The Unanimously Passed Environmental Platform of the Massachusetts Democratic Party
Passed at Springfield State Democratic Convention,
June 4,5 2009

See Environment #7 with 500 petition signatures gathered by Cambridge delegates.

Massachusetts Democrats believe in the common good. We know that the strength of our democracy is dependent on the engagement of thoughtful citizens. That is why our party is organized around the basic notion that individuals working together can make a positive impact on their community. Massachusetts Democrats believe that government plays a vital role in in the lives of individuals and communities.

• Massachusetts Democrats have ambitious goals.
• We want health care to be a basic human right;
• We want everyone to be able to work for a living wage and have the right to organize;
• We want a high-quality education to be accessible to every person;
• We want to play an active role in addressing climate change;
• We want everyone to have a safe and healthy environment, including open spaces;
• We want to promote clean energy technologies, conservation and efficiency;
• We want safe and crime free communities;
• We want all persons to be treated as equals;
• We want a transparent and ethical government;
• We want taxes to be reasonable and expenditures to be fairly distributed;
• We want roads, bridges, and public transportation to be safe and reliable;
• We want strong national defense, security at home and abroad, and pledge to support veterans and all who have put themselves in harm's way on our behalf;
• We want strong diplomacy and support nonviolent conflict resolution as a first resort in our domestic and foreign relations and call for a reduced military budget that allows for investment in human needs;
• We want voter equality and access to government for all; and
• We respect and embrace the values of people across the spectrum of beliefs.

Massachusetts Democrats believe in safeguarding the health of our citizens, protecting natural ecosystems, and catalyzing green economic growth. We believe that people have the right to clean air, clean water, and a safe and healthy environment. We believe that promoting clean-energy technologies, energy conservation, and energy efficiency is critically important to lowering energy costs, enhancing energy security and reliability, growing green jobs, and reaping environmental benefits. Massachusetts Democrats Support:

1. Preserving our natural resources and protecting and expanding our open spaces;
2. Preserving our natural resources and protecting and expanding our open spaces; Protecting our air and water;
3. Preserving our natural resources and protecting and expanding our open spaces; Environmental justice for low income and minority communities;
4. Preserving our natural resources and protecting and expanding our open spaces; Reducing toxic chemicals in the environment;
5. Preserving our natural resources and protecting and expanding our open spaces; Providing clean, reliable, and renewable energy;
6. Preserving our natural resources and protecting and expanding our open spaces; Energy conservation and energy efficiency;
7. Preserving our natural resources and protecting and expanding our open spaces; Protecting our wildlife and natural habitats and prioritizing the preservation of open spaces and urban wilds by all means necessary, including state and municipal acquisition;
8. Preserving our natural resources and protecting and expanding our open spaces; Reducing waste and increasing recycling in all of our communities;
9. Preserving our natural resources and protecting and expanding our open spaces; Smart Growth development;
10. Preserving our natural resources and protecting and expanding our open spaces; Increasing investments and promotion of public transportation throughout the Commonwealth;
11. Preserving our natural resources and protecting and expanding our open spaces; Water and waste water infrastructure improvements; and
12. Preserving our natural resources and protecting and expanding our open spaces; Promoting those strategies which will quickly stabilize atmospheric carbon dioxide at a maximum of 350 parts per million and protect against further climate change, in accord with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.