C3

      The current political climate often seems paralyzed by partisan representatives and pre-determined agendas that are not responsive to the needs of the American people. One crucial issue that seems to be egregiously absent from politics is the environment. Yes, Obama has instated new mpg standards and Democrats and Republicans bicker about the role of government in environmental regulation. However, global change is happening fast and the U.S. is not keeping up. We are one of the few remaining industrialized nations not to have signed the Kyoto Protocol, which limits greenhouse gas emissions. This is unacceptable. The U.S. should be at the forefront of sustainable change. America is home to John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, Teddy Roosevelt, who preserved the great American wilderness, and FDR, who was responsible for the construction of our very own Blue Ridge Parkway through his New Deal initiatives. We cannot abandon this tradition of conservation. America was once home to some of the last unexplored wilderness in the world and it is our duty today to preserve this natural wonder.
       As stated in the Green Party platform, "environmental justice, social justice, and economic justice depend on and support each other." Protecting the natural world is no longer optional, it is necessary to preserving our future. Everyone, including our children and grandchildren, have a right to a healthy world. In order to provide this, action must be taken. The Green Party rests upon the public trust doctrine which establishes the idea of common property and asserts that it is the government's role to protect this natural resource for all people. The American public deserves a government that will do its utmost to establish a clean environment and thereby allow all citizens a chance to be successful and healthy. The Green Party hopes to expand on the National Environmental Policy Act, signed in 1970 to set guidelines for U.S. policy from pollution prevention to environmental research.
    In addition to the environment, our country is also facing serious unemployment and poverty. Through a reduction in military spending and a systematic, global disarmament program, the U.S. will be able to fund welfare programs for the needy. The government should be responsible for the well-being of families, children, the elderly, and the disabled. As well as redistributing military funding, additional federal income can be achieved through a graduated income tax that accurately reflects a citizen's ability to pay.
      The U.S. is facing tough times, and perhaps, instead of returning to the politicians who created the mess, it is time to turn to a new and more effective solution. The Green Party offers a third choice. It offers a clean, sustainable future that will ensure prosperity for future generations as well as opportunity for current ones. An environmentally-friendly America is possible. All we need to do now is start the change.

Sources:
http://www.gp.org/committees/platform/2012/
http://www.slc.ca.gov/policy_statements/public_trust/public_trust_doctrine.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/oecaerth/basics/nepa.html