WHAT ON EARTH WERE THEY TALKING ABOUT? 2000 (US Campaign)
Before the US election in November 2000, EarthAction encouraged voters to question candidates for President and Congress about where they stood on some critical global issues. Here's the questionnaire and background material. If you have an election coming up in your country, please send a similar questionnaire to your candidates or political party leaders. If enough of us let our politicians know that what they will or won't do to protect the Earth and all its people is an issue that might influence how we vote, they'll pay attention!
Have you noticed that the most important issues on Earth are hardly being discussed in this campaign?
BEFORE YOU VOTE ON NOVEMBER 7 TH , wouldn’t you like to know what the candidates for President and the US Congress will do to:
PROTECT THE WORLD’S CHILDREN?
FACT: 100 million children around the world live on the street, with no shelter, no education and no family.
STOP COOKING THE PLANET?
FACT: Scientists say we need at least a 60% reduction from the 1990 level of global carbon dioxide emissions to prevent dangerous global warming. Meanwhile, the world’s governments have agreed on a program that will, by the year 2012, increase global emissions by 30%!
CONTROL THE GLOBAL AIDS EPIDEMIC?
FACT: In 1999 more than 5 million people were newly infected with HIV. Yet, world-wide government spending on prevention and vaccine research is less than the cost of one aircraft carrier.
END MASS MURDER?
FACT: For all our military strength, the US and other governments did nothing while almost a million Rwandans were murdered in cold blood. Mass murder continues elsewhere, while efforts to create a UN Volunteer Force for rapid deployment to conflict areas remain stalled.
MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT FOR A BETTER WORLD
Here’s a short questionnaire for candidates, with eight recommended questions to help you assess whether they’ll use public office to ensure a better future for humanity and for the Earth.
Let us know your state and zip code, and EarthAction will send your questionnaire to the Presidential candidates of the Democratic, Green, Reform and Republican parties, plus your candidates for the US House of Representatives, and for the US Senate (if there’s a Senate race in your state this year.)
This needn’t take you more than 5 minutes. In those five minutes, you can help to save the planet.
US CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Candidate,
In the November 7th election, I intend to think globally when I vote nationally. In order to help me assess whether you will exercise political leadership for a more just, peaceful and sustainable world, please let me know your answers to the following questions. Your answers to these questions will be a key factor as I decide how to cast my vote.
1. As you may know, the number of deaths from AIDS is increasing. One in every twelve deaths in the world is now caused by AIDS. Would you favor or oppose an increase in US financial support for international AIDS prevention efforts and AIDS vaccine research?
2. There are 100 million children around the world living on the street with no home and no family. The US and other governments are already spending substantial amounts to help such children, but the problem is far from solved. Would you favor or oppose the US government, together with other governments, devoting more funds to help the world’s homeless children?
3. The majority of climate scientists in the US and around the world believe that the burning of oil, coal and gas is causing the planet to heat up, creating the risk of violent changes in our climate. A few scientists disagree. Would you favor or oppose the government shifting financial support away from oil, coal and gas - to clean energy, such as wind and solar power?
As you may know, the United Nations, known as the UN, is the main organization where all the world’s nations meet to try to solve global problems of war and peace, human rights, environment, and poverty. Here are a few questions about the UN.
4. Would you favor or oppose strengthening the UN so that it can more effectively protect the global environment?
5. The US and other countries often don’t want to risk the lives of their own soldiers to help prevent mass murder or genocide elsewhere in the world. As a result, it has been suggested that a permanent UN force be created that is made up of individual volunteers ready to be sent quickly to conflict areas to stop the violence. Would you favor or oppose the creation of such a force to help prevent mass murder around the world?
6. A treaty has been negotiated to set up an International Criminal Court to bring individuals to justice for crimes of genocide, war crimes or other major abuses of human rights if their own country won’t try them. Would you favor or oppose the US signing the treaty?
7. An increasing number of important decisions are made in international institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank or the World Trade Organization. The people making the decisions are either representatives of national governments or employees of the international organizations. There have been proposals for a People’s Assembly at the United Nations, directly elected by the world’s citizens, to hold those international organizations democratically accountable to the public. Would you favor or oppose the creation of such a UN People’s Assembly?
8. In an election for President or the US Congress, would you be more likely or less likely to vote for a candidate who supports a stronger UN to help keep the peace, protect the global environment, and combat world poverty?