Letter from Robert Redford re: Earth Day

[NewHampster]

- In email just now from the Kerry Campaign -

Today is Earth Day and I am afraid. For three decades, we have been fighting to protect the environment and have been proud of the great strides our country has taken. If George Bush is reelected we can count on the continuation of his agenda to undo all the advances we have struggled to achieve.

To put it simply, George Bush's environmental policies endanger our health, loot our natural resources, and destroy the possibility of a secure energy future. George Bush may claim his environmental policies promote "healthy forests" and "clear skies" but those labels are both disingenuous and false. Most of his initiatives are nothing more than payoffs for wealthy campaign contributors.

We need a President who understands that patriotism includes protecting our nation's incomparable natural wonders, not looking at them merely as oil depositories. Throughout his career John Kerry has fought to clean up toxic waste sites, to keep our air and water clean, and to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other pristine wilderness areas. John Kerry has been one of the environment's greatest defenders.

I believe John Kerry will do what the President of the United States should do, which is to genuinely lead with a new era of solutions that are good for jobs and economic growth, public health, and the environment. He deserves our support.

On behalf of our environment, this Earth Day help me make sure the next generation will not have to deal with the devastating environmental consequences of the Bush Administration -- make a contribution to John Kerry today.