[WITHDRAWN] Oceans Protection Act

[Cormac]

Oceans Protection Act

A resolution to increase the quality of the world's environment, at the expense of industry.

Category: Environmental | Industry Affected: All Businesses - Strong | Proposed by: Nagatar Karumuttu Chettiar

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The General Assembly,

Believing the gem that is the beautiful blue expanse of the oceans must be protected,

Noting the state of many oceans across the multiverse to be dismal due to such issues,

Shocked by the lack of legislation covering this in the General Assembly,

Saddened by the ever increasing amounts of waste disposed of into the oceans,

Wishing to correct and prevent these actions,

Hereby,

1. Defines 'toxic waste' as the:

i. Decidedly endangering results and by-products of nuclear fission,

ii. Unnatural Carcinogens or waste of known Carcinogenic nature,

iii. Waste which can be defined as an industrial chemical bio-hazard (excluding toxic heavy metals),

2. Prohibits the disposal of such toxic waste in any way shape or form in the oceans,

3. Bars member nations from dumping of plastic waste and sewage into the oceans,

4. Creates the Ocean Safety Organization (OSO) to:

i. Restore whatever oceans may currently be polluted by such contaminants in the Marine Biosphere Restoration Programme which:

a. Shall clean the oceans of the world with various techniques that must be applied in the given situation,

b. Shall work only within international waters unless otherwise permitted to work within those of a member state,

c. Shall work to improve biodiversity in oceans clean of most pollutants,

ii. Create a watch list of marine species in those oceans that may be faced with issues regarding the contaminants,

iii. Protect said species and alert states which may be directly affected by their absence of their endangerment,

5. Encourages member nations to find more efficient and environmentally friendly ways of disposing of such waste,

Hoping to see further legislation regarding the marine environment,

Establishes the above, implementing the Oceans Protection Act.

[Cormac]

I also received the following counter-campaign telegram (from a nation called Araraukar):

Hi there!

I noticed you have approved a GA proposal titled "Oceans Protection Act" to get it to voting stage. I was wondering if you were aware of the issues in the proposal, which had been pointed out to the author and which they had promised to sort out prior to submitting it, but actually hadn't?

First of all, the definitions for toxic waste are far too all-encompassing, and include relatively safe chemicals as well.

"Results and by-products of nuclear fission" doesn't specify radio-activity, and indeed includes completely stable end products like lead. Also, since it doesn't mention uranium specifically, this includes all naturally-occurring radioactive materials, which are present in everything organic (carbon dating is based on radioactive carbon found in all living things).

"Unnatural carcinogens or waste of known carcignogenic nature" includes almost all fresh plants - everything from grass clippings to tobacco leaves to orange peels - because of how most plants try to protect their parts from being eaten with chemicals that, among other things, can cause cancer. Even grilled meat is a carcinogen.

"Industrial chemical bio-hazard" on the other hand just makes no sense, because a bio-hazard is a disease-causing pathogen, like salmonella, not a chemical. If it indeed bans industrial chemicals rather than biohazards, it creates a whole new level of problems.

The vagueness of the definitions - which the author didn't fix despite promising to - when taken together with "disposal ... in any way shape or form" in clause 2, create a situation where waste-water management becomes near-impossible (due to the ban on carcinogenic materials and industrial chemicals, such as what are used to kill fecal bacteria), as well as more or less bans allowing any leftover foods or, well, anything produced by humans from ever ending up in an ocean. Say goodbye for ever using fishing baits again.

Clause 3's plastic waste ban is much less insane due to the word "dumping" being present in that clause. Though the dumping of "sewage" doesn't make a distinction between untreated sewage (which I think the author meant) and treated sewage, which would halt waste-water treatment everywhere, and put nations in a situation where they must store or dispose of all sewage on land, because anything let to get into any waterway, will eventually find its way into an ocean.

The committee created in clause 4 is, among other things, tasked to clean up the oceans. As a WA committee, this clean-up is funded by all WA nations, but given that WA nations form only 14% of all nations, that means that WA nations would be predominantly paying to clean up pollutants spewed forth by non-WA nations. It is the same unfairness of a situation as if in Real Life just 29 nations paid for the clean-up of all the oceans.

This was specifically pointed out to the author and they said they'd take it out, but obviously haven't.

I humbly request that you withdraw your approval and instead urge the author to fix the issues as they promised they would do. You can post here to do so: forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=459597

[qwabourharbour]

Against. Araraukar is correct and is experienced in GA, while Nagatar is sort of a badge hunter, so I'd say that I'll take his word for it.

[Cormac]

Oceans Protection Act has been withdrawn by its author.

[Toerana]

Bit awkward

[qwabourharbour]

Not really, it was doomed to failure, might as well bot get embarrased.