European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine environmental disorder boosts support for West German Green party by Susan j. Smith associated press to environmental disasters have bolstered he Outlook for West Germany s iconoclastic Green party at a time when voters arc preparing to elect a new National parliament. The chernobyl Power Plant Nicit feel last april in the Ukraine which killed 31 soviets and contaminated food Gupp Lias across Europe with radioactive fallout gave credence to the environmentalist party s dire predictions about the dangers of nuclear reactors. Then in november the greens warnings about Industrial pollution came True. Insecticides washed into the Rhine River from a burning chemical Plant in Basel. Switzerland poisoned is vital waterway and wiped Oul fish and other aquatic life the Calass ropes prompted Many Middle of the Road germans to sit up and Lake Nolice of a party often dismissed by a ohcs As a fractious collection of left Wing idealists unfortunately Lor the environment the things we warned against have happened that has Given us More credibility and More support 1 greens spokesman Michael Schroerer said the greens first entered parliament in 19b3 with 26 seats trom 5 6 percent of lha Vole but if she latest opinion surveys prove accurate the parly Conj d gel 10 percent of the Vole Jan 25 and swell ils parliamentary seats to 50 but even this result would hardly change Tho a Lance of Power in Bonn whole Chancellor Helmut Kohl and his conservative Christian democrats govern in a Coa Fotion with the Liberal free democrats virtually All Public opinion polls Sho v Kohl easily rolling to another term in the Chancellor s office since new year s Day the greens have stepped up their election Campaign holding about 200 sepia in rallies throughout Lue country to drive Home their message spokeswoman gnat Mossmann said Between 200 to 500 people have shown up at each Rainy depending on where each was held. That s noticeably More than in previous  she said Lively discussions of environmental and defense issues Are encouraged. When hecklers appear. We Don t show them out As some of the other parties do we discuss with  Moss Man said Frau Stenner another g ens spokesman said the Rhine catastrophe put Teeth into the parly s Campaign demands for tougher Anli pollution Laws the entire chemical Industry is conducting our election Campaign 1or us. Stenner said the greens Campaign advertisements True Homo ecological themes the Rhine 5 dying it s Zero hour says one another Snipes at Kohls environmental minister depicting a Man bending Over Wilh his head slut in shrubbery your ecology expert in Kohl s blackout Cabinet searching Lor pollution Levels the caption says underlining Public concern about nuclear Power Kohl created a be. Environmental ministry within weeks of the chernobyl Accident however the Chancellor said West German could not do without atomic generators. The social democrats the Leal Leaming main a phyllo the greens lop a party conference in Hannover have capitalized on Public concern Over nuclear Power and environmental issues above people along the Rhine protesting the River s pollution by chemical plants. Opposition parly have tried to outflank the greens on the nuclear  Issue at Kheit National convention delegates called Tor closing All of Wesl Germany s nuclear Power plants within 10 years. Pacifism also figures strongly in the greens Campaign posters and Many members even advocate Well Germany s withdrawal from nato in 1963, Tho party entered parliament on a wave of  opposition to the deployment of  purse eng ii and nuclear cruise missiles in West Germany initially. Greens deputies Votie not taken very seriously by other  politicians who scrolled Al their blu.1 jeans arid beards and other Anh Pul the greens no longer arc considered a to in Poray aberration on the German political scene Slier recent successes they Are represented in eight of the 11 stale legis Aluies and did i Al i la Mali elections late last sunday. January 18, 1987 year in Hamburg and Bavaria winning 10,4 percent and 7.5 percent of the vote respectively. Al the moment the greens Are profiling from those 1936 slate elections. Their starting position for Jan. 25 is quite Good said Hans Juergen to Floriann. A spokesman for the incas pot Long Institute of Bonn in the lates incas nationwide poll. The greens scored 7 percent other polls also predict Gams Tor the greens. Last month the Enid Institute of Bielefeld gave them 9 percent and the Allensbach Institute 107 percent. Greens sup Pom appears to be widespread among Young leftists from both academic and working class backgrounds who otherwise might vote or the social democrats most greens Don t appear interested in building a Broad Baso of support in the electorate preferring instead to remain an alternative protest party with utopian goals. The stars and stripes Page 13