Joint Press Release
GREEN PARTY OF CANADA
http://green.ca/
GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Contacts
Green Party of Canada:
Van Ferrier, Media Relations, 514-804-3684, van.ferrier@greenparty.ca
Green Party of the United States:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@greens.org
MONTREAL (20 September 2005) -- Green Parties of
Arctic Council member countries are calling upon country leaders to
stand against oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge (ANWR), said Green Party of Canada leader Jim Harris in a joint
statement with the Green Parties of Denmark, Finland, and the U.S.
today.
Harris made the comments on Arctic Refuge Action
Day as thousands of concerned citizens gather at the U.S. Capitol to
voice their opposition to drilling in the ANWR. The statements come
just over two weeks before the U.S. Senate is expected to finalize a
budget bill that could allow companies to begin leasing exploration
tracts.
"In order to reverse global climate change,
Arctic countries must immediately reduce their uneven share of
greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels," said Harris
who noted the U.S. contributes nearly a quarter of global greenhouse
gas emissions with only 5 percent of the world's population.
The Arctic Council has reported that temperatures
in the Arctic are rising twice as fast as the rest of the world.
Global climate change is causing habitats to melt away, wildlife to go
extinct and new migration patterns that have eroded the livelihoods of
Northern peoples.
The Bush Administration is also turning a blind
eye to economic forecasters who warn that spikes in global oil prices
will harm the world economy if renewable energy sources are not made
more available. The price of crude oil skyrocketed beyond $US70 per
barrel after Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. Gulf coast last month.
"Extracting the 11 billion barrels of oil
thought to exist in the ANWR will do next to nothing to cushion spikes
in oil prices due to supply interruptions on the U.S. Gulf coast, in
Africa, the Middle East or Latin America," said Harris.
"There is no good reason for the U.S. to jeopardize the world
economy and the environment for only 17 months of oil -- ten years
down the road."
The Green Party of Canada calls upon the leaders
of Arctic Council member countries to follow through on their
commitment to protecting Arctic ecosystems and communities by
pressuring the U.S. to abandon oil and gas exploration in the ANWR and
ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
1711 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
Green Party of Canada http://green.ca/
De Grnne (Green Party of Denmark) http://www.groenne.dk/
Vihre Litto (Green League of Finland) http://www.vihrealiitto.fi/