| WASHINGTON
- August 12 - Citing indications that global
warming may be accelerating, Greens in the U.S. and
around the world have called for the Kyoto Accords to
be renegotiated.
Greens are demanding that the U.S. lead the world in
measures to curtail global warming, with stronger
curbs on greenhouse gas emissions, elimination of
tradeable pollution credits, and increased efforts to
reduce fossil fuel dependence and convert to clean,
renewable energy such as solar and wind energy. The Global Green Charter
endorsed by Greens around the world, has called for
similar wide-ranging measures, including carbon taxes
on fossil fuel use.
According to The New York Times (August 12), Utah Gov.
Michael Leavitt, President Bush's nominee for EPA
chief, opposed the Kyoto treaty; many Greens are
urging Democrats to filibuster Leavitt's confirmation.
"Scientists from the U.K.-based Institute for Public
Policy Research, the World Meteorological
Organization, and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change claim that manmade global climate
change seems to be proceeding much faster than earlier expected," said Lorna Salzman, a New York Green and candidate for the national party's presidential nomination. "We've begun to see the result -- extreme weather around the world, especially the record-breaking deadly heatwave in Europe, with depleted water resources, forest fires, rapidly melting Alpine glaciers, and an agricultural crisis."
Greens note that the effect will be further aggravated
by rapid melting of the Arctic permafrost, by the
possible collapse of the western Antarctic ice shelf,
and by policies like President Bush's 'Healthy
Forests' proposal, which would allow timber companies
to mow down millions of acres of public forestlands.
"This isn't a local environmental problem that can be
cleaned up next week, but the global ecological and
political crisis of the 21st century," said Jake
Schneider, treasurer of the Green Party of the United
States. "But it's hardly on the table for Democratic
and Republican candidates or in media coverage of the
2004 election. If we judge from the Clinton and Bush administrations and the 2004 campaigns, it will make minimal difference to the advancement of climate change whether a Democrat or Republican is elected."
In November 2000, under pressure from the energy
industry, President Clinton's delegation at the Hague conference obstructed enactment of the Kyoto Accord's minimal steps to scale back global warming. In March 2001, President Bush withdrew from Kyoto entirely after pledging as a candidate to support the agreement.
"The Kyoto agreement undermined its own goals by
allowing 'horse-trading' of pollution credits by
industry, which will inadequately slow greenhouse gas
emissions -- but even Kyoto's modest measures were
unacceptable to oil companies," said Mark Dunlea,
chair of the Green Party of New York State.
Greens sharply criticized the Senate's bipartisan
defeat in July of a Title 49 amendment to require
automakers to produce a fleet average of 40 miles per
gallon by 2015.
"There's no way to begin addressing global warming --
or security for America -- without changing fuel
consumption, which means imposing fuel efficiency
rules on the auto industry," said Alan Muller,
Executive Director of Green Delaware, a
community-based organization working on environment
and public health issues, and Green Party member.
While Congress surrenders to energy, oil, and car
lobbies, Bush policy on global warming is informed by industry-funded think tanks like the George C. Marshall Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute, as well as the American Petroleum Institute. As a result, the Bush Administration has deluded Americans into thinking that there's no scientific consensus that manmade greenhouse gases are aggravating climate change. It's a failure of environmental policy and democracy. Greens will make this a major theme of our local and national campaigns in 2004."
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