Green Party of California Proposal (April 2004) Balancing the Budget (3/14/07 version)

SPONSOR: GROW

PRESENTER: Craig Peterson 1937 Marta Drive Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 925-671-7025 compmail@pacbell.net

SUBJECT: Dealing with the effects of global warming and peak oil.

ENDORSED BY: Diablo Greens Green Party of Contra Costa

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: On February 2, 2007 the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a study that confirmed that greenhouse gas reduction targets being talked about to stop climate change will not now avoid potentially catastrophic rises in global average temperatures. In addition they state that there is a 90% chance that human beings are responsible for these changes.

It is important that the Green Party of California make clear where it stands on these issues as well as looking for other like-minded groups to work with to help solve these problems that the whole world is now facing.

One group that is working to help solve the problems of peak oil is the Post Carbon Institute (http://www.postcarbon.org/) . The Post Carbon Institute is an umbrella organization whose mission is "to assist communities in the effort to Relocalize and adapt to an energy constrained world." The main focus of their Relocalization Network (Local Communities - Global Connections) is to help groups study and prepare for the oncoming lack of fossil fuel.

In keeping with the Key Values of Ecological Wisdom and Community-Based Economics it would be of great value for the Green Party of California to work with this organization to help communities become more prepared for a world that is experiencing increasing demand for, and decreasing supplies of, fossil fuel.

PROPOSAL: The Green Party of California agrees to the following:

1. encourage all local Green Parties to work with individuals and organizations in their communities to set up Relocalization groups.

2. that the State Party will make the availability of mass transit a priority when planning any meeting of the General Assembly or of any State Party Working Group or Standing Committee.

3. that the Green Party of California will resist any plan that utilizes the trading of carbon "credits" with the exception of purchasing such credits to retire them.

4. release a press statement of our support for the work of the Post Carbon Institute.

COMMITTEE DECISION:

TIMELINE: This proposal shall take place as soon as possible after adoption by the General Assembly.

RESOURCES: The Media Standing Committee will compose and release a press release.