Reagan's Eco Legacy Is A Trifle One-Sided

Ronald Reagan, who would have turned 100 this month, famously (almost) said “You’ve seen one redwood, you’ve seen them all.”  From that comment alone you could tell about his commitment to the environment. Or lack thereof. His legacy as president has been getting a more nuanced treatment, lately.  But aside from helping save the ozone layer,…

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Ronald Reagan, who would have turned 100 this month, famously (almost) said “You’ve seen one redwood, you’ve seen them all.”  From that comment alone you could tell about his commitment to the environment. Or lack thereof.

His legacy as president has been getting a more nuanced treatment, lately.  But aside from helping save the ozone layer, his environmental legacy is largely abysmal.  Joseph Romm argues in this post on Grist.org that President Reagan helped set back the future of green energy in the US for years.  It’s a setback we’re still striving mightily to recover from.

Ted was an attorney in the Rocky Mountain regional office from 2003–2018. He protected wilderness, roadless areas and the planet's climate on behalf of conservation groups in the Four Corners' states.