Jill Stein: My response to the presidential debate

• The oil and gas corporations are making record profits.
• Big Oil is extremely powerful. So is Big Gas.
• Vote Green in America, and put our nation on the path to low cost, democratic, clean, renewable energy.

Third-party candidates were not invited to participate in the presidential debates. USA TODAY invited them -- and their vice presidential candidates -- to provide answers to one question from each debate. Here's Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein's answer to the question about energy policy and $4 a gallon gasoline prices:

The oil and gas corporations are making record profits. In one year, BP's profits went up 115%, to $25 billion. The short answer is that all of us pay the price at the pump in order to make Big Oil rich.

This is very hard on the budgets of working people. And it's murder in terms of its impact on climate change. This industry shouldn't be profitable. It should be on its way out the door. Because the longer we have an economy dependent on burning fossil fuels, the greater the economic, environmental and health harm to which we sentence our children.

Big Oil is extremely powerful. So is Big Gas. The president says he's proud that oil and gas production are at all-time highs. Mitt Romney attacks the president for not doing more to help the oil companies. It's clear who is calling the shots in Washington. Not the American people.

I urge voters to cast their ballots for me and my running mate, Cheri Honkala. Your vote for us is a demand for a Green New Deal that will move rapidly to get our country off of fossil fuel addiction and to open up a new economy powered by 100% renewable wind, solar, bio and geothermal energy.

One more thing. The president praised Germany as a model for America in terms of energy production. In this he was partially right. Germany is moving to a 100% renewable energy economy. No fossil fuels, no nuclear. What the president didn't tell you, though, is that the German Green Party is the main reason for Germany's energy success. They are the reason why Germany is ahead of America.

We need to catch up. Vote Green in America, and put our nation on the path to low cost, democratic, clean, renewable energy.

In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes diverse opinions from outside writers, including ourBoard of Contributors.