My Green Life

When it comes time to cast my vote, I have generally found myself disagreeing with multiple aspects of politicians’ platforms. I have always figured there is no alternative, so I choose who I feel is the lesser of two evils. Although I still feel this way to some extent, James has opened my eyes to some promising options that exist outside the Democrat/Republican canopy. The Green Party has caught my interest lately and although their chances of winning the election are close to zero, their environmental stewardship sparked my interest. I’m sure the Green Party and their “hippie” nature has it’s fair share of opponents, but their Earth-loving, anti-war, pro-equality, pro-life platform resonated with me. (Click here to see a comprehensive breakdown of key issues where the Green Party strays from the mainstream parties).

The Green Party recognizes the need for citizens to take responsibility for the Earth. “Green parties are the first parties to recognize that our role in the world is stewardship of Earth’s natural resources rather than domination and unrestrained consumption of the goods of the Earth,” the party said in its proposed platform for the 2008 election. Obama has mentioned an eye opening fact many times that is worth repeating. The US provides 3% of the world’s oil, but accounts for 25% of the oil consumption. This is not ecologically wise or sustainable.  One of the Green Party’s ten key values is Ecological Wisdom.

Ten Key Values: (#2) Ecological Wisdom

Human societies must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our planet. We support a sustainable society that utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must have agricultural practices that replenish the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

Several other notable issues the Green Party opposes is corporate agriculture, loose standards on the use of GMOs, nuclear energy production, and the privatization of the FED. Instead, the party endorses family-scale farms that promote sustainiblity and organic methods. They back extensive testing and strict regulation on GMOs (genetically modified organisms). And, without a safe way to dispose of nuclear waste, they conclude that nuclear energy is not a viable option at this time. They also want the Federal Reserve nationalized and designated as a Section or Department within the United States Treasury under the direction and supervision of the Secretary.

The Green Party has a lot to offer, especially for those voters that don’t fall neatly into the Democrat or Republican bin. Whether or not they get my vote this year, only November 4th will tell!

Visit http://www.gp.org/index.php for more information on the Green Party including candidate Cynthia McKinney and runningmate Rosa Clemente.