We will be meeting on 10/24/99 at 12:00 PM at the Washington Monument. We
will then march to the rally at the Lincoln Memorial. The rally begins at
12:30 PM.
For more information visit us at http://www.peacefulenergy.org
Or contact Richard Lasken at PlantSeedK@aol.com
Phone (301)345-3454
FAX (781)998-6048
About 100 + demonstrators, including students and representatives of
public energy, environmental, consumer and spiritual organizations, gathered
last year on the west side of the nation’s Capitol in remembrance of the 25th
anniversary of the OPEC oil embargo and to show their support for the
research and development of technologies that will provide alternatives to
fossil fuels and nuclear power. It was the perfect opportunity to present the
Citizens Peaceful Energy Plan: Global Peace Through New Energy Policies for
the World. The United States currently uses 25% of the world’s energy and
represents only 5% of the population, so we need to both take the lead in the
United States and encourage the global community abroad to change our energy
policy if they want cleaner air and a safer environment. One year later we
will be coming back to the Lincoln Memorial on October 24, 1999, to show the
world we are still concerned.
Our message is simple: stop wars over oil; stop sending dollars to the
Middle East to pay for terrorism; end the oppression of indigenous peoples
over energy resource exploitation; and, change US energy policy to lessen
imports and reduce fossil fuels and nuclear power use. "It is inconceivable
that Americans and their policymakers would allow us to import 58% of our
energy needs when US industry has the ability to produce clean, reliable and
cost-effective energy right here at home. Clean energy technologies can
create hundreds of thousands of jobs and prevent the need to pay billions of
dollars fighting wars to protect our overseas energy supplies or face
embargoes" said Scott Sklar, Executive Director of the Solar Industries
Association.
"Several people on the stage today stood in this very spot over twenty
years ago demanding our country do something to protect us from a war over
oil. We saw the Persian Gulf War on TV, we still face the threat, and now we
have the answer to ‘what you can do for your country.’ Today, you can buy
alternative fuel cars, photovoltaic cells for your roof and energy efficient
lights. We now have the technological weapons to protect ourselves and
enhance our national security. Demand them. What we need now is for Congress
to increase clean energy research, enhance public education and support
incentives needed for consumers to buy these technologies," said Burl
Haigwood, Managing Director, Clean Fuels Foundation, at last year's March for
Peaceful Energy.
"Recently, Congress quietly increased funding for pork-barrel nuclear
research projects while decreasing funding for major solar energy research
projects. This is unacceptable to the majority of Americans. Poll after poll
show that Americans want more solar energy research. Hardworking Americans
don't want their tax dollars going where this Congress has been spending them
with regard to energy. The organizations here today represent millions of
consumers who care about their health, their environment, their country, and
who believe there is a real global threat from increasing greenhouse gas
emissions. These are the consumers who vote! And soon, with your votes, you
will be able to choose the utility company that brings you solar, wind and
other renewable power," said George Burmeister, Executive Director of the
Washington, DC-based Americans for Clean Energy.
The event will be carried and maintained to mobilize, organize, educate
and deliver alternative fuel messages to thousands of communities around the
world.
Our demands are such:
1) Implementation of a new energy strategy to prevent the US from ever going
to war again over oil supplies and to stop oppression of indigenous peoples
from imposed mining and waste dumping,
2) Implementation of the "Million Solar Rooftops Initiative", with special
attention to solar assisted air conditioning for the poor in the sunbelt,
people in remote areas, and to MSRI contributions to the electricity grid,
3) Implementation of tax incentives on renewable energy technologies, and
tax penalties for pollution and energy resource depletion,
4) A ban on new construction of nuclear power plants and a resolve to shut
down existing plants in a timely manner,
5) Funding for the research and development of new energy technologies,
6) Allocate funding for an accelerated public education campaign about the
ecological and economic benefits of energy conservation, electric vehicles,
hybrid vehicles, and other alternative and renewable energy technologies
including simple mechanical adjustments to allow gasoline and diesel engines
to run on nonpolluting biofuels.
7) Easing of the licensing process on Hydropower plants to convert
previously existing idle dams to electricity producing dams.
The March for Peaceful Energy
UMCP Student Union Box 73
College Park, MD 20742