t’s an old story and one that the mainstream media has been mostly deaf, dumb and blind to as it has moved through the generations. Ted Kennedy was often referred to as an environmental champion of clean energy. He was the shining knight that paralyzed ANWR drilling, forced C.A.F.E. standards to dizzying heights, and increased funding for cleaning up waterways and similar efforts going back as far as 1972. But, when it came to a wind farm off Cape Cod that might offend the blueblood view, he drove it off a bridge -so to speak. This is the same Ted Kennedy who cheered the Supreme Court’s ruling that cost/benefit was not a factor for EPA to consider in order to ladle out regulations; and the same Ted Kennedy who “fought” for renewable energy subsidies with great “courage”. Now, a family member, Robert Kennedy Jr., is also overwrought that the application of green energy wind farm would place an unfair cost burden on some taxpayers because of ………. drum roll please……. Subsidies!

We were always a little confused about Ted Kennedy being referred to as the “lion in the Senate.” There appears to be the possibility that one of those words in that phrase perhaps should have been used as a misspelled verb instead of a reference to a noble beast. Likewise, the younger Kennedy generation is now fighting the same battle of consistency by deception. Many years ago the legend and the facts about RFK, Jr’s zest to become an environmental activist included globetrotting around in large family jets creating a carbon footprint similar to the Great Chicago Fire. Perhaps he was able to afford special dispensation for sins-of-the-environment and render his waste stream purified- a sort of carbon credit without full disclosure.
Yet another generation of Kennedys are pressing hard for subsidies for ineffective energy sources (the Solyndra Syndrome) but conveniently “defend” the little person against unfair subsidies for the same sources. Perhaps we could better understand the apparent paradox of this environmental equation of saying “yes” while shaking the head “no”, if we had imbibed a case of Seagram’s to stumble into that kind of curious logic progressive families of fortune seem to follow.

Dennis Mitchell is certified as a Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) by the Institute of Professional Environmental Practice (IPEP) and has been the chair of Ethics Committee for IPEP for many years. He was a recipient of the Lifetime Honorary Award from the International Air & Waste Management Association in 2001. He was chair of the Climate Change Panel at the 104th International A&WMA Conference. He has been a member of Louisiana Society of CPA’s since 1985.

Muncelle Mitchell, Practicing Attorney (Mississippi and Florida); Member of the Mississippi Military Affairs Committee for several years. She is an active member of the International, Florida Section and the Coastal Plains Chapter of the International Air & Waste Management Association. She was the legal advisor for Climate Change Panel at the 104th International A&WMA Conference.

Dennis and Muncelle are a father/daughter writing team.