thats what grass is for

You set up a false equivalency anyway. The multiplier effect of dollars invested into the EPA are mostly related to reductions in mercury and SO2 pollution and other toxics. Trees can be grown for harvest in a sustainable way so there's no real argument there. Chopping down old growth destroys biodiversity though so if your buddy thinks it's OK to do that he's a prick.

I'm sure that doesn't account for the hundreds of millions of dollars the DOJ pours into frivolous environmental litigation every year.

Conserve everything but the planet we live on.

/s

He also says we should pave the Earth.

He isn't a conservative then. Kind of sounds like an asshole that doesn't deserve friends or family, really.

Interesting that the benefit of national emissions standards is given as a range from $28-77 billion o_O

Which is why I posted a $10 average not "up to $25" or so.