Greens for John Kerry

[JI7]

<Kerry's Environmental Record
The Senator was one of the original organizers of the first Earth Day in Massachusetts (in 1970), and chaired the National Earth Day board in 1990. He and Senator Barbara Boxer passed a Senate amendment to impose a moratorium on oil drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf and the West Coast, including California's coastline. The Kerry-Boxer amendment closes a loophole that would have allowed oil companies to drill in environmentally sensitive areas and protects the fishing and tourism industries from being trumped by Big Oil.

Kerry co-sponsored Senator Lincoln Chafee’s Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2000, a bipartisan bill providing national brownfields cleanup and redevelopment in urban areas. This legislation expands tax incentives for federal brownfields coverage and places brownfields revitalization in a special attention category separate from Superfund. The goal is to stimulate the economies of these communities by attracting new residents and businesses partially through brownfields improvements.

Along with Senator Joe Biden, Kerry sponsored a State Department bill amendment that addressed the issue of global climate change by mandating the Bush Administration to engage in international environmental renegotiations and to work toward revising Kyoto Protocol. This amendment would promote shared international responsibility from all major world powers in preventing the acceleration of global warming.

The Sierra Club has publicly commended Kerry for his environmental record, stating that, "there is no stronger advocate in the Senate for environmental protection than John Kerry."

He and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) brokered a bipartisan compromise to propose increasing fuel-efficiency standards by 50%, with a goal to reach a fuel economy average of 36 miles per gallon by the year 2015.

Kerry chaired a governor's task force on acid rain as lieutenant governor and developed a national platform to address the problem. He’s rewritten fishery laws, marine mammal protection laws, plastic pollution laws, flood insurance protection laws, and coastal-zone management laws. He also took the lead on tuna/dolphin safety issues and on banning driftnet fishing. Kerry led the fight to stop Newt Gingrich from attacking the Clean Air and Clean Water acts in 1996, and the effort in the Senate to stop the drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. He also put together the first-ever sustainable development conference in Asia.

Kerry’s Environmental Agenda
Read Kerry's Environmental Plan
Kerry has said he would set up a toxic task force with the EPA, designating environmental empowerment zones for the most hazardous areas to receive federal priority. Through Kerry's Conservation Covenant, royalties from resource extraction will be reinvested and redirected into national conservation and protection efforts. He will develop a tracking system for chronic diseases that stem from pollutants, and will plug loopholes in the clean air laws after rolling back Bush's environmental deregulation. Other facets of Kerry's environmental plan involve water restoration for freshwater lakes, riverfronts, and lakefronts, as well as the removal of tax incentives related to urban sprawl. He will authorize full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, to be put toward the improvement of urban parks and recreation efforts.

John Kerry's energy plan includes a new Manhatten Project to make America independent of Middle Eastern oil in 10 years by fostering alternative fuels such as ethanol while making cars more efficient. The Manhatten Project will create 500,000 U.S.-based jobs in energy production. He also plans to make 20% of electricity come from alternative (non-oil) energy sources by 2020, along with some integration of hydrogen-based energy by 2020. He will make natural gas more affordable for Americans through the North American Energy Partnership, and will close a current loophole that allows luxury cars to receive tax deductions of up to $100,000.

Kerry has vowed to filibuster any attempt made by President Bush to open oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Senator Kerry has endorsed a Strategic Energy Initiative to target the private sector with incentives for the exploration of domestic and alternative energy sources. Approximately $16 billion in tax credits would be allocated for domestic oil production and development of alternative fuels. Experts predict this proposal could reduce American dependency on foreign oil by an estimated 1 million to 3 million of barrels per day. Tax incentives would be given to manufacturers producing fuel-efficient vehicles that utilize domestic biofuels and clean-burning fuel cell technology, as well as to investors of such technology.

In advocating a 20% national increase goal of converting to alternative energy vehicle technology, Kerry points to the billions of dollars in net growth accumulated by companies such as Honda, Shell, Toyota, BP, Ford, and Chevron when applying renewable resources ranging from electric to natural gas to solar to biomass to wind-based to fuel cell power when producing trucks, minivans, cars, and SUVs. This research has shown us that more jobs can be created from renewable fuels than from non-renewable fossil fuels, so consequently, an increase in renewable energy for the American auto industry will be both economically and environmentally advantageous.

Kerry has outlined a six-point plan:
1. A new and permanent commitment to “Green and Clean Communities.” He will fight for “Green and Clean Communities” by removing the threat of toxics from our communities, reinvigorating the Superfund cleanup program, improving our parks, and taking on traffic congestion and sprawl.

2. A new “Conservation Covenant” with America to protect and restore our nation’s Parks, lands, and other treasures for the benefit of future generations.

3. Protecting our Health by Reducing Dangerous Air Emissions. As President, John Kerry will immediately reverse the Bush-Cheney rollbacks of our nation’s Clean Air laws.

4. A new “Restoring America’s Waters” Campaign to clean up our nation’s waters, protect communities’ fresh water supplies, and help communities reclaim their riverfronts and lake-fronts as new centers of economic growth.

5. Reasserting American leadership in the international community to tackle climate change and other key global environmental challenges.

6. A new energy economy that will reassert American energy independence and power job growth and environmental improvement.

Kerry’s Voting Record: The Environment

2001-2002 On the votes that the League of Conservation Voters considered to be the most important in 2001-2002, Senator Kerry voted their preferred position 92 percent of the time.

2002 On the votes that the Sierra Club considered to be most important in 2002 Senator Kerry voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

2001 On the votes that the Sierra Club considered to be most important in 2002 Senator Kerry voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

2001-2002 On the votes that the National Parks Consevation Association considered to be the most important in 2001-2002, Senator Kerry voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

1999-2000 On the votes that the League of Conservation Voters considered to be the most important in 1999-2000, Senator Kerry voted their preferred position 94 percent of the time.

1999-2000 On the votes that the American Lands Alliance considered to be the most important in 1999-2000, Senator Kerry voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.>

http://www.greensforkerry.com/issues/environment.php

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I am glad he is strong on the environment

but I wish he was stronger on many other issues that drew me to the Greens.

[mrgorth]

2. I like that pic of him

but he kind of looks like a new age priest or something. The wing nuts would love it.

[JI7]

3. i think it's made out of shells

from the place called shell island or shell beach or something like that.

[mzmolly]

4. Kick!!!

:kick:

[JI7]

5. kick

[DaveSZ]

6. Solid!

His record rocks.

[AP]

7. Kerry will have no problem getting the Green Vote, especially...

...in close states.