In order to fully secure a true RIGHT of all people to a clean and healthy environment including water, air, and environments, as well as a stable climate and the healthy plant, wildlife and ecosystems so important to our health, safety, quality of life, communities and economy we need to secure constitutional Green Amendments in every state across our nation but also in our federal constitution. Our state bill of rights/declaration of rights protect environmental rights from infringement by state government actors, but a federal Green Amendment is needed to control our federal government officials including the Congress, agencies and the President.
Our national Green Amendment movement includes securing federal environmental rights protection ensuring the rights of all people to a clean and healthy environment and stable climate are protected as powerfully as other fundamental rights. But in order to secure a federal constitutional amendment we will need the support of 3/4 of the states. And so our Green Amendment strategy is currently focused on education, grassroots organizing and constitutional protections at the state level as a way to secure needed state level protection but also to build the foundation for a successful federal Green Amendment effort. Do you want to be part of our federal movement ? If so please sign our petition now and start to get involved and engaged. You can sign our petition here.
Article V of the U.S. Constitution lays out the pathways for securing a federal constitutional amendment. If each house of the U.S. Congress passes proposed Green Amendment language by a 2/3 vote, the proposal is then submitted to the states for their consideration and support. Or, Congress can be required to call for a convention to consider proposed constitutional amendments upon receiving an application of the legislatures of 2/3 of the states. Ultimately, constitutional amendments to the U.S. constitution, whether proposed by Congress or by convention, must be ratified by the legislatures of, or conventions in, 3/4 of the states. However you slice it, we need both the Congress and state legislatures to vote in support; and that means we will need active engagement and advocacy from people across our nation to ensure our government officials respect and protect our environmental rights.
You can read more about the values of a federal Green Amendment in this Boston Globe article, part of a series regarding constitutional protection of fundamental inalienable rights.
Please, sign in support of a federal Green Amendment and be ready to get engaged when the time is right. Meanwhile, please get engaged at the state level where constitutional environmental rights are very accessible and will provide critical and needed protections in the near term. Our state by state strategy will not only secure state Green Amendment protections, but will also ensure we lay the foundation necessary for a successful federal Green Amendment effort.
