Letter: We need Green Tea Party

It may be argued that discontent within the ranks of the politically conservative gave rise to the Tea Party, which in turn helped set the stage for the impending environmental disaster as a result of Tuesday’s election.

While there is now great concern, and rightly so, over future appointments to the Supreme Court, it is not hyperbole to observe that 50 years of progress in environmental protection is now threatened by the forthcoming appointment of new leadership at EPA and the Department of the Interior to name but two.

We have been served well by the Coastal Conservation League, Conservation Voters of South Carolina, Open Land Trust, Experience Green, Green Drinks and others statewide and locally. Perhaps it’s time they came together to take a page from the conservative’s playbook to help form a loosely organized umbrella group calling itself the Green Tea Party.

I found an organization of conservationist Republicans online calling itself the Green Tea Coalition. Perhaps there’s a chance for cooperation beyond party lines. We are, in truth, all in the same leaking boat.

This story was originally published November 14, 2016 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Letter: We need Green Tea Party."