Cleanpeace.org calls for individuals to sign its newly unveiled Declaration of Energy Independence, Security and Sustainability, the group’s latest step in its campaign to empower citizens throughout the world to shape energy policies that enhance energy security, reduce pollution and global warming, overcome the risks of prolonged wars over shrinking oil reserves and provide real competition to oil barons and OPEC. The Declaration can be signed electronically at www.cleanpeace.org
“US energy policy leads the world in a dangerously wrong direction,” said Bill Garrett, president and co-founder of the non-profit educational and advocacy group which supports replacement of depletable energy with domestic, renewable energy resources." He continued, “Current policy focuses on rapidly using up domestic oil reserves and other depletable energy. The US now holds less than 3% of world oil reserves, imports 80% of the radioactive fuels used in power stations, 60% of its oil, and burns 26% of world oil supplies. Most industrialized Democracies face similar conditions to varying degrees.
“But the US and its allies continue doling-out taxpayer dollars and policies that favor depletion of vital oil reserves while increasing vulnerability to oil-rich dictators and profit seeking oil barons. We must act now to reverse this dangerous policy,” Garrett said.
“The energy industry will not change this policy for us; they seek higher profits from diminishing oil supplies. Leaving this industry and its lobbyists in charge of energy policy because they’re good at the energy business, is like appointing sharks as lifeguards because they’re good swimmers.” said Roy McAlister, Chairman and co-founder of Cleanpeace.org and an engineer, scientist, author and world authority on energy and materials science.
McAlister continued, “The oil industry would like us to believe there’s no alternative to fattening their profits at our expense; that’s just nonsense. Direct solar energy and its off spring in wind, waves, falling water and biomass are the most abundant energy resources on earth and can be harnessed to make clean-burning, renewable fuels. These energy resources are non-polluting, unlimited in supply and don’t leave us dependent on oil barons and the despotic leaders of oil-rich nations”
The Declaration sets out the Four Principles of Energy Independence, Security and Sustainability and demands a practical and timely transition to renewable energy. By signing the Declaration, supporters urge their elected officials to change course and rapidly develop domestic, renewable energy resources. In Congressional Districts that garner over 300 Declaration signers, Cleanpeace.org will provide scientific and technical support to signers and their elected officials.
The Declaration’s First Principle provides for a transition to renewable energy as a strategic goal of all energy policies. Existing gasoline and diesel engines burn over 70% of oil supplies and therefore must become targets for oil conservation and replacement. It also advocates designating hydrogen-based fuels made from renewable resources as a preferred replacement for gasoline and diesel because it burns clean, can be made from all renewable resources and readily fuel gasoline, diesel and combustion turbine engines.
“Failure to focus on conserving and replacing oil in existing gasoline and diesel engines bypasses the world’s most wasteful and vulnerable applications; its like missing a banquet to eat a popsicle.” said McAlister
The Second Principle requires adoption of equal funding and policy advantages for renewable energy. Equal treatment would put direct solar, wind, waves, and biomass energy on a level playing field with depletable energy. The Second Principle also calls for anti-trust protection for scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs engaged in renewable energy activities.
“The US government has bet your tax dollars and its policies on radioactive nuclear energy, oil and other depletable resources while shortchanging renewable energy.” said McAlister. He continued, “These unfair actions discourage investment in renewable energy and put the US government in league with the anticompetitive practices of the OPEC oil cartel and world energy barons. Few people will invest in renewable energy when they have to take on the US government and the energy industry. This paucity of private investment in renewables leaves the depletable energy giants free to dominate world markets.”
The Third Principle calls for all highway improvements funded by fuel taxes to include infrastructure development for convenient distribution of renewable fuels and incentives for commercialization of technologies that support transition from depletable to renewable fuels.
The Fourth Principle advocates development of a United Nations treaty that provides for future oil allocations based on each nation’s record of replacing depletable energy with renewable energy, efficiency improvements, greenhouse gas reductions, and past oil consumption.
“Future world oil exports will either be allocated by war or law as the peaking of world oil creates increasingly more harmful oil shortages.” said Garrett. “Inadequate oil supplies lead to recession, depression and extreme hardship. As history has proven, nations fight for oil if there are no alternatives. The Fourth Principle provides alternatives to endless wars plus a way to replace oil faster than peak oil can diminish its supply.”
“The Cleanpeace.org Declaration is a tool for individuals to overcome the influence of energy industry lobbyists and begin shaping energy policy in the public interest.” said McAlister.
Cleanpeace.org will present the Declaration and signer comments to appropriate members of Congress when a significant number people from a Congressional district sign the Declaration. In districts with 300 or more signers, Cleanpeace.org will also provide scientific and technical support to the signers and their members of Congress. For Declaration signers outside the US whose nations provide 5000 or more Declaration singers, Cleanpeace.org will deliver the Declaration and the signers’comments to the appropriate delegates to the United Nations and to U.S. energy policy makers.
To read and sign the Declaration visit www.cleanpeace.org.
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Media Representatives: Cleanpeace.org spokespersons are available for print and electronic interviews. Cleanpeace.org has background material on sustainable and deplatable energy and energy politics. Call Bill Garrett at (203) 372-6166 or Roy McAlister at (602) 328-4238.
