[GPCA Updates] GP RELEASE: US needs Green energy & global warming solutions, not Obama or McCain plans

[Green Party of California Updates]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

For Immediate Release:
Monday, August 11, 2008


America needs the Green Party's solutions to energy and global warming
crises, not the Obama or McCain plans, say Greens

• Greens call rise of gas prices and demand for expanded drilling a
manipulation by oil companies seeking control over US energy policy


WASHINGTON, DC -- Green candidates and leaders called Barack Obama's and
John McCain's positions on energy policy, gas prices, and global warming a
capitulation to corporate lobbies, and urged adoption of the Green Party's
plan to reduce fossil fuel consumption, generate new jobs in conservation
and new energy sources, and curb the advance of climate change.

"Both the McCain and Obama energy plans privilege corporate profits over the
urgent need to transforms our nation's energy policies.  Both Mr. McCain and
Mr. Obama are seeking ways to preserve corporate profits at a time when the
future of our planet is at stake," said John M. Wages, Jr., Green candidate
for the US House in Mississippi (District 1) (http://www.VoteJohnWages.com).
  "Barack Obama's support for nuclear power and ethanol and his recent
turnaround on offshore drilling prove that he, like John McCain, will not
challenge the power and profits of the energy industry.  We need the kind of
national leadership on energy and the global warming threat that's
represented by our presidential and congressional Green candidates."

Exelon, a nuclear power company, is among Barack Obama's top corporate
donors ((Source: Center for Responsive Politics,
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00009638).
(John McCain's corporate donor list:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?id=N00006424&cycle2=2008&goButt2.x=7&goButt2.y=6)
  Oil industry contributions to Democrats and Republicans in 2008 are already
soaring, while the percentage gap between contributions to the two parties'
candidates, though consistently higher for Republicans, has begun to
diminish (Source: http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=E01).

Greens said that two factors are behind the demand for drilling in the
Alaska National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) and in offshore areas, purportedly
to reduce dependence on foreign oil:

(1) The oil companies are manipulating prices to create fear among Americans
to win support for drilling in these areas.  In fact, Canada increased its
exports to the States by almost 100 million barrels between 2005 and 2007,
thanks to an oil boom in Alberta's oil sands, and oil companies have posted
record profits recently.

Naomi Klein has written that "drilling in ANWR would have little discernible
impact on actual global oil supplies, as its advocates well know.  The
argument that it could nonetheless bring down oil prices is based not on
hard economics but on market psychoanalysis: drilling would 'send a message'
to the oil traders that more oil is on the way, which would cause them to
start betting down the price."  (The Nation, July 21, 2008,
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080721/lookout)

(2) Popular fears over gas prices have given the oil industry greater
leverage over measures to curb global warming at a time when fossil fuel
consumption must be drastically reduced.

Furthermore, Exxon Mobil, Texaco, BP, and other companies are using their
increased leverage during the current gas price panic to win oil production
contracts in Iraq, which will prolong the US occupation indefinitely.  Sen.
Obama, while promising a reduction of US troops in Iraq, would leave a
residual occupation force to protect "American interests," which means US
control over Iraqi oil resources.

The Green Party has strongly opposed ANWR and off-shore drilling and trading
of carbon caps, and favors bans on new coal fired-power plants, new nuclear
power plants (as well as early retirement of current nuclear reactors), and
all mountaintop coal removal.  The party endorses a reduction by 90% of
mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants by 2012, targeted carbon
taxes, investment in renewable noncarbon-based energy technology, and
reduction of CO2 and SO2 emissions by 80% by 2020.  These and other policies
are listed in a recommendation for environmental action for a Green
President's first 100 days in office
(http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=58).

"America's first priorities must be conservation and efficiency.  The Green
Party has an effective plan to reorganize the economy, create millions of
new jobs in conversion to safe clean energy, conservation, and expansion of
public transportation to replace car traffic," said Rosa Clemente, nominated
by the Green Party as Cynthia McKinney's running mate for Vice President of
the United States (http://www.rosaclemente.com).  "Such an effort should be
comparable to America's concerted and internationally cooperative effort to
defeat the Axis powers during World War II.  But this time we'd be uniting
for peace, since global warming threatens the security of the entire world
in the coming decades."

"Without such an effort, the disaster we witnessed in New Orleans during and
after Katrina will take place on a global scale.  Billions of people will
see their homes, livelihoods, health, and lives threatened, while corporate
interests exploit the devastation for more money and power," added Ms. Clemente.


MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
• Green candidate database for 2008 and other campaign information:
http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
• Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Green Party ballot access page http://www.gp.org/2008-elections

Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente 'Power to the People' Campaign for the White
House http://www.runcynthiarun.org

2008 Green National Convention, July 10-13 in Chicago, Illinois
http://www.greenparty2008.org


~ END ~