Heller's Response to DW Email

If you take action on the Defenders of Wildlife's Heads in the Sand web site, Representative Heller will send you a letter in response. The meat of the letter is as follows:

"I share your desire to reduce harmful emissions. Obviously, steps should be taken to ensure that human progress does not have an unnecessary negative impact on the environment. For this reason, I support the investments of federal dollars in alternative energy research and the development and creation of tax credits for hybrid vehicles, solar panels, and other forms of alternative energy. The scientific community continues to debate the extent and causes of changes in climate. I am proud to say that Nevada is one of the leading states with regard to using renewable energy.

Please be assured that I will work with my colleagues to develop an energy policy that properly balances human development and progress with sound environmental protections in a scientific, evidence based manner."

Aside from the fact that the scientific community isn't really debating the existence and cause of global warming anymore, Heller seems to want us to believe he is working hard to figure out a solution to the global climate crisis. But, don't expect to see him at Live Earth this weekend. He is much more likely to be working to vote against the next Clean Energy Act that comes before him. Although he claims to support pro-environmental legislation, he lists no such legislation as either sponsored or co-sponsored.

Keep the excuses coming Congressman but until you pull your head out of the sand, you continue to endanger Nevada.

Heller allies with big oil, corporate polluters, lobbyists against Nevadans

Global warming is real. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is made up of scientists from 113 countries, was created by the U.N. in 1988 and releases its assessments every five or six years.

"Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea level," said the IPCC report. [The Progressive Connection]

Ken Calvert

John Doolittle

Dean Heller

Steve Pearce

Rick Renzi

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund launched a targeted radio and web campaign -- www.headsinthesand.org -- to hold accountable five Congressmen – Reps. Ken Calvert (CA), John Doolittle (CA), Dean Heller (NV), Steve Pearce (R-NM) and Rick Renzi (AZ) – who have ignored the facts on global warming because of the undue influence of corporate polluters and their lobbyists. [Democracy for New Mexico]

Heads in the Sand is Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund's expanding campaign to expose members of Congress who continue to ignore the facts on global warming. Despite the overwhelming scientific consensus and looming threat, these members support a short-sighted Heads in the Sand energy policy favored by big-money lobbyists for polluting industries – all at the expense of wildlife, future generations and our national security.

The Heads in the Sand website contains a wealth of information about global warming and its impact on life and the planet. The site features 22 videos of the effects of global warming.

The site reveals that “In his short career in Congress, Heller has already taken tens of thousands of dollars in contributions from industries that contribute to global warming. In the five short months he’s been in Congress, Heller has taken a whopping $40,950 from the oil and gas and automotive industries. He has also taken significant contributions from other industries that contribute heavily to global warming, including the mining industry, as well as $58,757 from corporate lobbyists.

Additionally Heller’s voting record is displayed showing his alliance with big oil, corporate polluters and their lobbyists.

The Defenders are running radio ads about the five Republican Congressmen.

“Congressman Dean Heller has his head stuck in the sand. He’s voted against legislation to combat global warming and help break our nation’s dependence on foreign oil. Could it be because Dean Heller has taken thousands of campaign cash from big oil?” the narrator says in the ad against Heller. [Politico]

You can listen to the full radio ad here.

On Wednesday, Reps. Pearce and Heller – both members of the House Natural Resources Committee – voted against legislation to help combat global warming and protect wildlife from its impacts.

Heller accuses Defenders of wanting to close down mining and public lands in Nevada and "take away our guns." I don’t know how Heller ties guns into all this or closing down mining and public lands. The only thing being sought is stopping the destruction of the planet we live on. No planet—no guns, mining or public lands. Heller also complains “Defenders was ‘polluting the air waves’ with their ads. ‘If we're going to talk about pollution let's talk about who's polluting here,’ he said.” [Examiner.com; AZCentral.com] That’s an immature childish reaction by Heller.

Elected people who do not act in their constituents’ best interest should be removed from office by their constituents. That’s what elections are for. Those people with their “heads in the sand” are detrimental to our well-being. [CQ Politics] Those who continue to favor big polluters and their special interests can pursue careers for those polluters and special interests if they want. We should shake them like dust from our shoes.

Heads in the Sand provides a means to e-mail Congressman Heller asking him to “get his head out of the sand” on global warming.

Heller Has His "Head in the Sand" - Q&A About New Ad Campaign

Dean Heller has his "head in the sand" on global warming. So says a new ad campaign about Heller and four other Republican Congressmen from western states. Heller's only been in Congress for five months but he's already managed to have a very negative record on this issue. He's the only freshman representative on this list.

Surprisingly, Dean "AWOL" Heller has given a statement on the campaign by the Defenders of Wildlife action fund. It's as ridiculous as his voting record on environmental issues:

Heller said Defenders was "polluting the air waves" with their ads. "If we're going to talk about pollution let's talk about who's polluting here," he said.

Judge for yourself. Listen to the ad here.

The CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, Dr. Rodger Schlickeisen, was kind enough to answer a couple of questions for Helluva Heller. Here are his answers:

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund launched an ad campaign against five western Congressmen. What's your motivation behind this campaign?

Defenders Action Fund has a responsibility to its members and the public to hold accountable elected officials with extreme anti-conservation records – and that’s what we’re doing. With the “Heads in the Sand” campaign, we’re exposing the records of five anti-conservation House members who have their heads in the sand on global warming and have voted against our national interest and a sensible energy policy to deal with global warming. A growing majority of Americans see what national security experts, scientists, and economists have seen: global warming is a crisis that needs to be addressed now. If so many Americans understand this, why do our elected officials like these continue to bury their heads in the sand on the issue? That’s what we want to talk about.


Why did you include Dean Heller in your campaign?

Heller – like the four other members, Reps. Calvert, Doolittle, Pearce, and Renzi – has demonstrated a clearly anti-conservation record. Instead of reducing our country’s dependence on oil and dealing with the global warming crisis, he’s expressed support for extracting global warming-producing oil reserves from shale. In January, he voted against repealing billions in subsidies and tax breaks to energy companies, including billions that even industry acknowledges was granted in error, and investing that money in alternative energy sources, with his vote on HR6 , The Clean Energy Act of 2007. And just this week, Rep. Heller voted against another forward looking bill, HR 2337, The Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act of 2007. He's new to the House Resources Committee this year but is already following a too well-established pattern of others who've joined the committee, accepted large contributions from the extractive industries, and then voted for their special interest over the public interest.


How do the contributions to his re-election campaign influence Heller's voting behavior in Congress? Who are these contributors?

In the five short months he’s been in Congress, Rep. Heller has taken more than $40,000 from industries that contribute to global warming, as well as an additional $58,757 from corporate lobbyists. It seems like he’s already siding with lobbyists and corporate polluters instead of doing what the committee is supposed to do which is protect our natural resources for the public and future generations, which right now should mean making real progress on global warming.


How often and for how long do you plan to run the ad in Nevada?

We’re launching this campaign by running the ad on Nevada radio for the next week. We'll make the decision of next steps later. Visit our website (www.headsinthesand.org) to learn how you can help us keep these ads on the air longer to reach more people.


What can voters in Nevada do to help influence Heller's stance on global warming?

Defenders Action Fund is working to hold Rep. Heller accountable on global warming. Nevada residents should visit our website, www.headsinthesand/heller.org, to learn more about Rep. Heller’s position on global warming. We encourage them to contact us with their feedback and stories. They can tell Mr. Heller to get his head out of the sand and do the right thing to protect the southwest which is expected to suffer tremendously from global warming.

We'll be following the ad campaign and the reactions by the media in the coming week and follow up with more posts on Heller's stance on environmental issues.

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