A self-described Liberalist and Capitalist, Dr. Lehr is a firm believer in regulation-free governance.  Government regulation of environmental "problems", according to his philosophy, can do far more social damage than if said problems were left to work themselves out.  Even worse, such problems are often not actual representations of fact but are fabricated by groups, organizations, and lobbyists for various social and political reasons. 

Dr. Lehr cited the regulation of the nuclear power industry, the creation of recycling programs, and the banning of smoking in public arenas as examples of controls that are doing more harm than good.  Many of the measures passed by Congress, according to Lehr, will have the net effect of inhibiting our global economic development.

The Heartland Institute is an independent nonprofit organization based in Chicago.  Heartland's mission is to help build social movements in support of ideas that empower people. Such ideas include parental choice in education, choice and personal responsibility in health care, market-based approaches to environmental protection, privatization of public services, and deregulation in areas where property rights and markets do a better job than government bureaucracies.

Dr. Lehr is a leading authority on groundwater hydrology.  He received the nation's first Ph.D. in Groundwater Hydrology from the University of Arizona.  He has spoken to over 1,000 audiences on topics ranging from global warming and biotechnology to business management and health and physical fitness.