The Tea Party Patriots of North Idaho support a common-sense approach to protecting the environment. We believe that our Fifth Amendment rights are in danger due to the federal government’s confiscatory regulation of private property in the name of protecting so-called endangered plant and animal species. We do not believe that nature should be elevated above human and property rights. We support a balanced approach between preserving the natural world and protecting the living needs of the people of Idaho.
e strongly support the philosophy of the Heartland Institute in that “common-sense environmentalism recognizes that almost everyone today is an environmentalist. We all want a healthy, green environment for ourselves and our families. What distinguishes common-sense environmentalism from more extreme environmental activism is a commitment to fight real environmental problems rather than imagined ones and a realization that free markets are an ally rather than an enemy of environmental stewardship.
Common-sense environmentalists recognize that environmental scares are frequently unsupported by sound science and are often launched to further an anti-corporation, anti-free market agenda. Activists use junk science to stampede the public into fearing chemicals in the air, food, and water, and the possible consequences of poorly understood phenomena such as climate change.
The best way to achieve a healthy and green environment is to use sound science to distinguish real environmental issues from imaginary ones, and then to tap into the efficiency of market forces to address the environmental issues that truly exist. This enables us to prioritize environmental and public health problems, the first step in any serious effort to address a problem, and to solve problems without trampling on other things we value such as individual freedom and economic prosperity.”
It is the responsibility of the committee to research and study selected environmental issues and proposed legislation impacting the people of North Idaho, prepare summaries of their findings and present their conclusions and action or position recommendations to the Executive Committee of the Tea Party Patriots of North Idaho for approval.
