Community | October 20, 2012 | 33 comments

Why I'm Supporting President Obama...Actor Robert Redford

source: http://vote.barackobama.com

letsliveinpeace

http://vote.barackobama.com

I was in the early days of my acting career in 1962, when Rachel Carson's Silent Spring made its way onto best-seller lists and college campuses and into living rooms across America and sowed the seeds of today's environmental movement. The story of that movement still represents for me who we are as a country: a people dedicated to something greater than ourselves, and a nation that recognizes our responsibility to each other.

In this election, only President Obama shares those values and the belief that our kids and grandkids should grow up with living, natural places to explore. Yosemite, the Great Lakes and the Everglades should always be places we can visit and wonders that inspire -- not just photos of what used to be.

Shortly after taking office, President Obama signed one of the largest expansions of wilderness protection in a generation, setting aside more than 2 million acres as protected wilderness, conserving more than 1,000 miles of rivers, authorizing a 26-million-acre conservation system of historically significant landscapes and adding thousands of miles of trails. He's helping restore treasured landscapes from coast to coast that support local economies and communities through tourism and outdoor recreation.

The President has set historic standards that by 2025 will double the distance our cars and trucks will be able to go on a tank of gas, reducing our reliance on foreign oil by 2.2 million barrels per day and saving each of us thousands of dollars at the pump.

He made the single largest investment in clean energy of any other president, helping to double the amount of electricity we generate from wind and solar, strengthening our global economic competitiveness and supporting nearly a quarter of a million American jobs.

And that's one of the biggest differences in an election brimming with them. While President Obama is moving us forward, Mitt Romney would take us back. He'd roll back every step of progress we've made -- not just in the last four years, but the last 40 years.

We've seen in the last stretch of this campaign that Romney will say anything to win, even if it's flat-out false. But we know what the real Mitt Romney would do. He'd gut investments in renewable energy -- including the wind production tax credit that 37,000 American jobs depend on -- while giving $4 billion a year in wasteful taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil, even as they reap near-record profits. It's no coincidence that those same special interests have donated nearly $11 million to Romney's campaign and the super PACs behind it.

Even more revealing, Romney would undermine President Obama's commitment to our national parks and undo the crucial steps the President has taken to reduce toxic pollutants like mercury and address carbon pollution -- change that protects the health and prosperity of our children now and for generations to come.

We simply can't let Mitt Romney buy the keys to the White House and let the special interests write our nation's energy plan behind closed doors, like it did in the previous administration. That old saw didn't work then, and it won't work now.

I hope you'll join me in supporting President Obama and stopping others from reversing our progress. If you care about Great Lakes restoration in Ohio, or the Everglades in Florida, wind energy in Iowa or Colorado, vote. All of those states, and many others, have early voting -- don't wait until Election Day. Check out vote.barackobama.com and head over to the polls now.

This is one of the most important campaigns in our lifetime. The choice is clear, and it's up to all of us to join with President Obama to fight for continuing the significant progress he's made.

But don't take my word for it, watch this video about President Obama's environmental accomplishments and see for yourself our progress that's at stake:
  1. groups:
    Community,   Green
  2. tags:
    keystone XL,  it's all about the man
  3.     
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33 comments // Why I'm Supporting President Obama...Actor Robert Redford // Video

  • gump
    • 0
      gump  

    • Thugs in India used to distract thier victims away from normal roadways and then strangle them in isolated places. The rethuglicans want all America to elect Romney to total "controler" . That is a place us weary life travelers can be strangled with no help from passersby. It is a matter of life and death. We must at least push back against Robme with a united popular vote. I do not yet know how to do that if I vote for my choice candidate who is Jill Stien. I do not want to set my people up to be isolated and strangled from behind by murderous lying scumbag proffessional killers like Robme and his partners in organized crime. My wifes old boyfriend in Wiconsin was strangled in his mobile home a few weeks ago. He paid his last mortgage payment on his house. Instead of a reciept he got murdered. Before an accomplice confessed and the body found the trailer house had been resold. Under Robme banks and businesses will behave much more like Brian's contract home seller. Brian was strangled in his own home, his body was rideing around in the killer's van for four days befor the killer buried it . Some who read this comment may have followed this case in the news. Think what it was like to be Brian, to be set up and lawlessly murdered in his own home right in the middle of his own life. That is what it will be like under Robme, No regulations, only lawless predation. No recourse to justice thrugh courts. Only violence and the corse threat of violence. Naked murder. Obama is far from ideal. But at least a vote for him is a clear vote against Robme's "ownership" preditor class who think and pursue wealth the same as Brian's killer. We need to keep breathing so we can make changes in the world. We are in trouble the way we are now. But with Obama we might at least keep breathing for a while. Why tie hope to a stone like robme. It will not float in the river of life...

    • 7 months ago
  • think_more_do_more
  • gump
    • 0
      gump  
    • think_more_do_more:

      Robert Redford maybe old now, but he has been a far reaching positive influence in this world. He was never one of the historic mob owned hollywood actors. He was his own man and not a fluffhead. You may want to review his life before you dismiss it as trivial. You may wish to know how he thinks befor you dismiss the value of his ideas. He has been one with the common man who never stoped careing or shareing. He has built institutions that you have admired. Check out his life history. You might be awed and thankfull. His life has touched yours. In very good ways. He has had his share of serious adversity. Even lost a family member to organized crime operating out of WAshington county Colorado. I know because I know the killers. They ran the huge meth lbs there. And they ran the Son's of Silence. And the Aryan Brotherhood. And the Sherrif's department. And the police and the courts thruout the entire area. Redford went against them. He knows what corruption is all about. He knows how real power really works. He maybe old now . But he may be wise also. You may wish to consider his words carefully. By the way, My wife as mentioned above met Brian in Washington County Colorado while both were working at Hall's Grain in Akron Colorado. He helped her escape to Florida at a time when she feared her own family was about to have her killed. Brian was a good guy. As good guys we should all try to stick together and be effective. I suggest that we vote for Obama.

    • 7 months ago
  • Paratus
  • hombre76
  • rossmick
  • unimatrix0
  • JanforGore
    • +2
      JanforGore  
    • unimatrix0:

      .I'm sure Monsanto and Dow Chemical agree with you on that. Love and caring for this Earth however is not tied or determined by politics alone. Seeking to demean people's passion for the planet in such a way is disingenuous. In the end regardless of who anyone votes for the ultimate deteminant of whether or not real progress is made is in the action of the individual. I am taking action beyond just voting. You? And the way you got on this site a week ago and called me mentally ill and stated I had a sad life because I spent time here talking about the environment and climate change voids any credibility you have on it. Blind allegiance never serves this country well regardless of what "side" it comes from.

    • 7 months ago
  • think_more_do_more
  • JanforGore
    • +3
      JanforGore  
    • think_more_do_more:

      Surprising Robert Redford didn't mention the BP ecocide at all ... or Monsanto... or GMOs... or Keystone and tarsands... or Shell drilling in the Arctic he once so nobly protected regarding ANWR. Or the fact that we have lost half our wetlands that puts drinking water in danger. Politicians who play both sides for their own advantage do not do a good service to this planet regardless of what some may say. The fact that this State Dept. would also support a democratically elected president to be ousted in a coup because he wants to save his island from sea level rise speaks volumes. All things we will not hear about in this corporate funded campaign or this "foreign policy" debate.

    • 7 months ago
  • nanac
    • +5
      nanac  

    • President Obama isn't perfect, but he is light-years ahead of Mitt Romney on every issue that is essential to the advancement of America.
      Great post. Thanks for posting!

    • 7 months ago
  • HarukoHaruhara
  • HarukoHaruhara
  • JanforGore
    • +1
      JanforGore  

    • Sent to Mr. Redford:

      In regards to your piece: 2025, Mr. Redford? Seriously? Do you really understand the precipice this Earth teeters on? Climate change is already affecting this world in ways that we are already seeing climate refugees, losses due to crops flooded and withered by more extreme and severe droughts, sea level rise, stronger storms, Arctic ice melt that has set us on the course to irreversible tipping points .And all you can come up with as a solution is to vote for the man who supports the Keystone XL, fracking, drilling the Arctic? Isn't it absolutely sad this is the best we can do at a time when our very survival hangs in the balance? Well, maybe you can accept mediocrity on a lesser scale than what Romney is, but I can't and won't. Any environmentalist who puts this planet before politics will vote for the only candidate who has even uttered the words, "climate emergency" in this campaign. If you don't know who that is, then you should reflect upon just how much you really support the status quo in comparison to your dedication in really solving this crisis. Thank you.

      Would hope he would understand my point much clearer than some. At least I have the guts to speak honestly because I do care about this crisis being addressed with a real plan. When the first leg of the Keystone pipeline is approved regardless of Romney or Obama "winning" let's see everyone come back and say it is a good thing for the climate. James Hanson, Bill McKibben and other environmentalists have stated this is not the way to go. Fuel standards in and of themselves may save some money on gas but it is not enough to stave off the catastrophic effects of tipping points that are not being addressed. This is not just about fuel standards.

    • 7 months ago
  • Radical_Centrist
  • JanforGore
    • +2
      JanforGore  
    • Radical_Centrist:

      Well by 2025 when these standards take hold the Arctic won't have any ice at this rate and the feedbacks will be much more pronounced. This is why we need candidates to tell us their plans on how they will address "climate change" because we need much bolder action now. However, people will continue to play politics with this while just saying they care until it really is too far gone.

    • 7 months ago
  • coolplanet
    • +10
      coolplanet  

    • "The President has set historic standards that by 2025 will double the distance our cars and trucks will be able to go on a tank of gas, reducing our reliance on foreign oil by 2.2 million barrels per day and saving each of us thousands of dollars at the pump.
      He made the single largest investment in clean energy of any other president, helping to double the amount of electricity we generate from wind and solar, strengthening our global economic competitiveness and supporting nearly a quarter of a million American jobs."

      Obama deserves a lot more credit from Greens than he is getting.
      It is impossible to switch over to renewables in a few years.
      We need to be more realistic and appreciative of his many accomplishments over the past 3 years!

    • 7 months ago
  • unimatrix0
    • +8
      unimatrix0  
    • coolplanet:

      Well said. I have a hard time understanding how people who claim to support the environment would throw their vote away on Jill Stein and risk a Romney presidency.

      While I by no means am 100% satisfied with Obama's performance on the environment and other issues, I do know that a Romney presidency would be disastrous for the environment and a whole host of other issues.

    • 7 months ago
  • nanac
  • SFirman
  • SFirman
  • coolplanet
    • +5
      coolplanet  
    • unimatrix0:

      I am still not over what happened in 2000.
      Green Party candidate Ralph Nader convinced many of my friends that there is no difference between Democrats and Republicans, that Al Gore was a corporate whore, and Nader got 2% of the vote -- mostly from Green Democrats.
      That 2% cost us 8 years of the most eco-unfriendly administration in U.S. history!
      Same thing happened in 2010 when disgruntled Democrats let the Tea Party take over.
      This race is neck and neck. Greens seriously need to ask themselves if they would really prefer a Romney presidency over Obama because that's what it's down to.

    • 7 months ago
  • OlBlue
  • JanforGore
  • gump
  • letsliveinpeace
  • SFirman
  • think_more_do_more
  • SFirman
  • think_more_do_more
  • SFirman
  • think_more_do_more
  • SFirman
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