My Hope for the 2025 Green PartyTodd Fiorentino When I think about the Green Party, at least, in my lifetime, I think of Ralph Nader. This is odd since Ralph Nader’s main legacy is consumer protection. But making consumer products safer is quite different from trying to dial back consumerism generally. Yes, Nader has gone on to push forward with an ecological agenda, which is admirable, but still, we have to wonder why the Green Party has made so little headway in American politics when -- in Europe -- Green Party candidates actually win elections. One thing we need is more disruptors in the various sectors of our economy that impact the environment. While we have people like Elon Musk, pursuing environmental missions, we also see that he bullies his way to the top, using money to scare anyone who dares to criticize his empire. Typically, it doesn’t even matter if he’s right or wrong because the lawsuits he initiates against his critics are so expensive—those who oppose him must fold. We need better disruptors. If you think about the success of Beyond Burger… or if you consider that Cirque du Soleil has proven you don’t have to cage and abuse animals to have a successful circus… we see that disruption is everywhere across categories. But we haven’t pulled it together into a successful political platform. Green candidates are widely ignored in almost every general election. So, what is there to do? We need to raise consciousness as a society. Many people say this, but what does it mean? Slowly, through art and literature and cinema, we have seen artists approaching these important ecological issues. Sci-fi, eco-fiction, post-apocalyptic movies, etc. all seek to awaken us to the consequences of our actions. Educating ourselves is important, but it can’t stop there. We need to take that knowledge and apply it to policy spheres. How many votes do animals get? How many votes do the oceans or forests get? It’s clear that someone like Elon Musk gets thousands of votes via his massive cash reserves. Lobbyists, corporations—all get tons of votes. So, we’ve created a twisted system. Let me give you a few anecdotes from my personal life that illuminate the issue. At the supermarket with my daughter, we noticed that 7 out of 10 salads had chicken. Our choices were reduced to three salads. Not catastrophic, I know, but it shows how choosing vegetarianism, for instance, is actually quite hard because companies sneak meat into so many items. You need time and money to eat vegetarian; and even more of it if you want organic. I found a plug-in hybrid that seemed like a reasonable choice, thinking I would make the ecological choice for my next car. As I read further, I saw that it was only offered with a leather interior. Again, we’re faced with animal products at every turn. There are countless examples of what I’m describing—I’ve just given you two. It’s hard to abstain from environmentally destructive choices in the world we’ve created. Finally, a very difficult example, but an important one: I was driving home from work and I saw a police car and another car pulled over. On the side of the road was a baby black bear who had obviously been struck dead. Not understanding cars, the bear must’ve launched across the road and been run over. These sad moments (which we try to ignore) where humans and wildlife clash are abundant. We have to think ourselves into their position—carved up habitat, two tons of metal flying through the air across their forest... We are not the only life-form on Earth; we are not the most superior being ever to walk the Earth. We are one, among many, including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi, flora and fauna. We don’t know the full consequences of our actions. I recently traveled to Greece where a massive volcanic explosion thousands of years ago set the stage for incredible beauty. Great farm products grown of volcanic soil; a massive tourist industry fueling the Greek economy, partly related to the caldera. Wildfires leave behind extremely fertile conditions that actually can help build soil in the long-term, which is one of the reasons we do controlled burns out West. All of this shows that our knee-jerk reactions to things we label as negative, are often wrong. When an insect is bothering us, or we consider it a menace, and try to poison it, we are creating a break in the chain. When we try to kill off a particular animal because perhaps it is causing us loss, we interrupt the cycle of nature. We don’t really know what we’re doing despite all of our PhDs. We’re meddling in things that are beyond us. Killing ants and bees (pollinators); drowning beavers while humans clear-cut the forest. My hope for the Green Party is that it can recalibrate itself, and stay away from the tangential stuff that causes it to lose focus. A political party that acknowledges humans as but one life form; that seeks to get rid of toxic chemicals; that protects forests and oceans; that knows the limits of human understanding; that questions the proliferation of plastics and zillions of consumer products we don’t need; that searches for real disruptors, not bullies, or mega millionaires, but rather, those who see a better way and pursue it. River Protection: We have come to accept that many of our rivers in the U.S. are contaminated with chemicals, bacteria, etc. Our pollution permitting system allows for the continuation of this with massive permits issued to companies who sometimes neutralize their waste and sometimes don't, before discharge. We're also faced with leaky septics and an aging sewer infrastructure. But it doesn't have to be this way. Fish and all river life deserve clean waters. You should be able to swim in your local river. Don't let industry and government convince you that this isn't your right. It is. It's just been taken away from you. https://hoorwa.org/files/2025/05/2025-Spring-Newsletter.pdf https://hoorwa.org/files/2025/08/2025-Summer-Newsletter-FINAL-FINAL.pdf Let's Talk Fish... PFAS Issue Strikes Home, Williamstown, MA: https://www.iberkshires.com/story/78650/Letter-Williamstown-Dealing-in-Toxic-Sludge-to-Save-Money-Madness.html Insurance, Education and Truth Class See what happens when Todd gives himself the following assignment: In 10-pages or less, discuss fixes for the American insurance and higher education system with a focus on health insurance. Bio Food Service Items? Read how the plastics industry is pivoting away from PFAS and towards "compostable" items. Although a lesser evil, we still have to contend with the issue of endocrine disrupting chemicals. With the stroke of a pen, mayors and governors across the U.S. could make these six changes that would have great ecological and/or social significance: 1) Any town or city that is running a dump/municipal yard/transfer station typically has land and a front-end loader capable of turning the earth. That's all that is needed to run a municipal composting program. Towns are always looking for ways to support local businesses. Offering composting services for compostable food service items would be a great start. Businesses would have to prove that the products they are buying have been certified by an independent non-profit laboratory as being truly compostable. There's a lot of terminology ("biodegradable" versus "compostable," for instance) here and many layers, but with that certification in-hand, the town could start accepting that waste. The end product could be used for growing flowers or as construction fill, both of which have some monetary value. 2) Any restaurant, cafe', airport, business, etc. that is required to have a bathroom, should be mandated to simply build a drinking water fountain outside of their facilities. It's a small expense and would go a long way towards reducing plastic bottle waste (which often ends up in our oceans, polluting developing countries, etc.) from drinking water bottles. Yes, the location would make less money selling bottled water, but it would be worth it and customers would appreciate it. 3) States should consider the following: The Bottle Bill has been a huge success, increasing recycling rates while providing income for the vulnerable. If you have a successful program, why not build and expand on it? Up the redemption rate to 10 cents per container from 5 cents to help the homeless and drive recycling. Many households save containers separately and put them out for the homeless to collect. It's a low-key way to do the right thing. Let's do more. 4) Encourage and help fund proactive media: When a news story about the loss of rainforests, bleaching of coral reefs or world hunger appears, have broadcasters include three buttons. Those buttons (or QR codes) on the screen would be 1) Donate, 2) Get Involved, and 3) Contact Your Representative. People feel overwhelmed and powerless. Create a vehicle for change. We know that the Red Cross and Unicef are doing good work. Why not help the cause and connect the solution with the problem? 5) Broaden library services: Our Pittsfield, MA library decided to hire a social worker instead of a circulation manager because they correctly read the landscape. The small house movement also holds promise for the homeless. As government has become increasingly unreliable, and corporations continue their mission to serve rich consumers and investors, it falls on philanthropy and libraries to tackle societal problems. Libraries must be a center of literacy, but also, they can help novices with technology, provide resources for jobs and housing, and match folks up with psychological services. Mayors and governors should support this expanded mission. 6) Any gun purchaser who has children in the house is required to buy a gun safe. All firearms must be secured in the safe when not in use.