| We recognize that issues regarding the use and protection of
the earth's resources are global and require mutual respect
and cooperation with every community on earth. Environmental
degradation and resource scarcity are among the underlying causes
of violence and war. We believe that Friends' testimonies on
peace and simplicity have deep relevance to the global environmental
crisis.
Humanity
must commit to curbing excessive and destructive consumption
and pollution. We believe that these responsibilities are urgent
and must be acted upon globally, nationally, locally, and individually.
Section
1. Caring for the Earth
The
health of the earth's ecosystems and their ability to support
life has been and is being seriously impaired by human activities.
We deplore the pollution of the earth's land, water, and atmosphere;
the decline in biodiversity and nonrenewable resources; and
the increase in deforestation and desertification. The world
is in the midst of a mass extinction of species, primarily human
in cause.
We
urge that national legislation promote ecologically sound and
safe agricultural, extractive, industrial, and commercial enterprises.
Ways must be found to meet the needs of human beings without
doing violence to the rest of creation. Specifically we advocate
that the U.S. government develop policies that encourage regional
and international cooperation for solutions to environmental
problems, including environmental standards in trade agreements
that assure nations and local governments of their right to
establish more stringent environmental protections and standards.
We
call for adequate funding of the UN Environmental Program and
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Regional and international
cooperation is also required to conserve and allocate diminishing
water resources and natural ecosystems. We support efforts to
protect open spaces, wilderness areas, and productive farmlands
from urban sprawl and development. The military and all government
agencies must comply with the same environmental laws and regulations
as the private sector.
The
federal government must support the expansion of research, development,
and implementation of appropriate technologies and strategies
to minimize waste and prevent pollution, including a comprehensive
recycling program and economic incentives that encourage both
the use of recycled materials and the creation of markets for
the use of recycled products.
We
advocate the development and enforcement of regulations to safeguard
biological diversity and international cooperation to abate
the loss of biodiversity worldwide.
We
advocate the prohibition of brutal and inhumane treatment of
animals in food production and animal testing. We support the
careful evaluation, regulation, monitoring, and product labeling
of synthetic chemicals and genetically modified organisms and
products.
Section
2. Population and Consumption
We
believe it is impossible to improve the lives of all the peoples
of the earth if the population continues to grow. The failure
to confront the problems of population growth and over-consumption
will endanger the finite home planet that all people share.
We support government policies to promote the education of children
and adults on the impact of global population growth and over-consumption.
We
support access to, and adequate financial and institutional
support for, effective, universally available, safe, and noncoercive
family planning in the United States and throughout the world.
(See challenge under Health Care in Part III.)
Although
most population growth is occurring in the developing world,
the average person in the United States consumes and pollutes
many times more than does the average person in these developing
nations. Massive corporate advertising and many federal policies
promote unhealthy levels of consumption. This over-consumption
not only threatens the global environment, but also sows the
seeds of war and reduces the resources available to meet the
world's needs. We urge the federal government to develop economic
policies which will sustain general prosperity without high
levels of consumption and the associated exploitation and pollution
of the environment.
We
urge the promotion of life cycle cost analysis, environmental
cost analysis, or a similar process to bring the environmental
impact of raw materials, production, packaging, use, and final
product disposal to the forefront of manufacturing and purchasing
decisions for companies and consumers.
Section
3. Global Climate Change and Energy Policy
We
believe that the right use and sharing of the world's resources
for energy are crucial to human survival and welfare. We realize
that land and energy use are inextricably linked to greenhouse
gas generation and climate change. We urge that energy policies
be based on global humanitarian and environmental concerns rather
than narrow commercial, military, or national interests, and
that the price of energy reflect its full cost.
All
people need equitable access to sources of energy for personal
needs and the development of their communities. The great risk
to the environment and to future generations posed by increased
use of fossil fuels and nuclear energy requires a shift to renewable
and less damaging energy sources, increased efficiency, and
conservation.
We
urge the U.S. government to assume leadership in addressing
global warming by ratifying and implementing international agreements;
developing strong, fair, and effective policies to reduce the
emission of greenhouse gases; promoting energy conservation
through federal standards and regulations that reduce fuel consumption
and increase efficiency for stationary and mobile emission sources;
and instituting taxing and pricing policies that more fully
reflect and publicize the economic, environmental, and social
costs of energy production and use. We support the promotion
of research and development of sustainable energy technologies
for domestic use and export, adopting incentives for the production
and use of renewable energy, and removing regulatory barriers
to renewable onsite power generation and distribution.
We
urge an explicit moratorium on the construction of nuclear fission
power plants and the transportation of nuclear wastes until
methods for safe transportation and disposal have been demonstrated.
We support policy against reprocessing spent nuclear fuels in
the United States and elsewhere.
Section
4. Environmental Restoration and Regeneration
Restoration
of the earth requires healing the places damaged by the release
of nuclear and other toxic substances. We expect the Departments
of Defense and Energy, other government agencies, and private
companies to take responsibility for the damage they have caused
and work to redress it. We believe the cost of cleanup should
be borne by the responsible parties; however, cleanup should
proceed promptly and not be delayed by litigation over who ultimately
will bear the cost. The dangers of pollution and waste disposal
should not fall disproportionately on the world's poor or marginalized
peoples. These dangers should be fully disclosed and addressed
in consultation with affected communities.
We
urge that our federal government participate in this environmental
restoration. The government should monitor, limit, and reduce
toxic build-ups in both humans and wildlife; enforce penalties
for hazardous discharges in excess of legal, risk-based limits;
prohibit the export of toxic products; and work to destroy or
safely dispose of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons
and materials stockpiled in the United States, Russia, and other
countries.
We
also call for the strengthening and enforcement of laws and
regulations to protect and clean up water resources, with sufficient
funds earmarked for implementation.
We
are convinced that all on this earth are interdependent, and
we cherish the sacred value of the natural world as God's creation.
Impelled by both the sacred and the practical, and inspired
by Friends' testimonies, we seek an earth restored.
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Reviewed:
02/20/2007
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