I'm writing this diary to ask for help from the community. My SW CO county has been attempting to craft a county comprehensive plan that will guide the new land use code. We've been working on this for YEARS, largely because there's a group of folks in the county who see planning as a threat to their 'unalienable constitutional rights'.
We're reading the same words, but talking two different planetary languages. Maybe you can help me frame this to take out some of their fear, or - alternatively - make the rest of the county see just how crazy they are.
I encourage you to participate, because unfortunately, this fear is coming to a community near you, too.
Agenda 21 came out of the 1992 Rio Summit. It's a document that speaks to helping developing - and developed - countries deal with managing their environments for long term growth and, yes, sustainability. Hot, scary topics like,
2. International cooperation to accelerate sustainable development in developing countries and related domestic policies
3. Combating poverty
4. Changing consumption patterns
5. Demographic dynamics and sustainability
6 Protecting and promoting human health conditions
7. Promoting sustainable human settlement development
8. Integrating environment and development in decision-making
9. Protection of the atmosphere
10. Integrated approach to the planning and management of land resources
11. Combating deforestation
12. Managing fragile ecosystems: combating desertification and drought
13. Managing fragile ecosystems: sustainable mountain development
14. Promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development
15. Conservation of biological diversity
16. Environmentally sound management of biotechnology
17. Protection of the oceans, all kinds of seas, including enclosed and semi-enclosed seas, and coastal areas and the protection, rational use and development of their living resources
18. Protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources: application of integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources
19. Environmentally sound management of toxic chemicals, including prevention of illegal international traffic in toxic and dangerous products
20. Environmentally Sound Management of Hazardous Wastes, Including Prevention of Illegal International Traffic in Hazardous Wastes
21. Environmentally sound management of solid wastes and sewage-related issues
22. Safe and environmentally sound management of radioactive wastes
I mean, I read this stuff and nod, thinking, "yeah, so what?"
Others aren't so sure. From Freedom Advocates, Daniel Beckett pronounces:
The American people need to be better informed so they understand that Sustainable Development is a pseudonym for centralized control over human life. The policies of Sustainable Development are changing the very fabric of America.
Oh my. The writer goes on to say,
So what could be wrong with the idea of being sustainable? We don't want to be unsustainable, do we? The problem with Sustainable Development is that it flies in the face of man's will to advance. America is the greatest country in the world. Why? Because its citizens were allowed the use of its bountiful resources. There was no king or dictator to control man's creative action.
The idea behind Sustainable Development is to foster a mentality of guilt in people over the use of natural resources. Every time one starts their car... Every time one turns on a water faucet... Remember, be sustainable! Don't exceed your allotment of resources... Big Brother is watching you. We all must learn to live the same, think the same and most importantly... be sustainable!
America was not created using this mindset. America was created with the mindset of full speed ahead!!! I don't think NASA was concerned about being sustainable when they were going to the moon.
You see, the real agenda behind Sustainable Development has nothing to do with protecting the environment. It is about controlling the natural resources. If the resources are controlled, the people are controlled. The screws are already tightening on us. Does it make any sense that we must use poisonous, difficult to dispose of, fluorescent lighting in kitchens now? These things should be a personal choice. No doubt in time the use of all natural resources will be highly regulated.
[The bolding is mine. The hysteria, his].
Agenda 21 is evidently trying to limit the use / access to private property, ski resorts, fossil fuels, consumerism, irrigation, paved roads, pesticides, herbicides, farmlands, grazing of livestock, the family unit.
Agenda 21 - and its Norwegian communist executive director - even dares say that the "consumption patterns of the current middle class are not sustainable."
Go figure.
So, our new GOP-dominated county commissioners just appointed 3-4 new folks on the planning commission whose job is to review the planning document created after 150 public meetings, $400k++ in expenditures, and 2 years. The PC now appears to be dominated by folks who don't believe in planning, and are convinced that Agenda 21 is trying to control us all - to take away our rights.
For instance, we used to have a chapter in the Comp Plan devoted to Sustainable Development. Chapter 6 was deleted. Renewable energy and energy efficiency, it was said at the next meeting, should be moved to Chapter 6.
So, here's my question - how do we combat this crazy? We're doing a few obvious things, like getting the BOCC on record as to their opinions about Agenda 21 (don't tell me we should have done that BEFORE last fall's elections. I know that.) and LTEs and so on. But how do we speak to - how do we FRAME - Agenda 21 as what it was meant to be - something good for us all?
And how the hell do I get guys who don't believe in government off this governing panel? These are obvious questions that directly parallel what's going on with Grover Norquist and our government shrinking, light bulb freedom of choice Congress....
Help!