Apparently every eco-friendly Pit Bull in America is furiously dumping the contents of their make-up bags after Sarah Palin said the only difference between a hockey mom, like herself, and one of the kill-maim-and-destroy-terriers is lipstick.

Of course, by using the analogy the Republican Vice Presidential candidate meant she is focussed, aggressive and remorseless.  Admiral qualities in a fighting dog, but in someone who could possibly have the future of the planet in their hands?

So what exactly is she focussed, aggressive and remorseless about? Much has been written about Palin’s social vision. Her gun-totting, pro-life (some contradiction there?) anti-homosexual stance, will be a big hit with many US voters.

But what about her environmental credentials? Well Palin has promoted oil and natural gas resource development in Alaska, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). She has opposed federal listing of the polar bear as an endangered species because it would ‘adversely affect energy development in Alaska’. She has also opposed the designation of the Cook Inlet beluga whale as an endangered species and has supported hunting of wolves from low flying airplanes (no doubt while playing Ride of the Valkyries). Palin, also does not believe that Global Warming is the result of human activity (did I mention her husband works in the oil industry?).

Palin has also promoted the use of coal-burning power plants.  In fact a new coal power station is being built in her hometown of Wasilla. She has also backed strip mining.  

Now you’re saying, ‘surely no well-informed person would vote for all that?” You may also be wondering why John McCain would pick someone who espoused such views, many of which do not accord with his own. After all he was one of the six Republican senators who voted against drilling in ANWR.   

Well, the answer is the Republican’s have played the ‘redneck’ card in a bid to counter Barrack Obama’s popularity and capture those disillusioned by the failure of Hilary Clinton to make the Democratic ticket. Sarah Palin is being promoted as the ordinary Josephine-in-the-street, who shoots from the hip (or the plane), a salt-of-the-earth Mom who knows exactly what ‘real life’ is all about.

In environmental terms her position is similar to that taken in Britain by the Countryside Alliance and the British Association for Shooting and Conservation i.e. I live in the countryside and know a lot more about it than any of you city-dwelling Greenos.

Much is and will be made of Sarah Palin’s Alaskan background by the Republican’s.  They will tout her as someone who actually ‘lives’ the environment, like hunters in Britain claim to be the true conservationists. The argument goes that ‘managed development’ of natural resources is best and it is best managed by those who know i.e. those who live in Alaska (what like the directors of Shell et al?).

In support of this view it is pointed out that a large majority of Alaskans support drilling in ANWR, including every governor, senator, representative, and legislature for the past 25 years. (NB In Alaska residents receive annual dividends from oil-lease revenues. In 2000 the dividend came to $1,964 per resident).

However, the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council, which represents 229 Native Alaskan tribes, who have lived in Alaska a lot longer than anyone else, oppose any development in ANWR. Luci Beach, the executive director of the steering committee for the Native Alaskan and Canadian Gwich’in tribe, says that drilling in ANWR is "a basic Aboriginal human rights issue."

"Sixty to 70 percent of our diet comes from the land and caribou is one of the primary animals that we depend on for sustenance," she said.

The tribe adamantly believes that drilling in ANWR would have serious negative effects on the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou herd that they partially rely on for food (not airborne shooting fun).  For me it doesn’t get anymore ‘real life’ than that.

The truth is that the ‘real life’ green agenda is as bogus as a wolf passing itself off as a sheep dog. Perhaps we will not be able to hear Sarah Palin ‘telling it like it is’ over the noise of the oil companies salivating.   

Green Hornet