ECO-CRISIS IS "NOT ABOUT PROGRESS BUT ABOUT THE FAILURE TO PROGRESS," SAY GREENS

In its Earth Day 2004 message, the Green Party will say the global ecological crisis is "not about problems caused by progress, but about problems caused by lack of it."

And the solution to the crisis lies mostly in the political realm, say the Greens - in "the urgent need for collective action and for policies that promote real progress."

The statement, signed by the party's Principal Speakers Caroline Lucas MEP and Dr Mike Woodin and other leading Greens around the country, will say:

"Earth Day is 22 April. But another date to remember is 10 June - Britain's next opportunity to vote for real progress, to elect the politicians with the necessary vision and policies to solve the ecological crisis, and to send this message to the other parties: your economic policies have caused an ecological crisis while failing even to guarantee equity and social justice. That's not pr