conservation
I will work to preserve natural outdoor spaces for the benefit of all Missourians
Like many, if not most Missourians, I enjoy the outdoors. We all watch the weather, observe the night sky, maybe bask in the sunlight on morning stroll in our neighborhoods. These interactions with nature connect us with the Earth that sustains us and the air that we breathe.
Missouri is blessed with many wonderful wild outdoor spaces. I have hiked, backpacked, camped, bicycled, and canoed in many of these places. I have helped many Boy Scouts and others encounter and enjoy our forests, prairies, and river valleys. I want my grandchildren and your grandchildren to be able to also enjoy these natural spaces for many years to come.
I will make maintaining a strong system of Missouri State Parks a priority
We have many exceptional state parks in Missouri. Our parks are enjoyed by Missourians from all walks of life and bring business and jobs to both urban and rural counties. I consider it a top priority to maintain and continue to improve our state park system so that both Missouri residents and visitors to our state can continue to experience the benefits of our parks for generations to come.
Among our wonderful parks is the longest rail to trail park in the country, the Katy Trail State Park, which attracts low impact users of the outdoors from all over the world. I support the plan to complete the Rock Island extension of the Katy Trail. It will double the length of the trail, and create an even more awesome state park that all Missourians will be proud of.
Clean air is essential for good health, and I will fight to protect it
The air we breathe was much worse in the early 20th century, when coal ruled the energy scene. No one I know wants to go back to that time. Nevertheless, at the federal level, the Trump administration has quietly repealed many of the emission regulations of fossil-fuel power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency claims that this deregulation will save $310 billion dollars. However, climate scientists and others counter that the public health costs will increase by tens of billions of dollars a year. This does not even count the increased number of lives lost to respiratory illnesses. This is not the future I want for my grandchildren. I do not want to go back to the 1920s and smog.
Even though the federal government has unfortunately chosen to no longer make clean air a priority, there is a lot we can do at the state government level in Missouri to help make sure that we protect our air while still producing the energy that we need to power our state. Help me keep our skies clean. We will live healthier, longer, and more wholesome lives.
Good things are grown in Missouri, and I will work to keep it that way
Missouri is a top agricultural producer because our land and climate can sustain a wide variety of crops. We supply the nation and the world with wheat, corn, apples, pumpkins, soybeans, walnuts and cotton thanks to good soil, generous rivers, regular rain, and people from all walks of life who care about the land.
But the soil that anchors our food chain is only a few inches deep, the water our crops need is under threat from industrial pollution, and the weather that makes our state such a good place to grow food is becoming less predictable as climate change fuels more droughts, floods, and damaging storms. We must work to protect Missouri’s environment and natural resources in order to protect Missouri’s farms and ranches, and support the farmers and ranchers who care for our land.
Climate change is a reality that we must face
Climate change is already threatening our forests, our farms, and our communities. The main culprit behind rising global temperatures is now widely recognized to be several hundred years of burning fossil fuels.
It is anticipated that with the current rise in temperatures, in a couple decades cities such as Denver will have a climate similar to Phoenix, Arizona. In Missouri, climate change has already brought hotter summers, longer droughts, bigger floods, and stronger storms to our communities.
Climate change is also a public health issue. It is now known that the risk of heart disease as well as many other health risks increases with exposure to persistent hot weather. Studies have also shown that children have more difficulty learning in hot conditions. Air conditioning only partly offsets this phenomenon.
While slowing down climate change will require a global effort, in our own West County community, we can help with the small, everyday details of saving energy and resources. As our ancestors used to say: “Make it work, Wear it out. Make it do, or do without.” And at the Missouri state government level, we can take action to reduce carbon pollution by encouraging the development of clean energy sources.
I plan on making sure that every action of the Missouri House takes into consideration the needs of our soil, our air, our water, our parks, and the plants and animals that share Missouri as our mutual home.