The League of Conservation Voters, the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups worked doggedly over the past few years to get to Edwards' major campaign contributors and convince them that the environment was an important issue for him to lead on. The contributors in turn took their case to Edwards, and, to his credit, he came around.

"We're a big fan of Edwards because of his turnaround," said the analyst. "The fact that he was so willing to listen to us, so adaptable and open to our concerns, spoke volumes about his ability to be a dynamic leader."

Furthermore, Edwards' main campaign message -- that the Bush administration shouldn't be allowed to keep putting special interests ahead of the public interest -- is very much in keeping with environmentalists' message. "When LCV was deciding which candidate to endorse, Edwards was very appealing because of the way he kept stressing his central message that his campaign is about standing up for the people -- the interests of the citizen -- in the face of escalating corporate power," said Mark Longabaugh, the LCV's senior vice president for political affairs. (The LCV ultimately endorsed Kerry.)

Ed Turlington, an old friend of Edwards' and the former chair of his presidential campaign, told Muckraker that the candidate is very serious about "ensuring that his decision making is as independent as possible from the influence of special interests. From the beginning of his Senate career, he has refused contributions from PACs [political action committees] or from federally registered lobbyists."

It makes sense, then, that Edwards voted against the nomination of officials with obvious conflicts of interest, including Gale Norton as secretary of the interior and John D. Graham as administrator of the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Edwards also called for the resignation of EPA air director Jeffrey Holmstead.

Turlington adds that environmental matters do strike an emotional chord for Edwards because of the way the mountains of North Carolina have been devastated by acid rain. Edwards has also fought as a senator to keep the Bush administration from drilling off the shores of his state.

One might wonder whether Edwards sees any conflict between his No. 1 priority of job creation and his newfound commitment to the environment. According to Turlington, there's no concern: "Edwards doesn't buy that misconception that the two are at odds. In fact, much of his argument for environmental protections in North Carolina is economic: He's seen clean air and water are good for the economy. Not only do you have healthier workers but you make the state a better place to live -- more employers come to your state. The acid-rain crisis in North Carolina has been terrible for the state's economy, the tourism industry in particular."

All this is music to the ears of enviros battered by the past three and a half years of eco-assault. But while there are plenty of reasons to believe that a Kerry-Edwards ticket is the most pro-environment America has ever seen, keep in mind that it's easier to advance an environmental vision in the Senate than in the White House. On Pennsylvania Avenue, Edwards and Kerry would have to fight far more aggressive industry forces than they have before, not to mention juggle the environment with other priorities like shoring up the economy, extricating the United States from Iraq, and tackling the healthcare crisis.

Many faulted Al Gore (perhaps unfairly) for putting his lifelong environmental leadership on the back burner during his tenure as veep. Those same skeptics may wonder whether Edwards will abandon his green advocacy as quickly as he adopted it. But faced with a choice between the villains they know and the heroes they hope for, few enviros will hesitate in the voting booth on Nov. 2.

Muck it up

Here at Muckraker, we always try to keep our eyes peeled and our ears to the ground (a real physiognomic challenge). The more sources we have, the better -- so if you are a fellow lantern-bearer in the dark caverns of the Bush administration's environmental policy, let us know. We welcome rumors, tips, whistleblowing, insider info, top-secret documents or other useful tidbits on developments in environmental policy and the people behind them. Please send 'em along to muckraker@gristmagazine.com.

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