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The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held on June 14, 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At this conference, referred to as the Rio Earth Summit, the participants crafted a blueprint for the world, commonly known asAgenda 21.
In its preamble, Agenda 21, Chapter 1 states “Humanity stands at a defining moment in history. We are confronted with a perpetuation of disparities between and within nations, a worsening of poverty, hunger, ill health and illiteracy, and the continuing deterioration of the ecosystems on which we depend for our well-being. However, integration of environment and development concerns and greater attention to them will lead to the fulfilment of basic needs, improved living standards for all, better protected and managed ecosystems and a safer, more prosperous future. No nation can achieve this on its own; but together we can – in a global partnership for sustainable development.”
In other words, the goal of the United Nations is social and economic justice through a redistribution of wealth scheme using the threat of anthropogenic (man-made) global warming or climate change to implement the market based solution of carbon emissions trading. The International Monetary Fund has proposed a plan for a Green Fund to achieve this goal.
Following this Earth Summit President George H. W. Bush declared:
“Effective execution of Agenda 21 will require a profound reorientation of all human society, unlike anything the world has ever experienced –a major shift in the priorities of both governments and individuals and an unprecedented redeployment of human and financial resources. This shift will demand that a concern for the environmental consequences of every human action be integrated into individual and collective decision-making at every level.”
–signed by G.H. Bush, 1992
Despite pressure from the United Nations partners, U.S. delegates did not sign on to the convention.
On June 29, 1993 President Clinton issued Executive Order 12852 establishing the President’s Council on Sustainable Development as a result of the Rio Earth Summit in an effort to cooperate and implement the goals of Agenda 21. That EO was revoked by Executive Order 13138 on September 30 1999.
During George W. Bush’s two terms as President he continued to further the goals of this UN agenda, following his father’s lead.
Why is all of this important? This ties in directly with the push for cap and trade legislation that had been floating around the House and Senate the past few years. When Congress failed to pass a cap and trade bill, on May 14, 2010 the E.P.A. unveiled their rules to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from the largest industrial facilities, with a phased in approach that began on January 1, 2011. As a result we are hearing about the many coal plants that will be forced to shut down in the next few years, because they cannot meet these emissions reduction numbers, and it will be too expensive to retrofit their plants. President Obama announced new CAFÉ standards for automobiles that will require them to achieve 36.5 miles to the gallon by 2016 and 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025. The talking points are that this will help us achieve energy security and reduce our use of foreign oil. But the truth is that the United States has committed to the United Nations and its partners to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and these CAFÉ standards will have to be met in order to achieve this goal.
When the cap and trade legislation failed to pass, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) said “The Obama administration has again reminded Washington that if Congress won’t legislate, the EPA will regulate. Those who have spent years stalling need to understand: killing a Senate bill is no longer success. And if Congress won’t legislate a solution, the EPA will regulate one, and it will come without the help to America’s business and consumers contained in the American Power Act.” It is apparent in his statement that this administration is intent on pursuing this agenda with or without Congressional approval.
In April of 2010 Jon Stewart, of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, interviewed Lisa P. Jackson, the Administrator of the E.P.A. During their discussion she stated that they were waiting for the price of carbon to be established so that we could meet our obligations to the country and the entire world. At the time I did not understand what she was talking about, but it is apparent now what she meant.
The United States made commitments to the global community that it would implement emissions reductions, and even though this country never ratified this treaty it is intent on complying with its dictates.
Click below to see the Daily Show interview with Lisa P. Jackson
The UN report "Objective and Themes of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development" underlines that there have been many successes since the Earth Summit of Rio de Janeiro in 1992, however, the way in which the planet's natural resources are used continues to create damage to crucial ecosystems.
