Six
of the
20 keys form my environmental
policy.
06-C+R - Choice and
Responsibility
People and companies are responsible for
their own actions (pollution, waste
products, noise etc)
05-LIB - Liberty
People and companies are free
to do as they wish, on the condition it
does not affect others.
11-SUP - Support
By unifying, citizens can
effectively support specific
environmental causes. These groups can
purchase lands, create sanctuaries for
fauna, buy old growth forests, promote
education on the environment etc.
16-JUS – Reparative Justice
Companies and people should be
accountable for reparation of
environmental damages. This could range
from responsibility for the Exxon Valdez
Oil Spill to adding a tax for petrol
relative to proven damage to air
quality.
17-PRO – Property Rights
Landholders, both large and small, are
able to use their land as they see fit –
providing it does not directly affect
their neighbours. For example, a land
owner could cut down a patch of trees
near the edge of his property, but if
this causes eroded soil to wash all over
his neighbours property the first land
owner would be liable to fix the
problem.
20-TRN – Transition
I anticipate some measures should start
immediately, with all implemented within
5 – 20 years.
Examples of policy
- Growers of Genetically
Modified foods would be
required to provide barriers (depending
on the plant type) to ensure that
neighbours crops are not infected.
- A tax on fuels that
cause environmental damage. This tax
should be kept separate to other revenue
and be used only for the reparation of
the damage. This will help fuels reflect
their true cost, making other cleaner
fuels more cost effective. If a company
introduces measures so pollution is not
created this tax should not apply.
Nature
Nature, by it’s very nature,
does not require human help. It only
requires us not to impose on it.
Government should not interfere with
natural cycles of species.
Human Impact
Humans, just by the fact of their
existence, will impact
on the surrounding land. What is
required is to minimize damage. You
can’t have 1 million people living on
the Adelaide Plains and not expect more
water usage or lands to be used to grow
foods. I believe though, there is a
right way and a wrong way to live with
the earth. The right way becomes
obvious, because it is sustainable.
Property rights in agriculture
are important because it holds farmers
accountable. I believe most people
living on the land are aware of this.
They want to farm and make a profit, but
they also want their grandkids to be
able to do the same - on that same piece
of ground. It doesn’t do them any good
to kill the goose that lays the golden
egg.
Waste
Bill Mollison, a co-founder of
Permaculture
said “You don’t have a snail problem,
you have a duck deficiency!” and “waste
is an unused resource”.
Businesses are adaptable by their very
nature. I envision that if make
industries accountable for their
own waste they will find ways
and partners to whom this waste is a
resource. Hence businesses will develop
a
symbiotic
relationship with other businesses.
International Obligations
Australian companies should be
accountable for their overseas
management in these areas.