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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 9th, 2007 IPCC report prompts Green-Rainbow Party outrage and calls for moral and cooperative leadership from state leadersCONTACTS: Bill Cunningham, Communications Director, communications.director@green-rainbow.org Green Rainbow party leaders joined people across the world in expressing outrage and grave concern about global warming in response to the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change’s second report released on April 9th, 2007. “This report highlights the severe problems that we face not so much about global warming, which is generally recognized across the world, but the lack of political and moral leadership which are and will continue to be crucial in addressing our state’s, our country’s, and our humanity’s future,” said Grace Ross, 2006 Green Rainbow gubernatorial candidate. Given that our candidates forced a focus on global warming during the gubernatorial debates, Party leaders applaud and are gratified by the environmental leadership focus shown before this session of the Massachusetts state legislature even opened; they note that it is critical for the leaders in the legislature and governor Patrick to recognize that now is not the moment for competition and squabbling over different approaches. “Our leaders must recognize that this moment calls upon the people of this state, and across the world, to join in a huge effort, an effort that can only be accomplished quickly through the civic, technological, and spiritual engagement of all people. If there was ever a time which called upon the most basic democratic, environmental, and humanitarian principles, this is that time,” said Chuck Turner, Boston City Councilor and Green-Rainbow member. Any plan for reversing climate change must help make local-scale conservation measures and renewable energy the norm. All initiatives must be measured by their long-term sustainability, local control and participation, commitment to incorporation into regular people’s lives, reuse, efficiency, and longevity of every resource. “We have submitted proposals and also support proposals for state-funded revolving loan funds as a way to assist citizens and small businesses as opposed to large corporations to adopt sustainable technologies. As long as policy is being fueled by an attempt to protect profit margins, and the centralization of power and resources, this struggle cannot be successfully concluded,” explained James O’Keefe, 2006 Green Rainbow Candidate for Treasurer. “Proposals that seek to undermine instead of enhance local, people-sized participation and control will stymie our long term efforts towards arresting climate change. Proposals which remove the ability of local communities to democratically decide their energy choices are being championed by some of our state leaders. We seek to advance proposals that will enhance all of our communities’ ability to do what the much touted community of Hull has done to advance citizen-led renewable energy because they are a municipal utility,” said Luc Schuster, Green-Rainbow co-chair and Cambridge School Committee member. “We call on our elected leaders to engage in a cooperative process – cooperative with each other, cooperative with the people of our state – that utilizes everyone’s best ideas, energy, and resources. This cannot be a time of one upsmenship when what is critical is that Massachusetts be remembered as a leader in this critical struggle for survival,” summed up Green-Rainbow Party co-chair, Wendy Van Horne. [END] |
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