Mitt Romney’s energy plan would roll back 50 years of environmental protections.

The vague language in Mitt Romney’s energy plan doesn’t convey its extremely regressive nature, and the candidate is not doing much to publicly clear up that confusion. In his latest piece, Nation defense correspondent Michael T. Klare reveals how Mitt Romney would roll back over 50 years of environmental legislation and push for toxic extraction methods like mountaintop removal. Klare, who is the author of The Race for What’s Left: The Global Scramble for the World’s Last Resources, spoke with Nation managing editor Roane Carey about the terrifying reality behind Romney’s energy plan.

—Steven Hsieh