Environment

A.      ENERGY PRODUCTION, USE, AND CONSERVATION

Conservation should be an essential element of any energy policy. We need ecologically sound, economically viable forms of energy generation. Current energy strategies rely on fossil fuels and nuclear generators, which pollute the air, create greenhouse gases, encourage dependence on foreign suppliers, and produce radioactive waste that will remain a potential hazard for thousands of years.

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• Development of a public policy that requires energy conservation and efficiency, and conversion to safe, domestic renewable energy sources for all of our needs.

• Public support for the research and development of safe renewable energy sources, including passive and active solar, biomass, ocean, wind, small hydro, and hydrogen/water.

• Re-establishment of tax incentives for alternative energy and conservation methods used in new construction, and for the retrofitting of existing structures.

• Elimination of subsidies, tax benefits, and research funding to corporations and utilities for non-renewable energy sources.

• Alteration of our buildings and technologies to reduce energy demand.

• Implementation of high energy efficiency standards for lighting and home appliances, and incentives to encourage even more efficient products.

• Enactment of statewide legislation to promote public ownership and democratic control of our energy systems.

B.      WATER USE AND CONSERVATION

Conservation – the reduce, reuse, recycle ethic – must be an essential element in any water policy. The principle of bioregionalism, or living with the means of a region’s natural resources, is also a crucial element in any water policy.

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Frequent droughts have underlined the need for new thinking to ensure sufficient water supplies for essential needs. Government policies that subsidize water use leave agribusiness no incentive to conserve. Water tables in many parts of the nation, including Florida, are dropping, and they are also being polluted by chemical farming practices and industrial run-off, as well as incinerator and power plant waste.

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• Prohibition of the privatization of water.

• Creation of a public policy which requires individuals and industry to use water efficiently. Sample mandates could include: the use of water-efficient appliances in construction, the modification of existing appliances to be more water-efficient; maximizing the use of gray-water systems and drought-tolerant landscaping, full use of reclaimed water with solar aquaculture water treatment and drip irrigation systems; the investigation of reclamation to potable levels; and household or community rainwater collection.

• Elimination of metals, solvents, and other toxins in sewer water by toxics use reduction and pretreatment of industrial waste to enable more complete reclamation and reuse of sludge.

• Elimination of storm drain pollution through education about and enforcement of bans against toxic dumping; treatment to allow for reclamation; and environmentally sensitive engineering.

• Elimination of water subsidies.

• Allotment of agricultural water to be based on acreage, and bioregional and crop factors.

• Cessation of water pollution by farming, incineration, and industry.

• Cessation of polluted runoff from sugar cane production, paying special attention to its impact on the Everglades.

• Involvement of citizens in monitoring water tables, determining and regulating draw, and overseeing the enforcement of restrictions.

• Preservation and restoration of all of Florida’s natural waterways, particularly the Everglades.

• Banning of concrete channelization of streambeds.

• Elimination of deep well injection as a method of wastewater disposal.

• Requirements for xeriscaping and retention of native vegetation in new construction; and for previous construction, significant tax credits for retrofitting landscape.

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C.      PROTECTION OF THE OCEANS

Our oceans are essential to life on Earth. Yet, undersea mining and indiscriminate harvesting techniques lead to the devastation of marine species. Ocean vessels also contaminate the sea through leaks, the use of unsustainable technology, and by the dumping of refuse. Further, the oceans are threatened with contamination from ships transporting plutonium, and by ocean testing of nuclear weapons and undersea toxic dumpsites, the contents of which remain secret.

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• Ban drilling off the Florida coast.

• Protect marine life by banning the import of fish and seafood from countries that use drift nets or harm dolphins with encirclement nets.

• Protect sea life by allowing only the importation of sustainably harvested shrimp from boats with turtle exclusion devices and low by-catch levels.

• Establish and enforce stringent environmental standards for all watercraft.

• Ban ocean transportation of nuclear and toxic waste.

• Eliminate all ocean dumping.

• Fund research and mapping of ocean toxic dump sites and the recovery and land-based treatment of this waste, where feasible.

• Implement more stringent protection of coral reefs, including a ban on coral imports, and where necessary to protect dying reefs, the removal of breakwaters.

• Restore dunes, beaches, and coastal wetlands, using sustainable methods.

• Expand manatee safety zones.

• Develop and enforce a comprehensive marine mammal protection program.

• Adopt fish harvesting regulations that protect indigenous species and maintain resource sustainability.
   

D.      PROTECTION OF THE ATMOSPHERE

The Earth’s atmosphere is essential for maintaining the ecological health of the Earth, and it must be protected and restored. Global warming is a scientific fact, and the ozone layer of the Earth’s atmosphere is being depleted by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-destroying chemicals (ODCs). Our fossil fuel-dependent lifestyle results in the release of huge quantities of carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere, which significantly contributes to the greenhouse effect. Methane gases released from cattle production contribute significantly as well. Consequently, we are experiencing measurable increases in the Earth’s average temperature, and fragile ecological systems cannot adapt quickly enough to survive these changes. Finally, the absence of adequate regulation and enforcement allows air pollution from incinerators and industrial sources to pose further serious public health risks.

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• Setting meaningful, enforceable goals to prevent pollution emissions, with incentives and penalties attached to industry performance.

• Rejecting nuclear power as an acceptable alternative to fossil energy.

• Developing, through legislation, stricter clean air and fuel efficiency standards, vehicle and fleet conversions, and pollution-free vehicles.

• Banning the production and use of ozone-destroying chemicals.

• Accelerating the reclamation of existing CFC sources, with subsidized A/C unit repair for the economically disadvantaged.

• Banning incineration as a method of ODC disposal.

• Accelerate production and marketing of alternative (non-CFC) refrigerants.

• Encouraging our elected representatives to take the lead in supporting international agreements to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions through conservation and conversion from fossil fuels to safe, renewable energy sources.

• Creating reforestation programs and promoting the enhanced protection of existing forests.

• Establishing an environmental trust fund funded through public revenues and pollution fees, to assist in toxics use reduction and clean up, pollution prevention, and reforestation programs.

• The construction of monitoring stations to inform the public of ultraviolet radiation levels.

• Phasing out waste incineration and ceasing new incinerator construction.

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E.      FORESTRY PRACTICES AND BIODIVERSITY

Forests once covered most of Florida. They moderate Earth’s climate, provide habitats for myriad species of wildlife, and generate many useful products. Forests are indispensable to Earth and its inhabitants and must be protected. The governments of many rainforest countries are selling their rainforest land to cattle growers for the production of cheap beef, which is exported mainly to developed countries such as the US. Rainforest land unsuitable for sustained agriculture is also given to subsistence farmers, while prime agricultural acreage is hoarded for speculation and used for export crops. Domestic forests fare no better. In today’s global market economy, organized by multinational corporations, the irresponsible use and destruction of this valuable and irreplaceable resource will yield catastrophic results. We must recognize the critical importance of biodiversity and forest sustainability.

• Overhaul of the Florida Forest Service to mandate ecologically sustainable forest management, including the maintenance or restoration of wildlife habitats, freshwater sources, fisheries, scenery, recreational facilities, and biodiversity. We must take responsibility for the effect local actions have on the global ecology.

• Redirection of all Florida Forest Service timber and road construction subsidies to forest restoration and economic assistance for timber communities.

• Strengthening of a Florida Forest Management Act and Endangered Species Act to include ecosystems as well as species.

• Reviewing, reforming, and restructuring of Florida land-use agency policy to guarantee sustainability.

• Full legal protection for ancient forests.

• Banning of clearcutting and monoculture tree farms.

• Creation of incentives and subsidies for bioregionally based mills that maximize employment opportunities (i.e., value-added processing), demonstrate sustainability and remain under workers’ control.

• Prohibition of the export of raw logs and other minimally processed forest products (i.e., pulp, chips, carts, slabs, etc.) which denude our forests and cost American jobs.

• Banning of tropical rain forest timber imports, except where production is verified as ecologically and socially responsible.

• Elimination of biocides in forest management.

• Creation of wildlife corridors connecting public and private forests and parks.

• Promotion of the growth and use of hemp and kenaf as a plentiful and renewable resource for fiber, paper, and energy production.

• Ending importation of rain forest beef, and promoting of rights of indigenous rain forest peoples to the ecological uses of their rainforests, such as rubber extraction, nut harvesting, and the gathering of medicinal herbs and shade-grown coffee.

• Creation of an ecological forest products label (similar to organic) to provide market incentives for a transition to ecological forestry.

• Florida ratification of the global Convention of Biological Diversity.

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F.      LAND USE AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Wilderness and undeveloped and agricultural lands are necessary for the ecological sustainability of the Earth and must be preserved. Over the past several decades, Florida has encountered historic growth and impact because of sprawling development. Development must be planned to minimize the impact on our biosystem. Because the Earth is a finite system, it cannot tolerate unrestrained growth. Our growth-oriented economy leads to widespread environmental destruction as areas are developed beyond their natural carrying capacities. A sustainable, bioregional approach to maintaining and improving our human habitat is necessary

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• Stringent enforcement and strengthening of growth management laws.

• Increased public involvement in local land use decision making and planning processes.

• Permanent funding for Preservation 2000, with a prohibition, that it not be used to fulfill other, separate environmental responsibilities.

• Adoption of community gardens, open spaces, parklands, wildlife corridors, greenbelts, and the overall goal of biodiversity and ecosystem maintenance as components of any development plan.

• The banning of phosphate mining and all strip mining.

• Increasing urban/suburban population density in those locations able to sustain development, and preserving undeveloped areas for wilderness and sustainable agriculture.

• Any population density increases to be preceded by appropriate infrastructure paid for by developers.

• Renovation and use of existing buildings in preference to new construction.

• Preservation of historic and cultural landmarks and buildings.

• Recycling and reusing the materials from demolished buildings.

• Building codes that recognize the special cases of older homes, many of which do not always require repairs to meet modern standards.

• Acre-for-acre habitat mitigation for wetlands and uplands.

• Good faith preservation of mature trees and restoration of tree canopies.

• Development that utilizes solar and other alternative energy options, and promotes reuse of treated wastewater wherever possible.

• Development patterns that emphasize pedestrian, bicycle, and mass transit accessibility between residences, schools, employment, services, and recreation.

• Tax incentives for keeping land undeveloped.

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G.     ORGANIC FARMING / ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Ecological wisdom requires agriculture to meet basic human needs for food and other products while conserving water, soil, and energy. Current large-scale agribusiness relies heavily on economic subsidies, the use of chemical biocides and fertilizers, and the extracting of water resources to grow monoculture crops and raise grain-fed animals in factory farms. It has resulted in the loss of half of the nation’s topsoil, the widespread pollution of groundwater supplies and waterways, the poisoning of farmworkers, a massive waste of water and energy, and a decrease in the quality of food available to consumers. The predominant system of agriculture in our country is not sustainable.

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• Public funding and tax incentives for conversion to sustainable, organic farming methods.

• Promoting small-scale family farms, polyculture, permaculture, biodynamic, and bioregional food supplies rather than large-scale agribusiness, monoculture, and the transportation of food over long distances to market.

• Encouraging local and cooperative marketing of produce by providing venues and advertising.

• Supporting educational programs about the benefits of ecologically sustainable agriculture.

• Funding research at Florida’s colleges and universities that focuses on organic farming and integrated pest management, rather than chemical biocides and fertilizers. Requiring agricultural colleges to teach organic farming and sustainable agriculture as the preferred method of farming.

• Replanting stands of trees as windbreaks to curb topsoil loss and prevent future dustbowls.

• Promoting the use of hemp for multiple uses in industry and agriculture.

• Adding pollution fees to fertilizers and biocides. Revenue thus collected should be used to prevent and clean up the pollution from their use.

• Prohibiting the patenting of all life forms.

• Banning genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms in agriculture and animal husbandry.

• Protecting agricultural land from development by restricting changes in use.

• Fostering urban community gardens and fruit/nut tree planting.

• Banning food irradiation.

• Clear labeling of any product which contains irradiated material or genetically modified organisms.

• Halting the use of incinerator remains and sewage sludge in fertilizer.

• Promoting organic preservation of foodstuffs, with stricter control of the use of artificial additives.

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H.     BIOCIDES

Biocides poison the soil, crops, and water, disrupt natural controls of insect and plant communities, and endanger farm workers, local people, and wildlife. Biocides used for lawns and gardens endanger groundwater supplies and waterways, which they enter through stormwater run-off. Aerial spraying of biocides is particularly dangerous, resulting in a wider distribution of harmful chemicals than intended.

Biocide use is a failed policy perpetuated by industry and agribusiness which values profit over human health and environmental concerns. The more biocides are used, the more resistant target organisms become.

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• Rapid phasing-out of biocides as a way to control pests, and the substitution of organic and sustainable methods.

• Immediate cessation of all chemical biocide spraying, aerial, or otherwise.

• End to chemical herbicide spraying by the state and national departments of forestry, and other government agencies.

• Establishment of neighborhood audit groups to monitor biocide use.

• Ending of state preemption of stronger local ordinances.

• Education and advocacy for non-toxic, sustainable pest, and weed control alternatives.

• Recognition and support for the concerns of chemically sensitive people.

• Ending of the exportation of biocides that are banned in the US.

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I.       ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS

We uphold an ethic that embraces all life, not only the value of biological diversity and the integrity of all species but also the value of individual lives and the interests of individual animals.

For too long our society has accepted at face value the claims that animal experimentation is necessary. Within the cosmetic industry, this is clearly false, and compelling evidence exists that it is also false within the medical establishment. A substantial body of evidence shows not only that effective alternative testing methods exist, but also that a different overall philosophy might ultimately be far more effective and safer in promoting human health and welfare.

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• The elimination of animal experimentation. Researchers should be required to show that a proposed animal experiment is absolutely necessary to advance an area of vital health concern.

• Government funding for projects to develop and promote non-animal technologies where they do not yet exist.

• Immediately outlawing the use of animals for product testing, tobacco and alcohol testing, psychological testing, classroom demonstration and dissection, and in weapons development or other military programs.

• Creating mechanisms for public scrutiny of all animal research until a ban is enacted.

• Prohibiting commercial fur ranching and trapping, as well as the importation or sale of goods produced from wild animals.

• Ending the importation of wild and domestic animals for sale as pets.

• An immediate end to the abuse of animals, and better enforcement of existing laws.

• The subsidization of spay and neuter clinics by state and municipal governments, to address the ever-worsening pet overpopulation problem, which results in the killing of millions of animals every year.

• Stopping the building of new roads and other construction that fragments wildlife habitats.

• Increased funding for highway underpasses for wildlife.

• Promoting the replacement of zoos and aquaria with free-range wildlife preserves.

• Requiring thorough wildlife impact assessments before major zoning and construction.

• Strictly enforcing gillnetting restrictions, requiring the use of Turtle Exclusion Devices, and continuing the bans on drift-netting (a devastating practice that indiscriminately kills marine mammals and other unintended species).

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J.       ANIMAL FARMING

The current use of animals in industrial agribusiness is unacceptable on ethical, environmental, and health grounds. More than half the water consumed for all purposes, and 80% of all grain raised in the US, is consumed by livestock. Animal farming is a major contributor to water pollution and global warming because of the vast amounts of animal waste and methane released into the environment.

Factory farming of meat, dairy, and poultry is cruel, wasteful, and unhealthy and causes unacceptable levels of pollution. The intensive confinement systems of livestock production cause severe physical and psychological suffering for the animals, who are kept in overcrowded, unnatural, and unsanitary conditions. These conditions promote disease, so the animals require antibiotics, in addition to being given hormones to induce rapid growth. Consumption of large amounts of animal products in the American diet is the cause of much cancer, heart disease, and other degenerative illness in our society.

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• Rapidly phasing out factory farming, as other countries are doing.

• Increasing the inspection of animal farms and slaughterhouses to ensure compliance with humane standards, and health and safety regulations.

• Banning the exportation and importation of live farm animals for overseas slaughter.

• Improving regulation of the domestic transportation and slaughter of animals to ensure more humane treatment.

• Creating an animal welfare legislation enforcement agency in Florida with the responsibility to protect animals.

• Prohibiting routine feeding of antibiotics, growth hormones, and non-food stuffs to livestock.

• Eliminating all government subsidies, including water, to the meat, poultry, and dairy industries.

• Freezing new permits for livestock grazing on public lands and terminating existing permits as soon as possible.

• Creating a program of public education to encourage reductions in consumption of animal foods, including information on vegetarian and vegan diets, and making vegetarian and vegan meals available at all public institutions, including primary and secondary schools.

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TRANSPORTATION

We need ecologically sound forms of transportation that minimize pollution and maximize energy efficiency, safety, and public accessibility. The widespread use of fossil-fueled, low-occupancy vehicles is inefficient, costly, and environmentally destructive.

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• Consumer-affordable and accessible mass-transit subsidized with revenues from pollution taxes on non-efficient vehicles and gasoline.

• The further development of ecologically sound rail technology and other forms of travel as an alternative to the present reliance on air travel.

• The development of solar, electric, and/or non-fossil-fuel powered vehicles.

• The facilitation of bicycle and pedestrian use of all roads through policies that protect and enhance human-powered transportation; these include road design, restrictions on motor vehicle use, and special lanes.

• Mixed-use zoning in local communities to allow people to live within walking or biking distance of work, services, and recreation.

• Requiring auto insurers to offer pay as you drive (PAYD) options, so that those who use alternative transportation do not subsidize others merely by owning a car.

• An increase in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to 60 mpg for cars and 45 mpg for light trucks by the year 2025.

• Gas-guzzler taxes on all new vehicles that get fewer miles per gallon (MPGs) than the CAFE.

• The promotion of car-pooling through the creation of high-occupancy vehicle “diamond” lanes on freeways and interstates, and the maintenance of variable toll and parking fees based upon the number of passengers per vehicle.

• Substantially increased tax on gasoline to reflect its true cost; these revenues could then be applied toward mass transit and alternative transportation development.

• Light and heavy rail freighting to supplant present reliance on trucking.

• Disincentives for private auto use such as the elimination of free parking and other transportation demand management strategies for those areas, other than residential, which are well-served by public transit.

• The elimination of subsidies for airlines and airports.

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L.       WASTE PREVENTION, RECYCLING, AND DISPOSAL

Materials in nature are produced and consumed in a sustainable system of continual recycling. As a matter of public policy, we need to adopt the “reduce, reuse and recycle” ethic as our model of resource use.

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The market-induced addiction to consumerism does not reflect the real needs of people and is responsible for much of our wastefulness. Over-consumption and useless packaging are squandering resources, while incinerators generate deadly pollution and landfills rapidly reaching capacity.

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• Market incentives for minimally-packaged, recycled goods. Such goods should be given priority in all government purchases.

• Container deposit legislation.

• Reusable, recyclable, non-toxic, and biodegradable packaging.

• Minimum packaging requirements and the imposition of fines for noncompliance.

• The removal of obstacles to the sale of items in bulk, while at the same time ensuring public health and safety are not compromised.

• Container standardization to make their reuse and recycling easier.

• The rapid phase-out of composites and other materials which cannot be recycled.

• Increased education about the benefits of waste prevention and recycling.

• The prohibition of both municipal waste incineration and the use of incinerator ash in construction materials and consumer products. Incineration produces hazardous waste and must not be considered adequate to meet state recycling standards.

• The establishment of pollution taxes which account for the real social and environmental costs of the manufacture and disposal of products.

• The development of composting and recycling programs for homes and communities.

• Garbage pick-up fees to be based on volume.

• Closed-loop reuse and recycling programs for businesses and government, requiring manufacturers to recycle and reuse their own non-biodegradable products.

• Encouraging manufacturers to build recyclability into their products.

• Establishing an eco-label to inform consumers of the origin and ecological impact of products.

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M.    RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION

Radioactive contamination is a threat to all life. While it is generally recognized that there are unavoidable background levels of radiation endemic to the Cosmos, this is no excuse for further releases into our planetary environment. Every increase in the level of radiation, no matter how small, leads to additional damage to living organisms.

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The mining, processing, use, and disposal of radioactive materials present enormous dangers to the biosphere. Some radioactive contamination will remain lethal for thousands of years. Moreover, the inevitable decommissioning of nuclear power plants and perpetual monitoring of their radioactive wastes will prove an ever-increasing burden to taxpayers and utility ratepayers.

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• A complete and rapid phase-out of the use of nuclear power, including the immediate shutdown of the Crystal River, Turkey Point, and St. Lucie reactors, as well as all experimental and training reactors.

• Opposition to the National Energy Strategy that calls for the production of 200 “new generation” nuclear reactors, the first of which is slated for Polk County, Florida.

• Negotiations with the Cuban government to decommission the Cuban nuclear power plant, which poses a direct threat to Florida.

• A requirement that all nuclear waste generators be liable for the containment and cleanup of radioactive wastes, including a mandate that General Electric clean up the US Department of Energy nuclear weapons factory site in Pinellas County.

• The establishment of stronger criminal penalties for causing radioactive contamination.

• An end to the international shipping of radioactive materials, and a ban on the exportation of nuclear waste to developing countries for “disposal.”

• An immediate end to uranium mining.

• A comprehensive inventory of all existing radioactive waste sites, and the cleanup of all contaminated areas, including mill-tailing sites.

• An immediate end to nuclear weapons production and proliferation, and the dismantling of existing nuclear weapons, with plans for safe storage of contaminated materials.

• Support of the global Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

• Source reduction and recycling of radioactive medical materials.

• A comprehensive study of storage-to-decay alternatives for radioactive medical waste.

• Opposition to the construction of radioactive medical waste dumps.

• Opposition to the deregulation of radioactive waste, which allows it to be dumped in community landfills or utilized in consumer products.

• The discontinuation of the industry-driven classification system of “below regulatory concern,” “low-level” (which contains everything but the reactor core), and “high-level.” In its place, we must implement a rigorous system that defines as high level “any waste remaining hazardous for over 100 years.”

• The prohibition of all technology which produces high-level radioactive waste.

• Continuously monitored, aboveground, dry-cask, and where possible, on-site storage of nuclear waste.

• The banning of radioactive waste incineration.

• The development of methods for long-term stewardship of nuclear materials.

• Prohibiting the launch of any nuclear power device or radioactive material into space, because it would pose an unacceptable risk to Florida and the global biosphere.

• Banning food irradiation, including the Vindicator plant in Mulberry, Florida.

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N.     TOXIC WASTE

Toxic waste poisons the ecosystem, rendering it unhealthy and often uninhabitable. We must adopt attitudes and practices that respect the rights of present and future generations to a healthy environment. Once toxic materials are manufactured and released into the environment, it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to contain or neutralize them. We should apply the standard of “dangerous until proven safe,” with the burden of proof on producers rather than consumers. EPA standards are inadequate, poorly enforced, and allow for the transfer of known toxins to other countries. The ongoing identification of Superfund sites and funding for their cleanup are also severely inadequate.

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• Development of alternatives to toxic substances to eliminate the need for their production and use.

• Implementation of legislation to contain, recycle, reuse and/or neutralize toxics, preferably at their point of use, rather than the more expensive and destructive practice of releasing them into the environment and attempting to separate and recover them later. These requirements should apply to households as well as industry.

• The establishment and stringent enforcement of state standards with all corporate influence eliminated.

• A requirement that any company hired to do toxic clean-up or processing must first demonstrate that they have not already profited from the original production or supply of those substances. Companies that have previously profited must be required to perform clean-up services at cost.

• Cleaning up of toxic waste on military sites in Florida, at least 50% of which should be borne by the supplier companies.

• Development of a community-based system to identify and organize “neighborhoods at risk” from toxic contamination.

• The implementation of rigorous toxics use reduction programs, including the phasing out existing toxic waste incinerators and the banning of new incinerator construction.

• The prohibition of the use of toxic wastes, including incinerator ash, as components of construction materials, e.g., for roadbeds and artificial reefs.

• Implementing local waste management and disposal programs, and banning the export of toxic wastes to other countries.

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This platform was originally created by the Florida Green Party. We would like to thank them for taking the time to compile this extremely comprehensive list of environmental policies that must be enacted to prevent a climate catastrophe.