By Dan Calabrese —— Bio and Archives November 25, 2016
Comments | Print This | Subscribe | Email Us
Mr. Ebell is a whip-smart policy wonk at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. He has spent years at the epicenter of conservative efforts to combat backward environmental regulations. His appointment to manage Mr. Trump’s EPA transition team was an inspired and encouraging surprise. On the left it provoked a complete meltdown. Environmental groups whipped up tens of thousands of petition signatures demanding Mr. Trump ditch the “climate denier.” Students at Georgetown and Harvard demonstrated against the appointment. There’s even an online hashtag: #RebelAgainstEbell.
Lifting environmental burdens is (along with tax reform) where conservatives see the most sweeping upside for growth. Talk to Mr. Trump’s economic advisers: They understand that the advent of fracking and new drilling techniques—the ability to tap untold reserves of oil and gas—represents a global paradigm shift that can reset America’s economy and foreign dealings. President Obama’s willful decision to ignore this was as if Bill Clinton had opted the country out of the internet revolution. Mr. Trump gets that. The early audacity of his thinking, as represented by Mr. Ebell, has inspired the right, even as it has incensed the left. For years Republicans have been running scared on the environment, cringing under attacks from activists, constantly seeking to look “green” and play down their energy ambitions. Not so Mr. Trump, the first Republican president in the modern era who seems willing to turn the formula on its head and adopt a position in keeping with other energy-rich nations. The Norways and Canadas of the world embrace their energy abundance and make it an economic priority, even as they also take steps to protect air and water quality. That appears to be the Trump approach.It remains to be seen whether Trump appoints Ebell as EPA administrator, but one thing we can already tell from Trump's general approach is that he does not buy the conventional wisdom that certain agencies and departments are the exclusive domain of the left. And he does not appear afraid of attacks from liberals and their media allies if he doesn't play ball.
Dan Calabrese’s column is distributed by HermanCain.com, which can be found at HermanCain
Follow all of Dan’s work, including his series of Christian spiritual warfare novels, by liking his page on Facebook.