picking apart a logo, yeah that really shows....absolutely nothing. Sounds a lot like "Obama rhymes with Osama." from '08

[ProudProgressiveNow]

11. K&R nt

[EdwardBernays]

12. Lol

Google who's on the board. They're all Hillary campaign donors.

The chair also is buddy buddy with the Podestas.

And we're surprised they've endorsed her?

[dorkzilla]

24. I am SHOCKED! SHOCKED!!!!

Fuck these people.

[trudyco]

50. but the Newish President was very anti-fracking

Rhea Suh was at the dept of Interior prior to just becoming newish head o this organization.

Before that she worked at or with Hewlitt and Packard foundations. Promoting anti-fracking. So how can she endorse Hillary over Bernie? Very strange.

[RandySF]

54. Yep, I thought I heard the bus coming.

[Kelvin Mace]

13. So, that would be the PAC

supporting her, not the membership?

[alarimer]

45. Yes, because it's likely that the organization itself cannot endorse anyone.

Legally, that is. So this is a misleading article. Just like unions, NGO's like this environmental group must keeps its political activity separate, so they set up PACs to run ads and so forth, endorsing this or that candidate.

[riversedge]

16. Gov Jerry Brown CA just Endorsed Hillary just now: Brown is concerned with the GE and

Trump, who says the Climate change is a Hoax.




Jerry Brown Verified account
?@JerryBrownGov

An Open Letter to California Democrats and Independents http://www.jerrybrown.org/an_open_letter_to_california_democrats_and_independents …


An Open Letter to California Democrats and Independents
Posted by Jerry Brown 26pc on May 31, 2016

On Tuesday, June 7, I have decided to cast my vote for Hillary Clinton because I believe this is the only path forward to win the presidency and stop the dangerous candidacy of Donald Trump.

I have closely watched the primaries and am deeply impressed with how well Bernie Sanders has done. He has driven home the message that the top one percent has unfairly captured way too much of America’s wealth, leaving the majority of people far behind. In 1992, I attempted a similar campaign.

For her part, Hillary Clinton has convincingly made the case that she knows how to get things done and has the tenacity and skill to advance the Democratic agenda. Voters have responded by giving her approximately 3 million more votes – and hundreds more delegates – than Sanders. If Clinton were to win only 10 percent of the remaining delegates – wildly improbable – she would still exceed the number needed for the nomination. In other words, Clinton’s lead is insurmountable and Democrats have shown – by millions of votes – that they want her as their nominee.

But there is more at stake than mere numbers. The Republican nominee, Donald Trump, has called climate change a “hoax” and said he will tear up the Paris Climate Agreement. He has promised to deport millions of immigrants and ominously suggested that other countries may need the nuclear bomb. He has also pledged to pack the Supreme Court with only those who please the extreme right.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Our country faces an existential threat from climate change and the spread of nuclear weapons. A new cold war is on the horizon. This is no time for Democrats to keep fighting each other. The general election has already begun. Hillary Clinton, with her long experience, especially as Secretary of State, has a firm grasp of the issues and will be prepared to lead our country on day one.

Next January, I want to be sure that it is Hillary Clinton who takes the oath of office, not Donald Trump.

With respect,

Jerry Brown

[Actor]

51. Enormous respect for Jerry, I have.

It is curious he says Hillary is the best chance to beat the sociopath.

I dont know if that is correct or not, I dont know how people will react to Bernie being called all kinds of names that mean nothing to adults but mean tons to the idiots.

[truebrit71]

17. Guess I'll be looking for another environmental group to support.

Like the PP endorsement of Clinton, this too will have repercussions.

[MisterP]

19. "the NRDC Action Fund, a political affiliate of the Natural Resources Defense Council"

NOT the NRDC

same trick with the Congressional Black Caucus and Planned Parenthood

[TwilightZone]

21. Wrong

"NRDC is also the parent organization of the NRDC Action Fund"

https://www.nrdc.org/about

[dragonfly301]

20. Yay fracking!

[jpmonk91]

30. Wow

This endorsement sucks.

[PufPuf23]

22. Based on history, I would expect Hillary Clinton to be a weak environmental POTUS.

Last edited Tue May 31, 2016, 11:57 AM - Edit history (1)

Why? Fracking, big oil, Keystone, supporter of MIC, supporter of carbon offset credits, supporter of free trade deals

POTUS Obama has been weak on the environment regards to priority of the issue.

Stopping war is a most forward environmental initiative as there is nothing more damaging to the environment and wasteful of natural resources than war.

The major environmental groups that rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s have become corporatized and weak sauce but good careers for a few since peaking in effectiveness in the 1980s, this includes the Natural Resource Defense Council and its affiliate NRDC Action Fund. NRDC can no longer be described as a grass roots organization. NRDC focuses on politics and fund raising and is part of the status quo. I am not claiming that NRDC is a "bad" organization but that it is a mature organization subject to corporate capture and is not the same grass roots organization as when came to prominence. NRDC maintains access to politicians and corporations now by a willingness to be part of the system and stay within that box.

The wiki for NRDC mentions five court cases; three were progressive environmental initiatives in the 1970s and 1980s, the last two are from the 113th Congress and one could argue the nuance is more to protect specific corporate from grass roots interests.
Legislation[edit]

From wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Resources_Defense_Council

NRDC opposed the Water Rights Protection Act (H.R. 3189; 113th Congress), a bill that would prevent federal agencies from requiring certain entities to relinquish their water rights to the United States in order to use public lands.[18][19] According to opponents, the bill is too broad.[19][20] They believe the bill "could also block federal fisheries agencies like the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from requiring flows that help salmon find fish ladders and safely pass over dams."[19]

Proponents of the bill disagree with NRDC's stance on the bill, arguing that the current Federal policy defended by NRDC seeks to make users of public lands turn over water rights which in many cases they have paid state or local governments for. Operators of ski areas, ranchers, and farmers, and other users of public land say that the Federal policy defended by NRDC denies them rights to use water for which they have already paid, effectively denying them use of the land. The Water Rights Protection Act is supported by national ski area groups, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Association of Conservation Districts, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Family Farm Alliance, the National Water Resources Association, the Colorado River Conservation District, the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts, and other interests threatened by existing Federal water policy in the West which the NRDC is defending.[21]

NRDC supported the EPS Service Parts Act of 2014 (H.R. 5057; 113th Congress), a bill that would exempt certain external power supplies from complying with standards set forth in a final rule published by the United States Department of Energy in February 2014.[22][23] The United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce describes the bill as a bill that "provides regulatory relief by making a simple technical correction to the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act to exempt certain power supply (EPS) service and spare parts from federal efficiency standards."[24]

Effect on administrative law

The NRDC has been involved in the following Supreme Court cases interpreting United States administrative law.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 435 U.S. 519 (1978), which held that courts could not impose additional procedural requirements on administrative agencies beyond that required by the agency's organic statute or the Administrative Procedure Act.
Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984), which gave administrative agencies broad discretion to interpret statute to make policy changes if Congressional intent was unclear. Chevron is now the most-cited case in American case law, even more so than all the citations to famous decisions such as Marbury v. Madison, Brown v. Board of Education, and Roe v. Wade combined.[25]
Baltimore Gas & Elec. Co. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 462 U.S. 78 (1983)[26] is a United States Supreme Court decision which held to be valid a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rule that the permanent storage of nuclear waste should be assumed to have no environmental impact during the licensing of nuclear power plants.


Regards the NRDC Action Fund:

http://www.nrdcactionfund.org/about/ and,

http://www.nrdcactionfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Action-Fund-FY14-PD-990.pdf

One should note that about 85% of NRDC Action Fund contributions go to pay W-2 salaries of between $175,000 and $422,000 and these same individuals each had between $35,000 to $63,000 of income from actions related to the NRDC but not NRDC Action Fund W-2 income.

[retrowire]

23. Queen fracking

How does this make any sense?

[dorkzilla]

25. It doesn't but we're supposed to pretend it does

We're meant to ignore all her pro-fracking, pro-Keystone, pro-TPP bullshit and cheer. SO CHEER, DAMMIT!!!!

[retrowire]

26. why cant the world make sense?

Why are there so many people here looking at this and seeing it as perfectly fine???

[jpmonk91]

29. IDK I'm very disappointed

The environment is kinda my big issue. Yes it is true trump would be a disaster but that does not excuse an environmental group to support a pro fracking candidate. If they are truly concerned about climate change than they should not support Hillary. We have an obligation to get rid of fossil fuels. Also wierd article. It read more like an excuse than an actual reason.

[BlueMTexpat]

27. Lots more company

UTB with all the rest of us "corporate shills" - I SO want this primary over.

The really sad thing is that I actually used to like and respect Sanders.

Nevermore. Ever.

[DesertRat]

28. This is a great endorsement

[Herman4747]

31. All Hail the Eventual Fracker-in-Chief!

[jpmonk91]

32. This endorsement

Is a major loss for Mother Earth. Wow. We can't afford to keep killing our planet. We need to stop burning fossil fuels.

[riversedge]

33. and Trump WILL keep burning fossil fuels.

[jpmonk91]

34. Wow you don't get it

Do you? How sad. This is how the human race becomes extinct.

[riversedge]

37. Oh, I get that June 7th will be #HillaryCelebrationDay

[jpmonk91]

38. Sigh that is not relevant to

What I am trying to say. I am sad for Mother Earth. Trump and HRC are just going to let the raping of our planet continue. Shame on this environmental group for not doing it's job

[deathrind]

53. Yea...

You have to wonder what type of "environmental" group backs a candidate that is pro Fracking/Off shore + Arctic drilling.

Hmmm.

[jpmonk91]

40. Also

This is not a game to me. Our planet is at stake and so is our species

[angrychair]

35. So happy

That "environmental groups" are now pro-coal and pro-fracking and pro-TPP like the candidate they have chosen.

Would she be better for the environment than tRump? In some ways. Having s pro-coal, pro-fracking, pro-TPP agenda, is not in support of the environment.

[jpmonk91]

36. I agree

This is a dark day for our planet

[alarimer]

46. A lot of these groups have strange bedfellows.

And see above, it is not the NRDC itself, but its PAC. Not the same thing at all.

So many of these environmental groups are hopelessly compromised in any case; I don't really trust them at all anymore.

[mishi48.59]

39. Never Heard of Them

How are they a "major environmental group"??? . . . .cause I've never heard of them. Just saying.

[bluedigger]

41. It says they are a "major environmental group" right in the headline to let you know.

It's pretty much self evident.

[TwilightZone]

42. They have two million members and have been around for 45 years.

If you're going to be snarky, perhaps it might be best to have some idea what you're talking about first so you don't look silly.

https://www.nrdc.org/about

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4207#.V02pWOSYHBh

[bluedigger]

43. Look silly, Hell.

If they are so well damn known, why didn't the editor/publicist just run their name, like they would have with the Sierra Club?

[PatrynXX]

49. Yep.

like someone calling a computer online with the note Made by Major Computer maker. Never says who (although usually it's HP and HP is crap) NRDC usually not. That might hurt them in the long run. Like Komen being funded by the oil companies. Komen is in the red.

[jpmonk91]

44. I don't care.

They are not a great group if they want either HRC or trump. Our planet is dying and HRC is not a candidate of action. How sad

[LanternWaste]

57. I like to minimize people and organizations predicated wholly on my ignorance of them too.

I like to minimize people and organizations predicated wholly on my ignorance of them too. Rational though has no place in our biases.

[TomCADem]

58. The Natural Resources Defense Council Is A Very Active Environmental Group...

They are one of the key environmental groups litigating efforts to prevent overuse of Sacramento Delta water in California to protect species such as the Delta Smelt. When Donald Trump was making light of efforts to save a little fish, he was referring to the NRDC's litigation.

http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/delta/article73459082.html

Three environmentalist groups filed a lawsuit Friday alleging that to increase water flowing to farms and cities, state and federal regulators in the drought have repeatedly relaxed water-quality standards on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the detriment of its wild fish species.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco claims the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency failed to enforce the Clean Water Act.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, The Bay Institute and Defenders of Wildlife say they sued in response to nearly two dozen decisions made by California’s State Water Resources Control Board that reduced water quality standards to increase water shipments to farms and cities.

The groups say the decisions have had disastrous consequences for native fish that were already struggling in the fragile estuary. Two species in particular, Delta smelt and winter-run Chinook salmon, are hovering on the edge of extinction.

[mishi48.59]

60. Thank you!

Now I know.

[hughee99]

47. Given the number of past candidates with perhaps better "green" track records that didn't get their

endorsement, it makes me curious if there's some sort of financial connection between the NRDC Action Fund and the Clinton Global Initiative.

[PatrynXX]

48. disappointed in NRDC. usually they are smart

or memory loss from the 1990's oh well. doubt I'll cancel them. Nobody's perfect

[MisterP]

56. NRDC very clearly saying it hasn't endorsed even if its PAC did

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512095194