Environmental Issues

Montana's natural beauty and pristine environment makes it the envy of many. Responsible stewardship is the surest means of ensuring that Montana prospers and continues to maintain its quality of life for future generations in perpetuity. We support better legislation to protect and preserve our environment.

We are opposed to drilling for coal bed methane because its environmental costs far outweigh its benefits. We support the moratorium on oil and gas exploration and drilling on the Rocky Mountain front. We want to protect our forests and their ecological diversity for our children to enjoy and explore; commercial logging and so-called "healthy forests" legislation would devastate this natural ecosystem in the name of corporate profits and a very few high-paid jobs in the timber industry.

Recycling is an action that has manifold benefits for our environment as well as our economy. It reduces the need to extract new raw materials, it protects and conserves resources, and it reduces the need to commit precious land to waste disposal. We support curb-side pick up of recyclable materials and encourage the use of reusable and recyclable materials and home composting of plant and other biodegradable materials. We want Montana's air and water to be clean and pure. We oppose chemical treatment of water beyond that which is absolutely required to make it safe for drinking. Sewage treatment plants should use anaerobic digesters rather than ''cooking" or chemical treatment.

The Montana Green Party knows that responsible stewardship of our environment does not cost jobs. Environmentalism ensures that we grow and utilize our resources in such a way that we will maintain sustainable habitats for many generations to come. Industries such as environmental restoration, recycling and clean power generation will create countless new jobs in communities across the state.