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US Must Act Now on Time-Bomb Warning from the International Climate Change Taskforce.Thursday, January 27, 2005 Contacts: Deference by Bush, Republicans, and Democrats to corporate interests on energy policy is endangering the world, say Greens. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party leaders urged the White House, Congress, and the American people to read and act on recommendations to prevent catastrophic global climate change that were published this week by the International Climate Change Taskforce. The report, which is posted at the web site of the
Center for American Progress, warns that global warming may reach a
'point of no return' in ten years when the global average temperature
moves beyond 2°C (3.6°F) above the pre-industrial level, with severe
environmental, food supply, and public health consequences around the
world. "The report is consistent with the Green Party's call for the U.S. to sign onto the Kyoto accord, and for Kyoto to be renegotiated to include more far-reaching measures to reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions," said Holly Hart, co-chair of the Platform Committee of the Green Party of the United States. "As the world's highest energy consumer, the U.S. must implement such measures at home, and not wait for other nations to catch up to us." Greens argue that the original Kyoto goal of a reduction of 5% to 1991 levels is severely inadequate, and will do little to delay the 'point of no return' mentioned in the Task Force's report. The Task Force was convened by the Institute for Public Policy Research in the U.K., the Center for American Progress in the U.S., and the Australia Institute. The report makes ten recommendations for G8 nations to take the lead on curbing global warming. "The greatest barrier to enacting these steps in the U.S. is the reluctance of public officials to step on the toes of industry, especially energy corporations," said Jake Schneider, treasurer of the Green Party of the United States. "The Bush Administration has drafted energy policy in secret consultation with corporate lobbyists. Many Democrats have supported increased oil drilling in pristine public lands in Alaska, outside of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and construction of new pipelines through Canada to the U.S., and increased drilling throughout North America. What we really need is a conversion from our dependence on fossil fuels." MORE INFORMATION: The Green Party of the United States
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