Environmental Q and A

Hello viewers, this is one of the administers K-Dizzle. I was able to get a hold of Doug Sutherland, the Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands and Manager of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and ask him a few questions. From his profession you can tell he has had extensive background with the environment and environmental issues. The following are his answers word for word.

1. Do you believe that global warming is a real phenomenon? If yes is it man made or a natural cycle?
Global warming , and cooling , are real phenomena and history shows us that these run in a variety of cycles of varying duration . These cycles are natural and some scientists say that they are more induced by activities of the sun . Human activities are probably contributors .

2. Do you believe that sources of energy and fuel like biofuel, hydrogen, solar power, and wind power is the energy of the future?
Other energy sources will be used in the future , however I believe we will be fossil fuel dependant for several more decades . Two additional sources you did not mention are geothermal and wave/tidal .

3. Do you feel that the U.S. needs stronger laws to protect the environment, or are they satisfactory?
We need a better array of incentives rather than more complex laws . I recognize that as we learn more about certain aspects of the environment that we need to be adaptable and adjust where the laws of unintended consequences’ have serious negative impacts.

4. Should America drill for oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, and like wise should America consider using untapped resources in other parks and refuges?
The science of deep drilling has seen remarkable improvements and with proper management could access the oil reserves in ANWR . I’m not aware of other major deposits in other parks . I do believe we , as a nation , need to be far less reliant on foreign supply .

5. As a nation does the U.S. need to start acting more in the interest of the environment and modify it's way of life?
I think we need to better assist other nations , especially emerging growth nations , to recognize their impacts on the environment as we have . I have seen great changes in how we deal with our surroundings and we need to continue to be aware of our actions .