Jeff,Thank you, Bill, for the thorough explanation! Clearly, our goal shouldn't be to simply spread the word, but to do so in our congressional districts, or home countries if you're not a US citizen/resident. I'm pretty impressed by the ambitious scope of this project... but, then, it's an issue that needs urgent attention.
Thank you for posting the Cleanpeace.org Declaration of World Energy Independence, Security and Sustainability on the Sustainablog site. In your post you indicated an interest in knowing what we will do with the signed Declaration. We make this clear on the Declaration's signature page. However, below is a further explanation of our intended actions.
Our greatest hope for the declaration drive is to empower people in their home Congressional or Parliamentary districts with significant numbers of declaration signers; then provide them with technical, scientific and other information so they can effectively work with their elected officials and counter balance the influence and propaganda of the energy industry and its army of lobbyists. We know the money and perks this industry provides elected leaders drives today's dangerous energy policies. But we also believe individual elected representatives must pay attention to people in their home districts; especially when they are organized around specific issues and have the information to help their elected officials effectively argue for them. The Four Principles simplify the complexities of energy policy to the point where it can become a popular and potent political issue back home ---where it can count.
In the US, we will present the Declaration to Congresspersons from each district that provides enough Declaration signers to impress their elected officials. We will also provide technical and scientific support to people or groups in any district that provides 300 or more Declaration signers. Upon presenting the Declaration, signer's names and their comments, we will ask each Congressperson to sponsor, support and work for passage of an energy policy act that complies with the Four Principles. We will then work with the local people in the Congressperson's home district and provide them with the scientific, technical and other information needed to take back the hearts and minds their elected officials and regain their right to be represented adequately on this issue of great importance to everyone.
For Declaration signers from each non-US country that delivers 5000 or more declaration signers, we will present their signed declaration (With comments) to their Ambassador to the United Nations. We will also present them to key US energy officials to let them know what kind of energy leadership the world expects from the largest user and waster of oil and energy. We will ask the UN Ambassadors to sponsor a treaty pursuant to Principle Four of the Declaration to mitigate the impact of peak oil consequences and maintain peace and prosperity as oil supplies diminish in response to permanent oil shortages arising from oil's peaking. (See Congressional testimony of Congressmen Tom Udall and Roscoe Bartlett, former Defense and Energy Secretary James Schlesinger, expert energy consultant to DOE, Dr. Robert Hirsch and Dr Kjell Aleklett, President of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas on the Cleanpeace Website: www.cleanpeace.org for more on the extraordinary dangers of Peak Oil).
The inevitable permanent oil shortages arising from peak oil give the world a choice of allocating diminishing oil supplies by war or law; no nation or group will voluntarily give up the prosperity oil brings or docilely accept the hardships shortages. Principle Four of the Declaration opts for peace and law. But work on a treaty is long overdue; Dr. Hirsch makes it clear that a transition from oil requires a 20 year lead time to avoid social and economic catastrophe. Time has run out but our oil soaked Congress keeps calling for faster depletion rather than replacement and conservation of oil where it counts.
The Four Principles have the potential to focus energy policy on goals, timelines, and resource allocations that could change energy policy so that it serves the public interest. Fair play, equal treatment, world peace, practical policies to achieve cleaner air and water, reductions in global warming gas production, and offsetting the very real dangers of peak oil shortages without war are very popular. The Four principles provide a way to package these goals in a clear, concise way that could unite large constituencies and hold public officials accountable. "Where do candidates stand on the Four Principles? (that their constituents are working for) How about incumbent positions and records? The Four Principles provide guidelines by which to judge political leaders, candidates and their legislation. When this clarity is combined with people power armed with solid information, local voters can speak loudly; perhaps loudly enough to be heard in Washington and the United Nationsto counter the industry lobby.
We think the Four Principles can begin this process and the continued pressure from peak oil advances and shortages will only enhance the power of local people as times marches on.
We appreciate your posting and anything more you can do to attract signers to the Declaration. ----All the best, Bill Garrett, President, Cleanpeace.org
Categories: cleanpeace, declaration, activism, energy, peak oil, politics
