The GOP: the green living party

June 8, 5:16 PMDenver Republican ExaminerKevin Holst

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As Democrats continue to expound the virtues of green living, one would suppose that they, the Democratic Party, only recently originated the ideals of simple green living. To the contrary, variations of simple green living have been around for centuries and many of its tenets are also at the core of Republican ideals and principles. Republicans either have not noticed such a correlation or simply don’t need to publicize their “greenness.”

Before my left-leaning friends turn red (or is it green) with anger at such an outlandish suggestion, please place your hands at your heart center and breathe slowly and consider the real possibility that Republicans are also green living people. Green living is undeniably linked to the GOP and its emphasis on personal responsibility, fiscal restraint and conservatism.  For nearly a century, Republicans have been thoughtfully protecting and conserving our nation’s resources.
 
Just as not all Democrats are living green, there are obviously examples of Republicans who lead their lives in ways that are antithetical to living green. However, as a Republican, you should not have a sudden sense of inadequacy next time you see some crunchy, left-leaning canvasser approach you to ask if you have a minute to save the environment. Simply respond that you are a Republican and that your party has been living green and saving the environment even before the internet’s great inventor Al Gore was perfecting ways to stifle economic growth in order to declare his muddled inconvenient truth to willing ears.
 
The real inconvenient truth is that Republicans have been living green for more years than Vice President Joe Biden has gaffes. For example, whether you grew up on a farm or in a cul-de-sac, you likely cultivated backyard garden free of chemicals or pesticides. Yet, you never viewed the results of your efforts as something unique that required a whole new food category called “organics.” Growing your own vegetables, keeping chickens or raising your own cattle for food was simply a way of practicing fiscal and personal responsibility.
 
Your first business may have been a produce stand at a local farmer’s market. You sold your locally grown produce to those in your community. These neighbors and friends sought out quality produce from people they knew and trusted and, surprisingly enough, they were perfectly fine with reusing old grocery bags and didn’t require the use of eco-friendly bags from some national, big box natural grocer to advertise their “greenness.”
 
Lately, the core green theme is “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” As many children of Republican households can attest, this theme was definitely part of their family’s life even though the emergence of the marketing terminology was still years away.
 
First, with respect to reduce, many of our families spent conservatively so reducing was hardly a problem when you always bought and possessed the minimum. Reduce is just another way of saying conserve, as in the word “conservatism.”
 
Reuse was absorbed into our way of life at a young age. Republicans can likely share vivid memories of walking into their parents or relatives’ storage shed to find spare parts to old lawn mowers, old tin coffee cans filled with who knows what, a water hose wrapped in duct tape, 18-year old calendars from the community bank, broken yard sticks, used fan belts, nails of all sizes and a vast array of worn out tools. One just never knows when that old cracked hammer handle will come in handy. Things were consistently reused, rejuvenated and repurposed.
 
Recycling was often viewed as a means to make a little extra cash. On trips to and from town, I can recall my parents pulling over to the side of a country road just to pick up a single aluminum can. And, to this day, I can still recall the stench of old beer and soda cans that I had to crush before heading off to the recycling center.
 
Over the years, the three Rs have been consistently practiced by Republicans. Consequently, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is easily equated with a conservative fiscal approach where the value of things is defined by longevity of use and potential fiscal opportunities.
 
Democrats would have you believe that Republicans are the only polluters of the environment. While there is little doubt that some corporations have polluted our environment to save a buck, there is even less doubt that both Democrats and Republicans have allowed this to occur.
 
For those Republicans who rely on their land for their sustenance and livelihood as many of Colorado’s own farmers and ranchers can attest, their land’s plants and animals are treated as an extension of their family. They are good stewards of their land and look for ways to improve as their understanding how best to care for the resources evolve over time.  
 
Our experiences are not unlike some of our Democrat friends. However, Democrats and their allies in the major media outlets consistently contend and position that only the Democratic Party promotes green living. These contentions are nonsense and ignore the reality that green living has been at the core of Republican ideals and principles for nearly a century.
 
Today, Americans are bombarded with messages demanding that they adopt green living. Well, many Republicans don’t need to adopt something they are already living. Our party has been living green for decades but we don’t share the Democratic Party’s need to see who is greener. As Democrats figure out new ways to look greener or achieve a sparrow size carbon footprint, Republicans will keep on living a life that epitomizes personal responsibility, fiscal restraint and conservatism.
 
Perhaps, you will now notice a Republican next time you visit your local farmer’s market. They are easy to spot. Just look for for the green living person who is not holding a bullhorn announcing how wonderfully green they are compared to you. 
 
This article is a condensed synopsis of the upcoming book Green living for the GOP, by Kevin E. Holst. Please send your personal examples of green living Republicans to kevholst@gmail.com.