Greens: New climate change report shows the need for Green agenda, Green election wins

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Monday, November 5, 2007

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org

Green Party Speakers Bureau on global warming (speakers available for interview):
http://gp.org/speakers/speakers-ecological.php
Contact information: http://www.gp.org/speaker

Report proves that the Lieberman-Warner bill is inadequate and short-sighted and capitulates to industry, say Greens

WASHINGTON , DC -- Green party leaders today said that a new climate change report to be released Monday proves the election of Green Party candidates into office is essential to enforce the immediate and drastic steps needed to combat global warming.

According to an Associated Press news article, the report to be issued by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Center for a New American Security said that climate change could be one of the greatest national security challenges ever faced by US policy makers ("Think Tank: Climate Affects Security," by Arthur Max, November 3, 2007 <http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5josNxJPCLGIsWo_wREwGvEJU2skwD8SM1UH00>).

The report details numerous disastrous consequences of global warming, including massive migration, health issues from drought, famine and disease, and nuclear proliferation.

"Republican and Democratic officials failed to take the steps needed to confront this global catastrophe for many years when they had the chance, to the point that global warming is now a certainty," said Ronald Forthofer, 2002 Green Party candidate for Governor of Colorado and retired professor of biostatistics from the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston.

"They depend too much on corporate contributions to address global warming aggressively," added Mr. Forthofer, who is also a member of the Green Party's Speakers Bureau. "The frontrunners for the Democratic and Republican presidential nomination are competing for money from energy and nuclear producers, car manufacturers, water privatizers, developers, and other corporations who have a vested interest in preventing the efforts necessary to confront the problem. Green Party candidates and elected officials take no corporate contributions and can devote their attention fully to efforts to solve the problem."

(See OpenSecrets.org's chart of oil and gas industry contributions to 2008 presidential campaigns <http://opensecrets.org/pres08/select.asp?Ind=E01>.)

Greens have called recent legislation on global warming, such as the Lieberman-Warner bill, inadequate and corporate-friendly. The Lieberman-Warner bill's free emissions allowances and the use of carbon offsets to enable polluting companies meet emissions targets will delay the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union, which grants and enforces carbon trading permits, has failed to reduce emissions ("Smoke alarm: EU shows carbon trading is not cutting emissions," The Guardian, April 3, 2007 <http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2048733,00.html>).

Monday's report expects regional conficts to increase as a result of competition for land, water and other resources, and predicts "the collapse and chaos associated with extreme climate change futures [will] destabilize virtually every aspect of modern life."

"As the highest consumer of energy and resources, the US must take the lead in setting a good example with a short-term 50-70 percent reduction of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions necessary to contain climate change," said Deanna Taylor, co-chair of the Desert Greens (Utah) and member of the Green Party's Eco-Action Committee. "Wars for resources like the Iraq War will increase unless we take immediate action. War financing will continue to steal dollars from human needs and prevent us from promoting sustainable jobs from new energy technologies, including energy efficiency and renewables, that will address global warming."

The Green Party also strongly opposes the use of nuclear energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, citing security risks, high costs, and the difficulty of disposing huge amounts of dangerous nuclear waste.

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193

Green Party News Center
http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml

Green Party Speakers Bureau
http://www.gp.org/speakers

2007 national Green Party meeting in Reading, Pa.: video footage, blog and media coverage
http://www.gp.org/meeting2007/

Eco-Action Committee of the Green Party
http://www.gp.org/committees/ecoaction

"DC Statehood Greens deliver 'No War, No Warming' letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi"
DC Statehood Green Party press release, October 23, 2007
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org//press/press.php?annc_id=207&section_id=2

"Green activists join 'No War, No Warming' actions targeting Congress"
Green Party press release, October 22, 2007
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2007_10_22.shtml

"Greens Call for a Massive National, Global Conservation Effort to Curb Global Warming"
Green Party press release, April 13, 2007
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2007_04_13.shtml

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