What do environmentalists think about former ally RFK Jr.

What do environmentalists think about former ally RFK Jr.

Most environmentalists view RFK Jr. as a former ally and current foe given his flop on environmental issues in recent years.

Credit: Gage Skidmore, FlickrCC

Dear EarthTalk: How do environmentalists feel about RFK Jr.’s oversight of health in the next Trump administration, given his background as an environmental activist lawyer?

When Time named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. one of its early 2000s “Heroes for the Planet,” the outspoken lawyer was a clear choice for the honor, having gained fame during his fight to protect New York City’s water supply. He advocated for “the environment [as] the most important, the most fundamental, civil-rights issue,” according to a 2004 interview. Many of Kennedy’s views can be summarized in the June 18, 2007, issue of Rolling Stone in which he demanded investment into renewable energy sources, blamed America for its “reckless consumption of oil and coal,” and emphasized the need to slow global warming.

Almost twenty years later, as RFK Jr. takes the reins as America’s top health official, the same magazine has quoted former friends, colleagues, and family members calling the former ‘hero’ a “conspiracist” with “dangerous views.” The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a leading environmental non-profit, used the term “one-man misinformation superspreader” to describe its former Senior Attorney, a statement corroborated by former allies who have stated that Kennedy is not an environmentalist, but a “science denier” and a “conspiracy theorist.”

Even before his endorsement of President Trump, who has famously called climate change a ‘hoax’, environmentalists had begun to turn against Kennedy. Liz Barratt-Brown, a senior adviser for NRDC and Kennedy’s former coworker, told the New York Times that he had begun drifting away from the environmental movement in the early 2000s when he started spreading unproven theories regarding vaccinations, such as linking vaccines to autism without evidence.

Around the same time that RFK Jr. became invested in the anti-vaccine movement, he opposed the construction of the Cape Wind Project, an offshore wind farm in Nantucket Sound that would have provided roughly 75 percent of the electricity used by Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. Kennedy’s position began as an instance of NIMBYism, or the “not in my backyard” mentality, as he owned a home nearby and had cited unsightly aesthetics as a partial reason for his dissent, and has grown in recent years to staunchly oppose all offshore wind.

While offshore wind farms have several disadvantages, they are also a promising source of clean energy; thus, Kennedy’s opposition sparked disdain from climate activists like Bill McKibben who claim “he could have used his name and platform” to promote renewable energy. Furthermore, many of Kennedy’s reasons for opposition have been proven repeatedly to be rumors. For example, in January 2023, Kennedy adamantly promoted the idea that offshore wind is killing whales despite the claim having been proven unfounded by a variety of organizations including by the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

Once a “hero for the planet,” many environmentalists now echo Dan Reicher, a former peer and colleague of RFK Jr. and a Stanford University senior energy researcher: “Stay very far away from today’s RFK Jr. if you’re interested in environmental protection.” RFK Jr. has told the Washington Post that he believes he can help sway President Trump’s environmental policies. Environmentalists are “deeply skeptical,” as less than one month into office Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords and dismantled a series of environmental policies and funding. It remains to be seen whether the Secretary of Health is successful in turning the tides of the environmental movement back in his favor.

EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy Scheer & Doug Moss for the 501(c)3 nonprofit EarthTalk.

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Millerton News and The News does not support or oppose candidates for public office.

Latest News

Millerton Police Dept. rebuilds after fire; new cruisers on the way

The borrowed Pine Plains cruiser parked on Main Street in front of the Millerton Inn during the Millerton Street Fair on Saturday, June 28.

Photo by Aly Morrissy

MILLERTON — After receiving substantial state grant funding in July 2024 and beginning to roll out new equipment that fall, the Millerton Police Department suffered a setback when the February fire at the Village Water and Highway Department building destroyed much of its newly acquired gear — including patrol vehicles outfitted with cutting-edge technology.

Thanks to full-value insurance coverage and swift support from the Town of Pine Plains — which loaned the department a vehicle — Millerton officers were able to remain active in the community. Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik said two custom-built, four-wheel-drive Ford Interceptor cruisers are now in production and are expected to arrive by the end of the summer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Uncertainty looms over Millerton community pool timeline

Groundbreaking of the new pool planned for Eddie Collins Park has been delayed after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation intervened to determine the status of wetlands in the proposed building site.

Archive photo

MILLERTON — The long-awaited groundbreaking for a new community pool at Eddie Collins Memorial Park — once expected this past April — now faces significant delays with no definitive timeline in sight, Mayor Jenn Najdek said.

The primary setback stems from a still-pending permitting process, as the village awaits final approvals from the Dutchess County Board of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regarding septic placement and wetland buffers. A patch of wetlands on the site — roughly five feet by five feet, Najdek said — requires a protective buffer, which could range anywhere from 5 to 100 feet. That determination will dictate whether the current pool design needs to be altered or moved altogether.

Keep ReadingShow less
North East town records brought into the digital age

Chris Virtuoso reorganized parcel records in the North East Town Hall basement by parcel number during the process of scanning and digitizing the documents.

Photo by Grace DeMarco

MILLERTON — Within the walls of the two-story Victorian housing the North East Town Hall lies a room-full of town records dating back to the late 19th century. Stored in labeled cardboard boxes and protected by dehumidifiers, the records are in the process of being dated, organized, and scanned into categorized online programs.

As the Town Hall works to relocate to 5603 Route 22 at the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, the consolidation and digitalization of records, as well as the disposal of those unneeded, is a time-sensitive project. Marcy Wheatley, the Deputy Town Clerk, emphasized their current heavy focus on organizing and scanning. “Now, when we move, we can get rid of a lot,” Wheatley stated.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Nora Garcia, 6, of Millerton, bottom right, gets a face painting treatment from Maddy Rowe, a Webutuck High School senior. Nora’s sister, Juliana, 8, top right, is decorated by Giana Kall, a Webutuck senior. The program was sponsored by the Webutuck PTA.

Photo by John Coston

Locals and visitors packed into downtown Millerton Saturday, June 28, for the first ever Millerton Street Fair hosted by the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and Townscape. Representatives from local nonprofits, businesses along Main Street, Bee Bee the Clown and face painters from Webutuck High School drew in crowds all afternoon.

Festivities officially opened at 10 a.m., and a steady stream of visitors soon followed. Volunteer firefighters hosted a bouncy castle, a duck pool, a “put out the fire” ring toss game, and the “touch a truck” event at the fire department’s garage.

Keep ReadingShow less