Version User Scope of changes
Aug 13 2008, 1:40 PM EDT (current) Anonymous 1822 words deleted, 21 photos deleted
Apr 21 2008, 2:33 PM EDT Anonymous 63 words added, 1 photo added

Changes

Key:  Additions   Deletions
The 20 Greenest PoliticiansToday, it has become politically fashionable to say that you support eco-friendly, or “green” actions. Since many voters now consider the environment a major concern, politicians are eager to vocalize their support for it. Sadly, many of these politicians are simply pretending to be green in order to do well in polls or win elections. This being the case, how can the smart, environmentally conscious voter know which politicians actually walk the walk? In this article, we’ll profile 20 of the greenest politicians out there. Each of them has contributed significantly to the push for a greener world.1. Al GoreWhile the former Vice President is not currently an office holder, there can be no doubting his role as the driving force behind today’s green movement. His groundbreaking film “An Inconvenient Truth” awakened the entire world to the threat of global warming and has spurred countless politicians into battle against it. Prior to that, the word “green” had little political significance outside of the Green Party.2. Barack ObamaNot to be outdone by his Presidential candidate rivals, Illinois senator Barack Obama is making a big name for himself in environmental circles. He is a cosponsor of Barbara Boxer's Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act, which would mandate an 80% drop in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. Obama is also an original co-sponsor of the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act, which would mandate a 60% reduction by 2050. With a track record like this, green voters should have plenty to cheer about if the Obama Administration comes into power!3. Wangari MaathaiThe Kenyan Parliament member won 2004’s Nobel Peace Prize and has made headlines worldwide for founding the Green Belt Movement. The grassroots organization promotes environmentally friendly policies from all the world’s governments and has led citizens of Kenya to plant a combined 30 million trees since its inception in the 70’s. Kenya – and all of Africa – are better off for her service.4. Arnold SchwarzeneggerThe movie star turned California governor has made environmental policies an icon of his leadership, making the state a global force for climate change by signing the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The historic act mandates the state to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent beneath what they were in 1990 by the year 2050. The man affectionately known as “The Governator” has also created a program to protect the health of the Pacific Ocean.5. Rocky AndersonWe hear politicians pledge (and fail) to meet idealistic goals 5-10 years into the future so often that we tend to ignore it. However, Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson actually delivered on his promises in a very green way. During his campaign, Anderson vowed to lower the city government’s carbon dioxide emissions by over 20% between the year 2001 and 2012 – and reached his goal by 2006! Beyond that, Anderson has also cleaned up Salt Lake City’s public transit and mandated that new city-owned or operated buildings receive U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification. Anderson’s achievements should serve as a model for green local governance – and integrity. 6. Ken LivingstoneFrom one end of the political spectrum to the other, we have left-wing London mayor Ken Livingstone. The ambitious mayor has set out to make London the “greenest city in the world”, going so far as to tax vehicles that enter city limits during workday hours. Furthermore, Livingstone has arranged for London to get 25% of its energy need satisfied by locally-generated (and thus, cleaner) power and reduce carbon emissions by 60%, all within the next 20 years!7. Helen ClarkHelen Clark might not exactly be a “household name” on the political scene, but eco-minded people should expect to hear a lot more from her! She’s the Prime Minister of New Zealand, and she’s aiming to make her country the first carbon-neutral nation in history. Not to be deterred by skeptics, Clark has proceeded toward the achievement of this goal by increasing biofuel production and knocking out emissions from six of her government departments. The world eagerly awaits to see whether she can fulfill her dream in total!8. David CameronAnother British politician, Conservative Party head David Cameron, is stinging the status quo of England’s environmental policies with towering ambitions. Among them are binding annual targets for the lowering of carbon emissions, taxes to discourage flying, and a fully decentralized energy policy. Cameron also scores points in the “walk the walk” category for riding his bicycle to his workplace: the British house of Commons!9. Newt GingrichThe Republican former Speaker of the House may not be the first one you would think to include on this list, but he is an up-and-coming advocate of greener policies. Gingrich has recently been seen in TV commercials with current Speaker (and die-hard liberal) Nancy Pelosi, where the two good-naturedly kid about their differences and insist on putting them aside for the sake of pushing a green agenda. Their goal is to tackle the threat of global warming head-on and leave party politics out of the equation.10. Peter GarretThis Australian House of Representatives member has been delivering ecological progress since long before it was popular to do so. Garret spent 10 years as the President of the Australian Conservation Foundation and two more on Greenpeace’s international board. Prior to that, he helped found an oceanic advocacy group called the Surfrider Foundation. All of this culminates in a genuine commitment to the environment that is not at all based on how great it will look to voters or journalists.11. Hillary ClintonThe former First Lady and current Presidential hopeful had some encouraging words for her green supporters recently. A Washington Post article called “Politicians Power Up with Green Collar Workers” quotes Clinton on her environmental plans should she be elected: "We need to make sure that we start jump-starting the jobs in this country again," Clinton said during Monday's Democratic presidential debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C. "That's why I want to put money into clean-energy jobs, green-collar jobs."12. John EdwardsThe former North Carolina senator and Presidential candidate also offered some concrete plans and promises for how he will help the environment if elected. The Washington Post quotes Edwards saying that what he had “"proposed for green-collar jobs will create jobs within 30 or so days, so we will have an immediate impact on the economy and stimulate the economy." Edwards later promised to train 15,000 “green collar” workers each year if he is elected.13. Greg NickelsSeattle mayor Greg Nickels is best known for initiating the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, under which he has rallied nearly 500 municipal leaders to date who have sworn to bring their cities up to the standards of the UN’s Kyoto Protocol. The protocol, which the U.S. declined to sign, calls for major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, as much as 7% beneath 1990 levels by the year 2012. The mayors participating in Nickel’s agreement collectively represent over 64 million Americans of all backgrounds.14. Stephane DionThe leader of Canada’s Liberal Party has sworn to bring Canada into the green age in an ambitious bid to become Canada’s Prime Minister later this year. Among his proposals are tax credits for energy efficiency and a full-blown effort to meet the environmental targets of the UN’s Kyoto Protocol. So dedicated is Dion to the spirit of Kyoto that he actually named his dog after it! With dedication like this, it’s tough to imagine Canada in the hands of a greener mind than Dion.15. Barbara BoxerBoxer has famously called climate change the “greatest challenge of our generation” and, as chair of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has co-sponsored what some have called the strongest climate bill in Congress. Boxer has also been a fervent opponent of drilling in ANWAR.16. Stavros DimasThe recently appointed European Commissioner for the Environment has wasted little time in executing his plans to cut airline emissions and agitate for new, tougher clean-air rules throughout the continent. He has also gotten out in front internationally, taking the U.S. to task for obstructing what he perceives as positive action against climate change. One thing is for sure: with Dimas at the helm, Europe’s trend toward greener living is likely to continue far into the distant future! 17. Margot WallströmWallström served as Environment Minister of the EU from 1999 to 2004, during which she fought hard to raise standards for air quality, chemical safety, and clean water. She also took on climate change long before Gore’s magnum opus hit theaters and almost single-handedly convinced every EU member nation to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. She also has the distinction of being one of few politicians to maintain her own blog!18. Xie ZhenhuaThe Chinese vice minister of state reform has been instrumental to China’s push to become a greener nation. During his tenure, he has promoted a national policy of protecting the environment, work which helped earn him the United Nations’ Sasakawa Environemnt Prize in 2004. Zhenhua promptly donated the cash prize from the award to some of China’s poorest and most needy areas, a truly classy decision!19. Elliot SpitzerSpitzer wasted no time tackling green agendas upon becoming New York’s governor, beginning with a complete retrofitting of the governor’s mansion. The project encompassed everything from lawn mowers to light bulbs to low flush toilets, and that’s just the start. Prior to his recent scandal, Spitzer envisioned similar overhauls for the rest of New York’s government buildings. One can only hope that whoever succeeds Spitzer will carry his plans for environmental improvement to fruition – and encourage the rest of the government to follow suit!Now I know the next one is going to be hard to swallow but hear me out. 20. George Bush We know what you’re thinking: “how can a right-wing, former oil tycoon possible make a list of green politicians?” You could think that, but you would be mistaken. While many “eco-friendly” politicians actually live far more wasteful private lives than the citizens they guilt trip, President Bush lives the message: his home is designed to be what’s known as “passive solar”, absorbing sunlight to warm the rooms and walkways. The house also sports geothermal heat pumps that circulate water through pipes 300 feet below ground, and a 25,000 gallon underground cistern collects rainwater from the roof to reuse.Honorable Mention: Aaron RossmanFor years, Mr. Rossman has lobbied for extensive eco reforms in his community. Most notably, he is credited with the Rossman-Derby Act of 2003 which outlawed building nuclear power plants next to Kentucky kindergartens. Recently, he took on the oil companies and is engaged in a toe and nail battle to get them to stop screwing the environment.