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Arctic Green Parties Call on Leaders to Oppose Drilling Joint Press Release Tuesday, September 20, 2005 Contacts Green Party of the United States: MONTREAL (20 September 2005) -- Green Parties of Arctic Council member countries are calling upon country leaders to stand against oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), said Green Party of Canada leader Jim Harris in a joint statement with the Green Parties of Denmark, Finland, and the U.S. today. Harris made the comments on Arctic Refuge Action Day as thousands of concerned citizens gather at the U.S. Capitol to voice their opposition to drilling in the ANWR. The statements come just over two weeks before the U.S. Senate is expected to finalize a budget bill that could allow companies to begin leasing exploration tracts. "In order to reverse global climate change, Arctic countries must immediately reduce their uneven share of greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels," said Harris who noted the U.S. contributes nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions with only 5 percent of the world's population. The Arctic Council has reported that temperatures in the Arctic are rising twice as fast as the rest of the world. Global climate change is causing habitats to melt away, wildlife to go extinct and new migration patterns that have eroded the livelihoods of Northern peoples. The Bush Administration is also turning a blind eye to economic forecasters who warn that spikes in global oil prices will harm the world economy if renewable energy sources are not made more available. The price of crude oil skyrocketed beyond $US70 per barrel after Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. Gulf coast last month. "Extracting the 11 billion barrels of oil thought to exist in the ANWR will do next to nothing to cushion spikes in oil prices due to supply interruptions on the U.S. Gulf coast, in Africa, the Middle East or Latin America," said Harris. "There is no good reason for the U.S. to jeopardize the world economy and the environment for only 17 months of oil -- ten years down the road." The Green Party of Canada calls upon the leaders of Arctic Council member countries to follow through on their commitment to protecting Arctic ecosystems and communities by pressuring the U.S. to abandon oil and gas exploration in the ANWR and ratify the Kyoto Protocol. MORE INFORMATION Green Party of the United States
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