Within the past decades, we have experienced alarming trends that prove that climate change is a reality based on ongoing environmental research. All human endeavors are all part of the dynamics of our biosphere. If we wish to have a sustainable economy and civilization, we must work alongside Mother Nature. Industrialism, in both capitalist and communist countries, emphasizes the idea that modern society lives on top of nature and should rightly use the resources of the natural world as we see fit with little regard to the effects on our planet. We are now living through the painful consequences of that arrogant, ignorant perspective. Many of our youth suffer from accumulations of toxins in their neurological systems, environmentally related cancer is on the rise, our air and water are increasingly polluted and our ecosystems are being compromised due to the spreading of genetically engineered organisms. How can our nation practice freedoms that are granted by to the people through the Bill of Rights of our Constitution if we are not realizing that climate change is increasingly becoming a threat to our national security and personal property?
Clean And Healthy Environment As A Constitutional Right
Although the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has aided in protecting our environment here in the US since Nixon’s Administration, we believe to fully ensure we keep our environment clean at home and not contributing to the pollution of other countries, we need to adopt an environmental amendment to the Constitution because we believe it should be included in our Bill of Rights and people shouldn’t have to be exposed to harmful contaminants in our food and water supplies; especially on our private property that includes the air we breathe. With Scott Pruitt who is an individual who rejects climate change despite thousands of scientific studies that proves that our climate problems were created by humans and also happens to be the current head of the EPA, this becomes another issue that shows that we need to add a environmental amendment to our Constitution and make it a right!
Why do we need to add an environmental amendment to the Constitution?
- A constitutional amendment would increase the role of the federal government in helping to control pollution that isn’t restricted state and national borders.
- A constitutional amendment give Congress and courts the clear authority to take strong action to protect the environment.
- Recognizing a clean and healthy environment as a constitutional right will help the economy by creating more business opportunities, which will create more jobs and help us smoothly transition us into a green economy.
Reclaim Our Democracy From The Billionaire Fossil Fuel Lobby
Big Oil spends billions of dollars lobbying and buying candidates to block all progress on climate change. The oil companies, coal companies and electric utilities spent $2.26 billion in federal lobbying since 2009 and another $330 million in federal campaign contributions. Thanks to the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, the fossil fuel industry can pour unlimited amounts of money into the political system without having to disclose how much or where they spend it.
These are solutions that would help us effectively combat climate change and get this crony fossil fuel lobby out of our politics:
- Ban fossil fuels lobbyists from working in the White House.
- End the huge subsidies that benefit fossil fuel companies.
- Create a national environmental and climate justice plan that recognizes the heightened public health risks faced by low-income and minority communities.
- Bring climate deniers to justice so we can aggressively tackle climate change.
- Fight to overturn Citizens United.
Transition Away From Fossil Fuels
Scientists warn us that if we continue burning fossil fuels, we will experience more disease, more hunger, more drought, more famine, rising sea levels, more floods, more ocean acidification, more extreme weather patterns, and more human suffering. Therefore, we must leave the vast majority of global reserves of coal, natural gas and oil in the ground. Our transition away from fossil fuels must be fair to those currently working in the energy sector because these workers are dependent on these jobs to support their families and we need to ensure there are viable alternatives for these workers to be able to make livable wages.
We need to:
- Embrace a science-based standard for carbon pollution emissions reductions.
- Adopt a carbon tax. Leading economists on both ends of the political spectrum agree that a tax on carbon is one of the most straightforward and cost-effective strategies for quickly fighting climate change.
Become The International Leader In Solving Climate Change And Conflict
The CIA and the Department of Defense both warn us that climate change is one of the greatest security issues facing this planet. Instability caused by environmental factors can cause international conflict. The US needs to lead the international community in the fight against climate change to maintain American economic strength, global security, and take personal responsibility for past polluting in the last 100 years. Our progress in reducing pollution levels over the last ten years has given us the credibility to demand that major developing nations also take action. China and India are also making a serious commitment and putting forth their own aggressive climate agendas.
The Environmental Party believes we need to
- Have a climate summit with the world’s best engineers, climate scientists, policy experts, activists and indigenous communities.
- Lead countries in cutting climate change.
- Plan for peace to avoid international climate-fueled conflict.