What does a belief in evolution have to do with the economy? Quite a bit. With John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate, the question of religious fundamentalism and its role in American politics is on the table in a major way. Environmentalist Chip Ward wrote recently that a Palin vice presidency would be, "the equivalent of launching a 'surge strategy' in the Republican war on the environment."

On GRITtv we take a look at the role of the evangelical right—their impact on the economy, nature, and science with Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, Heather Rogers, author of Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage, Esther Kaplan, investigative editor at the Nation Institute and the author of With God on Their Side, and on the phone from D.C., Congresswoman Diana DeGette, the author of Sex, Science, and Stem Cells.