It’s already started.

The Arizona Republic is running a story this morning that the departure of Governor Napolitano will create climate change in Arizona – “Governor change could shift state’s climate policies”

If Gov. Janet Napolitano heads to Washington to serve in President-elect Barack Obama’s Cabinet, it could portend a major shift in policy for one of her biggest local priorities: climate change.

Environmental groups, elected officials and other political watchers say that a new Republican administration, under the helm of now-Secretary of State Jan Brewer, would likely significantly reduce Arizona’s involvement in the Western Climate Initiative.

Granted, Secretary of State Brewer has not issued any recent policy statements regarding her current office’s role in climate change but that’s because the Arizona SOS has very little to do with messing with the weather.

So why would The Republic take yet another hit at the presumed replacement of Governor Napolitano assuming that Brewer does not care about the environment?

It should be obvious:

• Brewer is a Republican
• The Legislature is controlled by Republicans
• The Republic promotes a liberal, secular worldview
• The Legislature and Governor will control the agenda
• The State of Arizona will have to make budget cuts

The article then runs to Sandy Bahr, the lobbyist for the Arizona Chapter of the Sierra Club to grab a few fear-fraught quotes:

I think probably the greatest disappointment is that if she is leaving early, some of the things she’s done will be undone in no time.

The Republic then writes:

Over the past six years, Napolitano has worked with – and, in many cases, done battle with – legislators and industry on a host of environmental initiatives, including:

• Forest Restoration
• Clean Air
• Reduced Tailpipe Emissions

Nevermind the fact that Napolitano needed Republicans to help pass the legislation in the first place.

The Republican-controlled Maricopa County Board of Supervisors even took the initiative to promote a county-wide policy one under Bring Back Blue in 2007 and “Running Out of Air” in 2008.

What I don’t appreciate is the overt bias by The Republic that Republicans could care less about the environment or that Democrats hold the title of “Protectors of the Environment.”

Even more disturbing is the way The Republic promotes the notion that the State of Arizona will be making a dramatic shift in environmental policy – on in which we resemble a 3rd world nation.

The fact is that Republicans and yes, even conservatives, do care deeply about the environment. There is even a movement amongst Evangelicals which advocates for good stewardship of the environment (“The Greening of Evangelicals.”)

But let’s also get one thing straight here, no one political party holds a monopoly on the environment. Republicans breathe the same air, drink the same water and enjoy the same outdoors that Democrats do.

I also believe that Republicans offer better solutions to taking care of the environment that maximizes personal freedom and minimizes government control.