From Rhetoric to Reality: Green Amendments as a New Path for Environmental Protection

For decades, communities have relied on Federal and State laws to ensure protection of a clean environment. And for decades, while achieving some important successes in environmental protection, overall the health of our environment for present and future generations has continued to degrade from a growing number of sources. The truth is, our laws are designed to accommodate pollution as much as, perhaps even more than, to prevent it. As a result people feel powerless when it comes to preserving the quality of their water, air, public parks, and natural spaces. But there is a solution for achieving better, and much needed, protection of our environment: bypass the laws and turn to the ultimate authority—our state and federal constitutions.

This talk will seek to discuss and inspire a new tool for environmental preservation, one that will provide a new way of thinking about, and pursuing, environmental protection from a policy as well as a legal perspective.

We all have the right to pure water, clean air, and a healthy environment.  It’s time to truly secure that right for our own sake and that of future generations. www.wagreenamendment.org.

This talk will have a special introduction by Representative Debra Lekanoff, representing the 40th legislative district of Washington state and lead sponsor of the Washington Green Amendment