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The Successful Case For Removing ICLEI And Cool Counties From Albemarle County, VA presentation Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia October 22, 2011 by Charles Battig, MD Piedmont Chapter VA Scientists and Engineers for Energy and Environment Slide 2 What Is ICLEI? I nternational C ouncil for L ocal E nvironmental I nitiatives, founded in 1990 relabeled in 2003 as Local Governments for Sustainability Goal is to Implement The U.N.s Agenda 21 Aug 2011 Slide 3 Agenda 21 Document A comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally, and locally by organizations of the UN, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans impact the environment RIO 1992 Note: RIO+20 is next year Aug 2011 Slide 4 Agenda 21 The United Nations world-wide plan for the 21 ST Century from the 1992 UNs Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil A handbook designed to regulate every human activity using the benchmarks of sustainability, environmental consequences, and biodiversity Written by UN bureaucrats, government officials, non-governmental agencies (NGOs), and environmental activists to achieve population control, wealth redistribution, and social justice Aug 2011 Slide 5 The U.N. Sustainability Viewpoint Landcannot be treated as an ordinary asset controlled by individuals and subject to the inefficiencies of the market. Private land ownershipcontributes to social injustice.* *U.N. Habitat 1 Conference, Commission on Sustainable Development,Vancouver, Canada 1976 Slide 6 Biodiversity And Environmental Impact Become The New Benchmarks U.N. derived policy contradicts the U.S. Constitutional/unalienable rights of its citizens Ownership of private property was seen as a core component of the U.S. Constitution by the founding fathers A gradual erosion of private property rights by land use regulations based on sustainability is embodied in Agenda 21 policy Slide 7 U.N. Agenda 21 Goals Embedded In The U.S. By President Clinton In 1999 Aug 2011 Slide 8 Dont Scare The Folks United Nations Environment and Development Forum Speaker Gary Lawrence (former Clinton advisor) in reference to local AG 21 concerns: we call our processes something else, such as comprehensive planning, growth management, or smart growth The social planners have been adept in using other such language as: Resilient Cities, Regional Visioning Projects, STAR Sustainable Communities, Green Jobs, Local Visioning, and Consensus Building Aug 2011 Slide 9 President Obama Continues The Federal Intrusion June 2011 President Obama establishes the Rural Council by executive order The U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide administrative support All major federal agencies will participate The stated goal: to improve the quality of life in rural America I am from the federal government, and am here to help you Slide 10 2007Albemarle Joins Cool Counties ; 2007- Al Gores Climate Claims Thrown Out In England As Political Propaganda Slide 11 Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration A 2007 Sierra Club initiative Objective: Counties are to resolve to reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 Why? In response to the unproved claim that manmade greenhouse gases are causing detectible climate change My Question: How does one measure the climate? Slide 12 CO2 Up; Global Temperatures Down Why The Panic Over Emissions? Aug 2011 Slide 13 What Are The Objectives of Sustainable Development? Objectives include the linking of economic, social, and environmental policies in order to reduce human consumption, achieve social equity, and preserve biodiversity It is predicated on alarmist claims of human caused destruction of the environment This global goal is to be achieved using central planning techniques at each level of government to regulate private property ownership and individual freedom Central governmental control is the aim; sustainability is merely the pretense for public consumption May 201113 Slide 14 The U.N.s Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC) (The Gold Standard Of Environmentalists Policy), Speaks: We redistribute de facto the worlds wealth by climate policyOne has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. This has almost nothing to do with environmental policy anymore* *IPCC lead author and chairman of WG 3, Dr. Ottmar Eden- Hofer, November 13, 2010 interview Slide 15 Raising Public Awareness In Albemarle County Following a presentation by Donna Holt, October 2010, our Jefferson Area Tea Party (JATP) agrees that defunding ICLEI would be a Tea Party objective for 2011 The JATP National Issues Forum is presented as an open, public education event October 29, 2010 Slide 16 The Warm Up Slide 17 The Main Event Slide 18 Making Use Of County Board Of Supervisors Protocol The County Board of Supervisors holds two public meetings each month A nominal two to three minute talk time is available to the public for Items not on the Agenda The audience is not just the BOS, but others in attendance Slide 19 Initial Reaction From One Albemarle County BOS Member What U.NI dont see any U.N. in County documents A Tea Party conspiracy Tea Party infiltration into County Government Everyone knows that there is a climate change consensus Climate skeptics are climate change deniers ICLEI membership costs only $1,200 per year Slide 20 ICLEI Is International Slide 21 U.N. Secretary General Says So Slide 22 Local Agenda 21 Is Global 22 Slide 23 Local Agenda 21, ICLEI, And The U.N. All On The Same Page Slide 24 ICLEI Is In Virginia At The State Level ICLEI USA : Initiated in 2007, the Virginia State Climate Protection Network consists of local governments from across the state that are taking critical and innovative steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop in a more sustainable and just manner May 201124 Slide 25 Leveraging the U.N. Goals in the U.S. Education System Slide 26 U.N. Sustainability In U.S. Classrooms Slide 27 50+ U.N. IPCC Scientists Disavow IPCC Faulty Manmade Climate Claims Slide 28 Identifiable Consensus Slide 29 2011: What Has Been Learned Since 2007? Its The Sun, Cosmic Rays, and Clouds Its Not Just All About Carbon Dioxide Equivalents science Not Personal Opinion Slide 30 The First Success June 8, 2011: The Albemarle County BOS votes four to two to defund ICLEI after hours of tumultuous public comment The BOS votes to defund and withstands a packed auditorium of environmental activists, UVA students, and liberal politicians booing and catcalling Tea Party members speaking to defund ICLEI Slide 31 ICLEI Drop Outs Growing Carroll County, MD Spartanburg, SC Georgetown, TX Carver, MA Montgomery County, PA Edmond, OK Norman, OK Clallam County, WA Garland,TX James City County, VA Amador County, CA Pinellas, FL Oklahoma City, OK Albemarle County, VA Lexington, VA Sequim, WA Slide 32 The Next Success September 7, 2011: The BOS votes four to two to rescind their 2007 Cool Counties resolution Why? Answer: The majority felt that Albemarle County regulations should originate in Albemarle County, and not be based on outside advocacy organizations Slide 33 Growing Smart Cookbook Slide 34 Planners As Social Activists Slide 35 Sustainability Buzz Words Climate change Climate protection Mountains & critical slopes Riparian buffers Best management practices Biofilter Energy Star Public/private partnerships Floodplain Impervious surfaces Raingarden Safe yield Stream buffer Stakeholders Visioning projects Vehicle miles traveled Watershed Wetland Slide 36 Planning Away Private Property Rights Activist groups pressure the local government to act to save the environment and climate Decision making committees are formed Influential members of the community get to be stakeholders Policies are developed by unelected individuals and special interest groups The elected officials are presented a final report said to represent the expert consensus Slide 37 The Thomas Jefferson Planning District 10 The 23 Virginia Planning Districts are a creation of the 1968 Virginia General Assembly A form of unelected, shadow government, funded by tax and grant monies The mission: to promote the orderly and efficient development of the physical, social, and economic elementsby planning and encouraging and assisting governmental subdivisions to plan for the future May 201137 Slide 38 H.U.D. Sustainability Grant Slide 39 The 1998 Sustainability Document Slide 40 If Not ICLEI, Will It Be UVA Graduate Students Using You For A Term Project? Aug 2011 Slide 41 Elections Are The Key Continued protection of private property rights are only one BOS election away from a return to a progressive majority Although ICLEI is defunded, the County staff mindset is still favors ICLEI related policies The Thomas Jefferson Planning District has $1 million from H.U.D. and three years to build their case for implementing their sustainability reforms in the County and City Comprehensive Plans Slide 42 My On-Line Library www.climateis.wordpress.com