Palin hometown a window into her environmentalism Long before John McCain made Gov. Sarah Palin his running mate and before her views on global warming became a campaign issue, Palin's environmental priorities were crystallized in a city where she was mayor and where development long has trumped conservation. Palin declared Wasilla "open for business," and business rushed in: Dozens of strip malls sprung up along the city's two glacial lakes. The costs of such fast — and sometimes haphazard — growth can be seen even from Palin's lakefront home. Once-pristine Lake Lucille is plagued by high levels of phosphorous, which chokes off oxygen from the salmon and trout. Scientists put the blame on nearby development. Palin refined her pro-business attitudes after becoming governor in 2006. Faced with choosing between development and the environment, she has sided more often than not with business interests. In a state where oil, gas, mining and fishing are among the biggest industries, her pro-business mind-set often puts her at odds with environmentalists. Yet when thinking green did not jeopardize jobs or growth, she has been a leader. She pushed for $250 million in renewable energy research and an additional $60 million in rebates for Alaskans to make their homes energy efficient. In Wasilla, being pro-business was necessary. When Palin took office as mayor in 1996, the region's 10.3 percent unemployment rate was one-third higher than the state's and twice that of Anchorage. Palin gave people what they wanted: jobs that did not require an hourlong commute to Anchorage, 44 miles to the south, or monthlong stints on the frigid North Slope oil fields....