I doubt that anyone is really interested in "saving" our ecosystems and the resources that live in them. Read salmon 2100 and ask yourself how we are going to deal with population; not only here but in the world? Water for people takes water from fish-hence fewer fish. Food for people takes land; mhence fewer terrestrial resources. People need a place to live. How many deer are in downtown Seattle?

Increased population brings more cars, uses more gas, and so on. Where will we get more of a finite resouce? We can drill every oil field in the world and it is still going to run out. Maybe not in my lifetime, but sooner than later. Where should fossil fules be used? In transporting consumer goods, providing for national defense, or in gas-guzzlers?

The task of maintaining our world is much larger than soundbites about "drill ANWR", build mass-transit, or whatever is on the day's news.

The problem is big and I don't think that maintaining a narrow self-interest as individuals or as a nation is helping to solve it.

Candidates, for whatever office they are running for, will say what the voters want to hear. And we let them. The "leaders" will never lead unless forced to. Election or re-election is too important to risk alienating anyone.