PLANET EARTH ACT 2020

 

  INTERNATIONAL LAW TO PROSECUTE IRRESPONSIBLE EXPLOITATION OF PLANET EARTH

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Proposals to make it illegal to operate a country or a business such as to cause harm to planet earth and its inhabitants, may sound extreme, especially to those plundering our natural resources. But, it is probably one of the sanest proposals from 2020, where in 2019, some of the G20 pushed for more time to exploit their kleptocratic empires. A radical, peaceful, solution is long overdue. But it all depends on the electorate having the gumption to vote green, instead of voting for greed.

 

 

Planet Earth is unique in our solar system for its ability to support the evolution of animal and plant life. It may be unique in all the universe, making us guardians of intelligent life, that we should seek to preserve intelligently, lest we are forced to abandon Planet A and migrate to Planet B.

 

Politicians and businesses would have us exploit our natural resources, to the point of frying the planet and killing species by the thousands.

 

They are though exploring space using robots, presumably in the hope of finding a new home, by way of an insurance policy.

 

Our precious Blue Planet has no enforceable Rights. We need to change that right now, to prevent the G20 playing for time while their wealthy energy magnates and manufacturers of fossil fuel powered machines, builders of factories and homes remain at large, to plunder the reserves of the planet. For these are the drivers of politicians who are putting economics above life, when life should be first before profits. Irresponsible profiteering from the planet = rape.

 

We need the opposite, a phased period of deflation, back to stability and carbon neutrality. This is difficult to achieve without a cushion, where homeowners and property developers rely on inflation to profit from doing nothing. It's like a squirrel storing nuts for winter, with the nuts magically multiplying without any effort in collecting them.

 

When push came to shove, the G20 showed their true colors in 2019. DELAY, DELAY, DELAY.

Why don't we try and change that in 2020?

 

When BP allowed oil to escape into the environment and kill marine life for hundreds of miles around the Deepwater Horizon offshore well, they were fined massively. What is the difference between that and the burning of fossil fuels that is killing more life on the planet?

 

The only difference is that there is no law to be able to prosecute the offenders. Why? Because the most powerful members of the United Nations like it that way.

 

What the planet needs is an International Convention that may pass into law in every country that is genuinely concerned at the plight of our world, such that those countries that fail to adopt what amounts to a natural Code Of Life, become branded for what they are: Climate Criminals and species Mass Murderers.

 

The objective is that the perpetrators of such crimes may be prosecuted under International law in a World Court and penalized with fines that really hurt, making further offences against nature less likely and unprofitable. Fines and Orders may also include other sanctions. Such as Restitution Orders.

 

For example, following World War Two, Reparations included confiscation of assets and payments to victims. This might include confiscation of oil wells, coal, copper, iron, aluminum, gold and other mines, patent and copyright annulments and the seizure of ships, including their cargo.

 

Extremes, yes. But we are in the middle of a climate emergency where our house is on fire - and we are acting as though there is no hurry.

 

The only way to stop a climate thief, is to catch them and confiscate their ill gotten gains.

 

 

 

 

AN ACT TO PROTECT THE PLANET AND ITS INHABITANTS FROM HARM & POLITICAL OR POLICY CORRUPTION

 

Be it enacted by the majority votes of the Member of the United Nations and other non-member countries, with one vote for one Country as proportional to representation - and no right of veto for any country - an Act that is designed to be entered onto the National Statute books of each participating country and the International Statute Books as a Convention, a law making it a criminal offence for any Government or Corporation to damage the natural environment or cause harm to any life form dependent on the natural environment (as it was before the burning of fossil or other harmful fuels caused the earth to warm and the ice caps to melt), or by over-exploitation of the flora or fauna endangers any species.

 

Whereby any such action or failure to act to protect Planet Earth and its inhabitants with due diligence is a criminal offence subject to the penalties set out below : -

 

1. By any action or inaction cause, whether directly or indirectly, harm to any species on Planet Earth.

 

2. By any action or inaction cause harm to the atmosphere of Planet Earth.

 

3. By any action or inaction cause harm to the rivers, seas or oceans of Planet Earth.

 

4. By any action or inaction, if a politician or other public official fails to pursue policies on which they campaigned for and were elected to represent the public, they should be immediately suspended from public office for a period of at least 3 years, subject to a right of appeal to be able to defend any claim of breach of election promises.

 

5. In relation to any failure to perform in 4., that should proof of conflicts if interest, bribes or other corruption surface, that a lifetime ban should be imposed on the offending politician, civil servant, or other public official, together with appropriate restitution orders or fines in proportion to financial gains, or future gains from such corrupt practices.

 

6. In relation to Sections 1., 2., and 3., harm may be defined as changing the natural composition of ground soils, the atmospheric air we breath, rivers, or the waters of the seas and oceans, chemically, physically, or in any other way.

 

7.

 

 

 

 

OUR (SUGGESTED) SIX STEPS TOWARD A COOLER PLANET (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE PLANET EARTH ACT 2020)

 

1. TRANSPORT: Phase out polluting vehicles. Governments aim to end the sale of new petrol, and diesel vehicles by 2040 but have no infrastructure plan to support such ambition. Such infrastructure should exceed the performance of fossil fuel filling stations, prolong EV battery life and provide power grids with a measure of load leveling. Any such system should seek to obviate the provision of millions of fast charge points where implementation could prove to be a logistical nightmare. This may involve international agreement as to energy storage format and statute to steer car makers to collaborate in part in a world of competition.

 

Marine transport can be carbon neutral given the right policies, with phased transition in specific stages such as not to unduly penalize present investment in LNG shipping and other recent MARPOL compliant IC powered vessels. Future cargo vessel should be at least in part powered by renewable energy, on the road to zero carbon, making allowances for technology catchup.

 

Air travel powered by kerosene should attract hefty mitigation offset, where low carbon alternatives should be encouraged.

 

2. RENEWABLES Renewable energy should replace carbon-based fuels (coal, oil and gas) in our electricity for homes, factories, heating and transport. Coal and nuclear power plants should be phased out.

 

3. HOUSING: On site micro or macro generation is the best option, starting with new build homes that are both affordable and sustainable by design to replace crumbling housing stocks. Encourage building in timber to provide carbon lock from a renewable natural resource.

 

4. AGRICULTURE: We need to grow more trees to absorb carbon emissions from a growing population, air travel, and to build new homes. We should promote reductions in food waste and eating of foods that use less energy to produce. Educate children on these matters in schools and via campaigns such as no meat Mondays, should be part of ordinary study.

 

5. INDUSTRY: Factories should be aiming for solar heating and onsite renewable energy generation. EV parking and even service facilities should be part of new industrial estates as part of any building permissions.

 

6. POLITICS: - National governing bodies need to adopt rules to eliminate administrative wastages, to include scaling down spending on war machines, increasing spend on educating the public and supporting sustainable social policies that mesh with other cultures. This includes fostering policies and making funds available to close links in the technology chain to make up for lost time. Kleptocratic empire building must cease in the search for natural equilibrium.

 

 

 

 

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