FIGU Open Letter 003
A Letter to Al Gore...
Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Global Climate Change Activist, On Behalf of Like-Minded People Seeking an Age of Reason, Global Peace and Human Equality
Dear Mr. Gore,
I am writing to you on behalf of a FIGU-study-group in Munich, Germany. We recently had the pleasure of watching your film, «An Inconvenient Truth», on German television, which we found to be very informative with regard to the cause and effects of global warming and how we as a global community can help stop it by supporting the development of sustainable energy like solar, wind, water and other forms of abundant natural energy. Revealing the truth in this day and age is an uphill battle, but you are not alone in the struggle to resolve this problem. We too are interested in finding effective solutions to the critical problems we face as a global humanity such as global warming, dwindling resources, overpopulation, human inequality, poverty and war. There are also many other people and organizations working towards this end (see the Earth Charter Initiative at www.earthcharter.org). Green Cross International, for example, which was founded in 1992 by Mikhail Gorbachev, is also dedicated to finding effective solutions to environmental problems and is actively involved in the development of sustainable energy worldwide. In fact, its U.S. affiliate, Global Green USA, is currently building affordable, energy-efficient and eco-friendly homes for the victims of Hurricane Katrina (see greencrossinternational.net and globalgreen.org). Attached to this mail is a copy of «The Earth Charter» and an interesting interview with Brad Pitt on the above-mentioned project in New Orleans along with a short report on the benefits of sustainable development there for both the residents and the environment. I must say that your film and this project were a genuine inspiration to me and the other members of the study group. We realize it’s only a beginning, but these exemplary efforts prove that it’s possible to win the battle against global warming and to build a just, sustainable and peaceful global society, if we all join forces and start working together as a global family. Last but not least, we fully agree with a very important point you made in your film with regard to our rapidly growing global population and the effect it has on global warming.
It is only common sense that a growing population consumes more energy, which in turn increases the CO2 emission and intensifies the green-house effect. Needless to say, a growing ‹overpopulation› accelerates this process. Needless to say, a growing <overpopulation> accelerates this process. So in order to win the struggle against global warming, we must stop our global population growth through an effective program of global birth control and bring our planetary population count back into balance with nature, which for a planet the size of Earth is about 0.5 billion or more precisely 529 million (see ‹Stirbt unser blauer Planet?› by Heinz Haber and ‹Social Issues› at us.figu.org). So in order to win the struggle against global warming, we must stop our global population growth through an effective program of global birth control and bring our planetary population count back into balance with nature, which for a planet the size of Earth is about 0.5 billion or more precisely 529 million (see <Stirbt our blue Planet?> by Heinz Haber and <Social Issues> at us.figu.org). Such a measure, by the way, would also reduce all other problems we currently face – whether social, economic or environmental – to a size that we could deal with far more effectively. Such a measure, by the way, would also reduce all other problems we currently face - Whether social, economic or environmental - to a size that we could deal with far more effectively. To accomplish this, however, it is necessary to raise public awareness – via lectures and other forms of public communication – with respect to the cause of this problem, the effects it has on our planet and humanity and how we can resolve it. To accomplish this, however, it is necessary to raise public awareness - through lectures and other forms of public communication - with respect to the cause of this problem, the effects it has on our planet and humanity and how we can resolve it. Education and insight, combined with the appropriate measures and legislation, are undoubtedly the best means of resolving this and other problems we face as a global humanity. Education and insight, combined with the appropriate measures and legislation, are undoubtedly the best means of resolving this and other problems we face as a global humanity. For this reason, it would be desirable, if courses dealing with environmental and other human-related problems were made a standard part of every school curriculum. For this reason, it would be desirable, if courses dealing with environmental and other human-related problems were made a standard part of every school curriculum. Moreover, schools in general should be opened to the public for lifelong learning, so that people of all ages and from all walks of life can learn to effectively deal with the problems they face in life. Moreover, schools in general should be opened to the public for lifelong learning so that people of all ages and from all walks of life can learn to effectively deal with the problems they face in life. Putting their knowledge into practice however, especially on a global basis, would require an appropriate system of government to carry out the will of the people, such as a worldwide system of direct democracy, through which all people from all nations of the world could vote directly on issues that affect them and the rest of humanity in global referendums. Putting their knowledge into practice however, especially on a global basis, would require at appropriate system of government to carry out the wishes of the people, such as a worldwide system of direct democracy, through which all people from all nations of the world could vote directly on issues that affect them and the rest of humanity in a global referendums. An effective system of global democracy in turn would require yet another form of human progress, namely lasting world peace, which contrary to common belief could indeed be achieved, if universal values that unite humanity and promote world peace were taught in our schools and demonstrated in our social behavior, and also with the help of a multinational peace-fighting corps composed of several million peace-fighters from all nations of the world, whose task it would be to secure and safeguard world peace. An effective system of global democracy in turn would require yet another form of human progress, namely lasting world peace, which was contrary to common could indeed be achieved, if universal values that unite humanity and promote world peace were taught in our schools and demonstrated in our social behavior, and also with the help of a multinational peace-fighting corps composed of several million peace-fighters from all nations of the world, whose task it would be to secure and safeguard world peace.
The members of such a peace-fighting corps must be highly trained specialists in defence, peace-making, peace-keeping and the protection of human life and must be deployed over the entire planet in order to nip all wars and violent uprisings as well as all criminal and terrorist activities in the bud within 72 hours. Such a corps, however, must be strictly and exclusively controlled by the world population under the guidance of wise, experienced and capable leaders (see «Multinational Peace-Fighting Troops and World Peace» by Barbara Harnisch and Billy in the attachment to this mail). The development of such a global defence force would therefore require a well-informed and socially responsible global population and a genuine government of the people in all countries of the world, which in turn must be accompanied by the development of easily accessible and absolutely safe systems of electronic voting worldwide to enable all citizens of Earth to actively participate in government decisions at local, state, national and global levels by voting directly on all issues affecting them and the rest of humanity. As you can see, dear Mr. Gore, we all have a lot of work ahead of us, but then again the time is ripe for change. I and all other members of the study group are therefore confident that we can achieve these goals together, as a united humanity, with the help of wise and far-sighted leaders from all nations of the world who are dedicated to finding effective solutions to all human problems and who will put them into practice, once they have been approved by the people of Earth in global referendums. Since all change starts in the hearts and minds of the people and can only lead to improvement, if it is guided by the truth, all we need to save our planet and humanity are effective solutions to our global problems based on the effective truth and supported by the world population. In other words, all we need is a worldwide grassroots movement in support of truly effective measures against overpopulation, the destruction of nature, human inequality, poverty, war and all other forms of destructive human behavior and in favor of universal education; the cultivation of positive human values that unite all people regardless of their differences; the acknowledgement of equal human rights and duties for all people; the worldwide development of sustainable energy; the protection of nature and all planetary life through the controlled, sustainable development of humanity and all of its needs; a global system of direct democracy to promote the development of a worldwide government of the people; the cultivation of peace among all peoples of Earth; the development of a multinational peacefighting corps to secure and safeguard world peace under the control of the world population, and many other forms of positive human development. These changes, however, can only be achieved on a global basis, once the people of Earth finally free themselves from all forms of tyranny and assume the power to govern themselves under the guidance of wise, experienced and capable leaders (see “Equality for All” by Rebecca Walkiw). Most of today’s powerful political, economic, religious and military leaders would undoubtedly oppose such a movement, because they are unwilling to share their power and resources with the rest of humanity. The common people of Earth, however, would embrace such a movement and would also support the efforts of wise and knowledgeable leaders who offer truly effective solutions to global problems and who are willing to work for the well-being of all humanity in harmony with nature. The people of Earth want leaders whose reason, judgement and actions are guided by the truth and who have the courage to defend the inconvenient truth in the face of powerful opposition. We are hopeful that ever more courageous leaders with genuine human qualities from all nations of the world will unite to form a global force of truly competent advisors who will help humanity achieve its goals! My husband and I are both members of a FIGU study group here in Munich. … We [members of FIGU] are dedicated to seeking and upholding the truth in all things; the cultivation of positive human values such as knowledge, wisdom, truth, love, logic and justice; the development of human awareness and the support of human progress; living in harmony with nature; acknowledging human equality and the natural rights and duties of all human beings; heeding the laws of nature and creation; respecting and protecting all life forms; cultivating peace in the hearts and minds of all people, practicing self-responsibility and self-determination as an individual and also as a collective whole, among many other things.
We meet once a month here in Munich, study FIGU literature together and discuss topics of common human interest. We also organize information booths about FIGU and its wide range of literature on numerous aspects of human development and we hold lectures on topics of general human interest. An issue of foremost importance to us is the fight against global overpopulation and its devastating consequences for all life on Earth. With a current global population of more than 7.5 billion people (unofficial count: see www.ueberbevoelkerung.at), our earth already has nearly 15 times as many people as a planet of its size can sustain for an optimal development of humanity and a harmonious coexistence with nature. Moreover, our global population continues to grow at an exponential rate, causing the already prevalent wastefulness, destructive exploitation of all resources and the on-going destruction of nature to assume ever more drastic forms, such as the growing frequency of devastating natural catastrophes throughout the world and the growing number of global conflicts over our diminishing resources. Overpopulation is by far the greatest problem we face as a global humanity. It is impossible to divide our dwindling global resources among a rapidly growing family of over 7.5 billion members, so that everyone has enough to live on. And due to the fact that 20 percent of the population in developed nations consume 86 percent of the world’s resources, nearly half of our global family now lives in poverty. If we add to this the hundreds of millions of people who will be displaced in the near and distant future as a result of the growing number of natural catastrophes caused by the on-going destruction of nature – including of course the numerous climate catastrophes resulting from global warming and the destruction of our atmosphere – the human misery will reach dimensions beyond description. For this reason, our study group plans to hold lectures on overpopulation in the near future, so that ever more people will become aware of this problem and start to consider what they can do to help bring our global population count back into balance with nature. Of course the best way to achieve a balanced global population would be to work out an effective program of global birth control, which of course must first be approved by the people of Earth, before it is put into practice.
One example of such a program is a global birth-rate check explained in an article by Christian Frehner at us.figu.org/portal/SocialIssues/BirthRateCheck/tabid/104/Default.aspx
Since your film, «An Inconvenient Truth», provides valuable information that clearly shows the connections between global population growth, energy consumption, global warming and climate catastrophes, our study group would very much like to use material from your film in our lectures … to illustrate the relation between global overpopulation and climate catastrophes. … If you are interested, you can find more information about FIGU at the following websites:
htttp://www.figu.org (German-language website) and us.figu.org (English language website). Several articles about overpopulation in the English language can also be found on the English-language website under ‹Social Issues›. On behalf of the members of our study group, I am sending you friendly greetings and best wishes for continued success in your efforts to raise human awareness on issues of major importance to humanity and all life on Earth.
Sincerely yours,
Rebecca Walkiw
Attachments:
The Earth Charter; Interview with Brad Pitt [Global Green Activist]; Benefits of Sustainable Energy; World Peace [Multinational Peace-Fighting Troops and World Peace] See these attachments on the following pages.
[From Wikipedia: The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental values and principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century. Its inclusive ethical vision proposes that environmental protection, human rights, equitable human development and peace are interdependent and indivisible. The charter itself was created through an open and participatory worldwide consultation process. The drafting of the text was overseen by the independent Earth Charter Commission, which was convened by Maurice Strong, founder of the Earth Council, and Mikhail Gorbachev, founder of Green Cross International, with the purpose of developing a global consensus on values and principles for a sustainable future. Many thousands of people and hundreds of organizations contributed to the drafting process.]
