J.B. Van Hollen's reversal on EPA fight is a wrong direction for Wisconsin, and ignores the reality of global warming, say Greens

Wisconsin Green Party
www.wisconsingreenparty.org

February 14th, 2007

Contacts:
Ruth Weill, Co-chair, Wisconsin Green Party, 414 350-2107
Ron Hardy, Co-chair, Wisconsin Green Party, 920 230-3741, cell 920 292-8129, ronaldkanehardy -at -gmail.com

J.B. Van Hollen's recently removed Wisconsin from a group of states that are challenging the Bush administration over pollution controls on power plants. The reason given by the Justice Department for this removal was that "it was not in the best interests of the state." 

"J.B. Van Hollen's removal of Wisconsin from the lawsuit has made it all the harder for us to lessen our contributions to global warming, and the removal has made it all the more likely that the disastrous affects of global warming will be increased, rather than decreased," said Ruth Weill, Co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party. "We already know that we will be facing a grim future. It is in our best interest to do all we can to secure our future well-being and that of our children. Any other course will have very high costs." 

"The reality of global warming means that we need to take serious and drastic measures," said Ron Hardy, Co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party. "The Bush administration has ignored its responsibility in addressing this situation, so it is up to states, counties, municipalities and individuals to address this, and to put the pressure on our nation's legislators to implement aggressive policy that reduces our contributions to global warming, and prepares us for its effects." 

Last week Green Party leaders demanded that Congress hold the Bush Administration accountable for tampering with scientific research on global warming, calling President Bush's interference and dishonesty an impeachable conspiracy to commit 'high crimes and misdemeanors.' 

"Wisconsin needs to provide pressure and leadership so that our nation and our state adequately address our environmental issues," said Hardy. "J.B. Van Hollen is taking us in the exact opposite direction." 

"We need long term energy planning in Wisconsin," said Weill. "The first step in implementing a responsible plan for Wisconsin's energy future should be conservation and efficiency, not more coal-fired plants." 

Alliant Energy Corp. has recently asked state regulators for permission to build a coal-fired power plant in southwestern Wisconsin. Coal-fired plants are a key contributor of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. 

The last several decades, Wisconsin had an Advance Plan that required utilities to file a twenty-year energy forecast and to plan for generating plants and transmission lines together so that only needed facilities were built. Legislative provisions for the Advance Plan were repealed, effective in 1999, by Act 204. The Act created a Strategic Energy Assessment that covers only seven years, and does not require an analysis of the best combination of power plants, transmission lines or energy efficiency. 

Greens advocate for these measures to reduce Wisconsin's contribution to global warming gases: 

• Adopt the Kyoto Protocol as state government policy. Already nine Wisconsin communities (Madison, River Falls, Ashland, La Crosse, Racine, Wauwatosa, Greenfield, Washburn, and West Allis) have adopted the Protocol as local government policy.

• Implement dramatic steps that reduce the consumption of energy

• Restructure our local, national, and global economies, and invest in and create new jobs in conservation and conversion to renewable, solar and wind power.

• Tax fossil fuel consumption, and use the funds to transition to a sustainable society

• Do away with existing policies that currently benefit nuclear power, combustion technologies and large hydroelectric dams and reallocate that money to renewable energies

• Establish democratic, public control systems to locally coordinate supply and demand of energy and eliminate energy trading

• Implement universal health care and other measures for public health and safety to address the health effects of global warming 

• Establish land use policies that prevent sprawl and encourage walking and bicycling to jobs and stores

• Implement policies that conserve Wisconsin's forests

• Increase Wisconsin's renewable energy capacity, and decrease environmentally problematic energy production such as coal and nuclear energy

• Set high state standards for MPG for Wisconsin vehicles, and encourage the use of hybrid vehicles and zero emission vehicles

• Encourage the development and use of earth friendly biofuels

• Develop a public transportation system that connects the major cities in Wisconsin with each other and with surrounding major cities

• Support public transportation in Wisconsin cities

• Set standards for the construction of roads and buildings that reflect the reality of global warming

• Encourage the use of energy-efficient appliances and systems

• Encourage a transition to farming methods that are sustainable - rotational grazing and organic farming. These methods ensure that the ground is covered, and that manure handling issues do not contribute global warming gases. They also reduce the use of tractors and the use of petroleum fertilizers Promote local food systems

For more information visit:
Wisconsin Green Party http://www.wisconsingreenparty.org 
Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org/