The Republican platform for 2008, hammered out by the Republican National Committee ahead of the party’s convention next week, is mildly greener than in 2004, making it “the greenest platform we’ve ever had,” according to a member of the committee. The draft platform acknowledges humans’ role in climate change but still takes digs at the issue and only supports solutions where no one has to alter their lifestyle. “The same human activity that has brought freedom and opportunity to billions has also increased the amount of carbon in the atmosphere,” it says. However, solutions should not “force Americans to sacrifice their way of life or trim their hopes and dreams for their children.” The platform had said at one point that “Increased atmospheric carbon has a warming effect on the earth,” but the phrase has now apparently been removed. The draft platform also dropped specific calls to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as delegates thought the pro-ANWR-drilling stance could hurt McCain’s electability. But that doesn’t mean the ANWR issue is dead; party officials said they’d focus on changing McCain’s position post-election.
