WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Green Party is calling on voters concerned about the environment and the dire threat posed by climate change to "Go Green in 2016."

The invitation is published in an open letter written by Margaret Flowers and James Lane, Honorary Co-chairs of the 2016 Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention.

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
@GreenPartyUS

For Immediate Release:
Friday, July 15, 2016

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-904-7614, [email protected]
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, [email protected]

2016 Green Presidential Nominating Convention, Houston, Aug. 4-7: http://www.gp.org/pnc-2016
Media credentialing page: http://www.gp.org/media-credentials
News advisory: http://www.gp.org/green_party_will_keep_the_political_revolution_going

"Welcome to the Green Party": http://www.gp.org/w

FAQ on the Green Party, Green nomination, and 2016 election: http://www.gp.org/faq

Excerpts from the letter are appended below. The full text is online here: http://www.gp.org/open_letter_climate_justice_movement

The Green Party continues to welcome new party members and voters who are former supporters of Bernie Sanders, in the wake of his endorsement for Hillary Clinton on July 12.

Greens said that the need for a pro-environmental alternative party has become more urgent in light of the Democratic and Republican Parties' failure to support necessary measures in the fight against global warming. The Democrats' platform panel rejected carbon taxes, refused to ban fracking or to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and supports the give-away of public lands and water to fossil-fuel companies. Republicans are embracing greater burning of coal, a significant source of greenhouse gases.

Green Party leaders called the refusal of the Democratic and Republican parties to take effective action an irresponsible capitulation to fossil-fuel and other polluting industries. Greens said that the two corporate-money parties and their nominees have proved themselves incapable of handling the climate crisis.

Green candidates are promoting the "Green New Deal," which treats the climate crisis as both a global emergency and an opportunity to reorganize the U.S. economy in order to generate millions of new jobs in new energy technologies, conservation, public transportation, retrofitting homes and buildings, and other public projects ( http://gpus.org/organizing-tools/the-green-new-deal ).

Margaret Flowers is the Green candidate for the U.S. Senate in Maryland ( http://www.flowersforsenate.org ), as well as a physician and political activist. James Lane is a media activist and Green candidate for Public Advocate of New York City in the 2017 election ( http://www.votejameslane.org ).

The letter follows earlier appeals to supporters of Black Lives Matter ( http://www.gp.org/open_letter_black_lives_matter_supporters ), Bernie Sanders supporters ( http://www.gp.org/green_party_reaches_out_to_sanders_supporters ), and universal health care advocates ( http://www.gp.org/green_party_urges_universal_health_care_supporters ), also from Dr. Flowers and Mr. Lane.

The Green Party's Presidential Nominating Convention will take place August 4-7 on the campus of the University of Houston in Texas ( http://www.gp.org/pnc-2016 ).

Members of the media may register for credentials here ( http://www.gp.org/media-credentials ) as well as on site during the convention.

For more details about the convention, including a schedule of events, see this news advisory: http://www.gp.org/green_party_will_keep_the_political_revolution_going

Open Letter to the Climate Justice Movement from the Honorary Co-chairs of the Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention (excerpted)

The Democratic Party's "All of the Above" energy strategy is driving more fossil fuel extraction to the detriment of our communities and the planet. Recently, the White House approved 1,500 leases for fracking in the Gulf of Mexico, which still has not recovered from the BP Horizon's massive oil leak and the spraying of millions of gallons of toxic Corexit. The government is now holding auctions of public lands for oil and gas leases online because of protests. 

International agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which are being rammed through by the Obama Administration, will drive greater exports of oil and gas. This means more drilling, fracking, pipelines, compressor stations, etc. New goals for renewable energy and control of methane can best be described as "too little, too late." ...

The climate justice movement has realized its power by working outside of and applying pressure on the system. We believe that in this election year and going forward, it is critical that we also develop electoral power outside of the traditional system by building an alternative political party that embraces our values... 

We invite you to consider the Green Party as a political home for the climate justice movement. We are grassroots activists who work on many issues of economic, racial and environmental justice and peace. We welcome your participation in leadership roles and as candidates for office. We have more than 150 candidates this year running at all levels of government.

As honorary co-chairs of the Presidential Nominating Convention, we encourage you to join us for the Annual Meeting and PNC this August 4 to 7 in Houston.

In solidarity,
Margaret Flowers and James Lane
Honorary Co-chairs of the 2016 Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention


MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191
@GreenPartyUS

Green candidate database and campaign information: http://www.gp.org/elections
News Center http://www.gp.org/newsroom
Ballot Access Page http://www.gp.org/ballotaccess
Video Page http://www.gp.org/video
Green Papers http://www.greenpapers.net/
Google+ http://plus.google.com/communities/102653783893662302489
Twitter http://twitter.com/greenpartyus
Livestream Channels http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus and http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenPartyVideos/live
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/GreenPartyUS

Green Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the United States
http://www.greenpagesnews.org


~ END ~