National Environmental Scorecard interactive map
League of Conservation Voters (LCV)
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) recently released their 2012 National Environmental Scorecard. This report details how representatives voted last year on various bills that affect environmental issues like the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, wild public lands, wildlife habitat conservation, transportation, energy, oil and gas drilling, climate change and spending for related programs.
Overall, the report on 2012 revealed that:
- The House of Representatives was the most anti-environmental in American history.
- There were over a hundred House votes on the environment and public health last year (only 35 of the most significant are on the scorecard).
- In general, amendments to improve anti-environmental bills failed in the House and those that will make them even worse passed.
- As evidence of our climate crisis became more apparent, a majority in the U.S. House repeatedly voted against efforts to confront it.
- Despite the House's attacks, both the Senate and the Obama administration managed to counteract and block their anti-environmental proposals.
You can view the interactive report here to find out about the proposed bills and whether or not your representatives voted for or against them.
Here are some examples of proposed bills that in particular addressed wild lands issues:
- Arctic Refuge Drilling. An amendment that would have allowed new drilling offshore and in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was ultimately rejected by the Senate.
- Oil Shale Leasing. An amendment that would have removed oil shale leasing provisions and endangered Western public lands was approved by the House, but the provisions were not included in the bill that President Obama signed.
- Drilling. The Pioneers Act would have mandated drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as well as in the Rocky Mountain West, but after the House approved it the provisions were not included in the bill that President Obama signed.
- Antiquities Act. An amendment that would have restricted the president’s ability to set aside lands as national monuments under the Antiquities Act by requiring the state to approve the declaration first passed the House, but the Senate took no action.
- Public lands protection. The Sportsmen's Heritage Act would have rolled back environmental laws, including the Wilderness Act, reducing or eliminating protections for America’s public lands and allowing for motorized access to wilderness as well as hunting in some National Parks. The House approved it, but the Senate took no action.
- Land conservation. The Conservation and Economic Growth Act would have rolled back conservation laws on federal lands and privatized public lands, forcibly removing the rights of Americans to hunt, fish and camp on public lands and allowing for clear-cutting in the Tongass National Forest. The House approved it, but the Senate took no action.
View the full LCV Scorecard 2012 below: