District 1 Congressional candidates tackle environmental issues during forum
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
For the first time this campaign season, Republican and Democratic congressional candidates for District 1, which encompasses all of Bucks County, occupied the same stage to discuss a topic that affects people on local and national levels — the environment.
Organized by the Bucks Environmental Action group, an environmental forum was held on Tuesday, May 1, at the Free Library of Northampton Township, 25 Upper Holland Road, Richboro, as a way to shed light on issues the BEA believes are often ignored.
All six candidates were invited, and four were in attendance: Democrats Steve Bacher, Rachel Reddick and Scott Wallace, and Republican Dean Malik. Incumbent Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick declined, as well as Valerie Mihalek, who suspended her campaign. The two-hour event, which was open to the public, began with each candidate taking five minutes to introduce themselves and present their overall environmental position.
Bacher stressed his expansive history fighting for environmental issues. In 2013, he was personally trained by Al Gore on his “Inconvenient Truth” slideshow, which details Gore’s views on the climate crisis. In addition to presenting this at Bucks County Community College, he serves as co-chair of BCCC’s sustainability team, which installed environment-friendly fountains around campus. Bacher is also cofounder of 350.org, which works to oppose new coal, oil and gas projects.
Malik, a U.S. Marine who graduated from Syracuse University and Villanova Law School, came to Bucks County in 2001. A husband and father of four (three teens and an 8 year old), he admitted he’s a staunch conservative, but one who cares about the earth.
“We all have an obligation to be ethical stewards of the environment,” Malik said.
Malik went on to explain how he differs from his Democratic opponents. While he said Hillary Clinton wanted to shut down coal mines to create a more sustainable environment, he believed this to be unethical because of the number of workers it would put out of a job. Malik also stressed that Republicans “don’t hate the environment,” mentioning how former Republican President Theodore Roosevelt founded the National Park Service.
Reserve Naval officer Reddick shared how, during one overseas deployment, she encountered a country that was on a path to disappearing because of global warming.
“It really struck me,” she said.
Reddick served as a defense fellow in Congress, where she worked to get an amendment passed that outlined how climate change is a national security issue, something she said the Republicans disagreed with. She also explained to the forum audience how she sees these issues through a mother’s eyes.
“I want to fight for his continued use of clean air,” she said of her son. “The time is now.”
Buckingham native and Villanova Law graduate Wallace currently runs the Wallace Global Fund, a charitable foundation that works to fight climate change, which he inherited from his father. His efforts both nationally and abroad include the promotion of renewable energy, species preservation and proving that methane is harsher on the environment than oil or coal.
In the second portion of the forum, the candidates were asked three questions concerning the areas of climate change, public lands and fossil fuels/alternative energy. Regarding climate change, Bacher placed emphasis on what he called a “just transition.” He said he understands not everyone would be able to afford environment-friendly appliances and electric cars overnight, so he proposed built-in funds to subsidize the cost of these items.
Malik touched on the fact that climate change is nothing new, and has been happening for centuries. To implement changes too quickly would be a “redistribution of wealth.” Just as the car eventually replaced the horse and buggy, he said hybrid cars will most likely do the same, but in due time.
“People can’t be put out of work,” he said. “It needs to be a slow transition.”
Reddick’s solution to climate change would be to stop subsidies of the fossil fuel industry, which she said are crushing the country’s ability to invest in the environment. If elected, she would work to reimplement legislation repealed by President Trump with the goal of “going back to where we were a few years ago.”
Wallace shared a similar sentiment, reflecting on how he spent hours building a fence as a teen, only to have it run over by a drunken driver. He compared this analogy to how the Trump administration cut off the Green Climate Fund, saying how it’s easier to tear something down than build it up.
Next was a discussion of the rightful use of public lands. Malik said he would closely evaluate whether certain areas rightly belong to the federal government or the state. Reddick held firmly to the belief that public lands belong to American citizens, who should be able to enjoy their natural beauty for free. Wallace said he’s in favor of protecting lands from “extractive industries” such as Penneast Pipeline, while Bacher called the government’s grazing and mining of public lands an “outrage.”
As for the topic of fossil fuels/alternative energy, Reddick expressed her support of the Clean Power Plan and a job retraining program for workers whose jobs may be phased out; Wallace sees potential in solar farms across Bucks County and expressed his opposition to Trump’s solar panel tariff on materials from China; Bacher touched on how Fitzpatrick previously voted for the continuation of fossil fuel subsidies; and Malik countered Wallace’s argument by backing Trump’s support of American industries and workers rather than outsourcing to other countries.
The final portion of the forum included several rounds of questions submitted by attendees. Topics included the proposed Elcon Recycling facility in Falls Township, which Bacher strongly opposed due to the fact that it would bring in 200,000 tons of hazardous waste; Malik stressed his desire to keep Bucks County “pristine”; Reddick said she hopes to have the U.S. re-enter the Paris Climate Agreement; and Wallace proposed a plan to manufacture biodegradable, potato-based containers to eliminate plastic waste that can be harmful to aquatic animals.
The primary election will take place on Tuesday, May 15. ••
Samantha Bambino can be reached at [email protected]
