NationStates Jolt Archive

CNN, Allanea

Today, the Supreme Court of Allanea (SCOA) declared unconstitutinal the very existence of the Allanean Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the regulations it enforces. According to the Court, not only does the regulation oppose the right to be free, but it also overreaches the limits of the Allanean Federal Government.

Joe Kachinsky, a notoriously Conservative judge, has dissented, and so has his extremist liberal colleague Ronald Greenbaum. Even as we speak, protesters from Greenpeace Allanea are gathering around the Court building to picket it in protest of the decision.

The corporates are rejoicing, and Oil Allanea, Inc. has already announced this will lead to reduction in prices. It is expected that the prices to Allanean Oil will fall to $12 per barrel by the end of this week.

ooc: what a joke, wht kind of oil company would LOWER the price of oil?

learn capitalism Allanea

OOC: Any company would lower the price to sell more and by this get a higher percentage of the market.

IC: "Xe'ma'ta tesri jilih!" (I can not believe this!) Haki Sveri shouted when hearing news about the situation in Allanea. Haki Sveri has reasons for his anger, his position as chief of the "Ligat Veran Rejistaniha" or in english: "Greenpeace Rejistania" requires it (it is absolutely impossible for Rejistanians to pronounce english words like in this case 'Greenpeace' without either breaking the tongue, sounding utterly silly or both, that is the reason, why Greenpeace translated its name when becoming active in Rejistania). He continued shouting expletives during the report on the rejistanian TV-station TV-R about the trial. His neighbor banged on the wall, signalising him by this to put his energy not into cursing but to start becoming active, at least Haki interpreted it in this way.

Some minutes later, he sat in front of his computer, half an hour later, it finally booted and he started typing a mail for the Ligat Veran Rejistaniha groups.

Some days later, a huge number of letters arrived at the judges as well at the head of state. they were written on recyccled paper and apparently printed only using minimal amounts of ink. The letters had nearly exactly the same text:


Hejida <the name of the person addressed>,
The new decision to declare any laws and regulations to protect the environment
as conflicting with the Allanean constitution is utterly strange to me. You can not
be free without a place to be free in. When you declare individual freedom as
more important than the environment, you are refusing you children and their
children the chance to be free and to live their lifes, because it is impossible to
follow the pursuit of happiness when dieing of diseases or starvation caused by
the polution, increased by this verdict.


I can not believe that a short term gain in freedom, especially of enterprise is
worth taking these freedoms from future generations and risking the future of
your proud nation.

Yours sincerely,
<the name differs, but the characters in different rejistanian alphabets look alike>

The following response is published a day later in the Wall Street Journal by Jonathan Kachinsky, Supreme Court Justice.

"Dear Greenpeace Activists!

It is wonderful that you care about your issues enough to write to me. However, I would like to point out on major misunderstanding in your letters. An Allanean judge has no authority to set policy. It is not our job. We are not the government. We are not party members. We are judges. Our job is to protect the Allanean Constitution and the Allanean Covenant. These are the pillars of our liberty. Without them, it would collapse.
Article One of the Allanean Covenant says : "Every adult, sane individual has the right to be free, that is, to do whatever he wants as long as he does not infringe on the freedom of of others". Could I have read this and ruled that banning people from cutting down a tree on their own property was in accordance with the Covenant? Article Four of the Allanean Covenant says: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and efffects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated..." - could I have ruled to say it means that the EPA can inspect your business once a year, without a warrant? Article Ten of the Allanean Covenant says: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." The Constitution of the United States of Allanea mentions no authority for the EPA.
My job is not to judge the benefits of a policy - that's what Congress does. My job is to make sure it fits the Covenant and the Constitution.
And, to the end of my life, I'm make sure that job is done."

The letter of Jonathan Kachinsky found its way to Rejistania, where it took quite a while to translate it. Basic differences between the Rejistanian and Allanean language made it impossible to translate the letter without losing its style. When words like 'free' develop into long expressions as 'the state of being unoppressed' the style of the letter becomes much more formal than it already was and about as easy to read as a scientific article. Haki Sveri did not read the original version but preferred the translated one. Again, he had nothing to say but some rude expletives. There surely was the time for a more qualified reply and real action. A good chance for the first appeared when one of his friends, Kansu Siri, helped Xteni I Rasali cleaning up the mess after a burst pipe. I Rasali'he works for the university in Kalimnintanin the section for transnational law. Siri'he knows that it would be moonlighting to demand payment for the time, he and a few friends were busy, so he told him of the Allanea situation and asked for support. I Rasali'he already was helpful before to free Ligat Veran Rejistaniha activists abroad. The old connections worked again (how they work is one of the secrets of the unversity). 5 days later, the university of Kalimnintan released a report called 'The Freedom in the Future' in which the question was asked if it the abolishment of the EPA wouldn't even be against the freedoms: The freedom to breathe clean air and to drink clean water. It would be an inacceptable violation of the freedoms of others to poison air or water. The different authors, among them I Rasali'he, compared the EPA with the police and used several examples to show how the EPA as well as the police make sure the citizens can live free within normal limits.

Many Rejistanians, organised or not, came into Allanea and participated at the peaceful demonstrations and sit-down-strikes in the capital.

The Democratic Arcologies of Feline would like to state its opposition to the decision by the Allanean supreme court. While we too agree that all have the right to freedom, environmental protections do not infringe right of freedom.
Democratic Arcologies of Feline
Ministry of Environmental Protection

------

Greenpeace, along with other Feline environmental groups, banded together in the group "EcoAct" have issued the following counter-arguments:

1. People also have a right to be free from the damage done by pollution. Each tree cut down increases the amount of carbon dioxide, and decreases the amount of oxygen. Each litre of fossil fuel burned poisons all. And it all adds up, across the world.

2. Would it not have made more sense for the court to rule that a warrant must be issued in order for the search to take place? Or, as it is in many nation-states, and as it is in Feline, would it not make more sense for judicial powers to be granted to this agency?

3. Constitutions are frameworks for governments, not a blueprint. Just because a government agency is not mentioned in a constitution does not mean that it is unconstitutional. Agencies are, depending on the system, the executive or legislative branch of government delegating the power, not making more power.

We are sending a rapid protest response team of 10,000 to assist Allanean protestors with materials, literature, and digital picket signs (A monitor on a plastic stick. Plug one of our memory crystals into the base of the stick, and it will display the images at a time interval set by a small touchscreen, measured in seconds.) It includes twenty experts in Allanean law to help argue any cases filed by the environmental groups in Allanea to attempt to convince the Allanean Judiciary to reverse its decision.

Belem applauds Allenea for removing these so called enviromental protection laws. But the true question is why did they exist to begin with in the first place?

<Communications to Allanea>
{
<< We may have a solution to any pollution problems that your laudable new policy may engender that operates on the simple concept that if one removes or otherwise nullifies the causes of pollution, one nullifies the effect of pollution.

<< We have both chemical and biological technological processes specifically designed to combat pollution in such ways. If you are interested, we can perhaps work out some sort of trade.
}

http://www.womengamers.com/dw/sshock2_rev.jpg
S.H.O.D.A.N. v3.0 : MCP, Q01
Cetagandan Duchess of Marilac
Political Governor of Martian Zero-One

ooc: what a joke, wht kind of oil company would LOWER the price of oil?

learn capitalism AllaneaAny one that isn't under OPEC's thumb, actually. If anyone with a significant oil reserve could manage that, people would buy from them instead of OPEC-controlled sources, and they would become very rich. Of course, that assumes that their own production costs are low enough to make it feasible, which may not be the case. OPEC exists to eliminate major competition by standardizing prices and artificially limiting supply to keep those prices high, and therefore is very much anti-capitalism.

Unofficial Response to the Rejistanian legal experts by Judge Kazinsky

Dear friends!

I have enjoyed reading your excellent work. However, I am surprised at your misunderstanding of the actual court ruling. First of all, those actions that directly harm others are still covered by existing law, regardless of environmental regulations. However, allowing the Allanean Federal Government to seize people's property for planting the wrong type of plant on their own property – or for destroying so-called "wetlands" is not constitutional – and neither is arresting people for dealing in feathers of endangered birds – nor is preventing the private ownership of such species. Moreover, the principle of severability applies. It is, unfortunately, not within the purview of the SCOA to repeal a part of an act and leave the rest. When one part of a bill is declared unconstitutional, the entire bill must go. However, Congress is still free to pass more constitutionally amenable versions of the original Environmental Protection Act.

Yours in Liberty,
G. Kazinsky, SCOA justice.

In front of the SCOA Building

The two rows of protestors stare grimly into each others rights. On one side, representatives of the ruling party (the Allanean Liberal Party), carrying environmentalist slogans and portraits of the missing President (Alexander Kazansky), re-inforced by their Rejistanian friends and Felinian allies. On the other hand, Republicans and Libertarians stand. The leader of the anti-environmentalist demonstration begins his speech:

"Friends, citizens, Allaneans!"

He is immediately booed out by the crowd – but neither can the Greenpeace representatives speak, the voices drowning him out.

Allanean Arms Corporation, Email to Zero-One

While we are not interested in purchasing so-called "green technologies" for the Allanean market, we are willing to purchase such technology for exports to the Feline market. Most particularly, we would like to purchase techology for the manucfacture of "green" vehicle engines.

While we're at it, is it possible for you to sell us the design for an intra-system-capable FTL drive?

With respect,
Jonathan Nivensky
Allanean Arms CEO

Xeseda Hina is member of Ligat Veran Rejistaniha and was one of the first to travel to Allanea. He is always active in some actions, protests or demonstrations for Ligat Veran. To him, the air in Port-Allanea was bad to him, a certain smell of traffic and other things was in the air. Maybe he just noticed it because his last activities were in the rejistanian outskirts, a protest against genetically manipulated crops, maybe he would not notice the difference if he came from Hetkali or, even worse, from KaMaRi kali. "The air is like in KaMaRi here..." he murmured. A girl who stood next to him agreed: "Maybe even worse. As far as I have heard, the industry is taking advantage of the situation already. Some indusrija seemed to know the decision of the supreme court before it happened." He looked at this girl, a teenager in traditional jistavedian clothes, on the long shador-like dress, she had an anti-developmentist slogan. Apparently she was a rejistanian socialist, he was not sure if she was jistavedian at all or just wanting to look like the famous rejistanian socialist Siki'he. He knew how fast socialists are with prejudices. "The industry is always fast in making profits, but I doubt they are this fast." - "Maybe, but according to TV-R2, farmers already began logging." At least she didn't cite a socialistic newspaper but rejistanian television, he thought. Let's see if she understands logic... "It simply is would not raise profit if the industry would stop using emision filters and such things, so it will not have many short-term effects. I guess the air here is just more polluted than in Kalisimu because this city is bigger." - "lanja mesit" she said, (in english it would mean 'possible, but I can't say how possible') "but still, not good. There should be a way to prohibit that removing economical protection increases profit..." He agreed. then he had an idea... the judges caused it, the judges will have to suffer from it. In Allanea, it is much more common to have lawsuits then in Rejistania, you can still sue a company if you suffer from the breach of enviromental regulations directly... Xeseda called Haki Sveri and told this idea...

At the same time, the news from Allanea reached the rejistanian capital Sike kali. The rejistanian import and export regulations depend highly on the human rights and environmental regulations of the trade partner, the so called Sedida-rank (after a politician, who proposed these regulations and the rank system). The rejistanian Sedida rank experts in the minitry of commerce decided to lower the rank of Allanea by 50 points from 190 (good trade partner) to 140 (trade regulations).

While we are not interested in purchasing so-called "green technologies" for the Allanean market, we are willing to purchase such technology for exports to the Feline market. Most particularly, we would like to purchase techology for the manucfacture of "green" vehicle engines.

While we're at it, is it possible for you to sell us the design for an intra-system-capable FTL drive?
<Communications to Allanea Arms Corporation>
{
<< I have a feeling I am misunderstood. What I offer is a technology that will allow you to extract your oil without most of the damages usually associated with it. This means you can extract more without the ills common to such operations. You can extract and burn as much carbonaceous oil as you would wish--these technologies simplify the extraction and refinement.

<< If we wish to sell anything to Feline, we will trade with them directly. However, your offer is appreciated.

<< In that light and in respect to your Most Favored M4|2K trading status, we could find our way into selling you a fully completed prototype system that should solve that problem for you. We do recommend a few ground tests first--simple power up, power down--but it should be most effective at what it does.
}

http://www.womengamers.com/dw/sshock2_rev.jpg
S.H.O.D.A.N. v3.0 : MCP, Q01
Cetagandan Duchess of Marilac

You have allowed unchecked environmental distruction by business for the sake of capitalism. We would like to inform you that this is a very bad idea! Your corporations will, before long, deplete the resources availbile to them or make it impossible to extract new ones. Let me put it this way: if all the forests are destroyed, where will your paper and construction materials come from? If the air and water and polluted, how will you grow food that won't make your people contract 700 diseases? In pre-Technate Palladia, we did the same thing, and it led to the untimely collapse of our entire capitalist economic system. The solution to your problem is to strike a balance between efficiency and environmentalism - a sustainable development. You want your industrial processes to continue indefinitely at a reasonable rate, not at a high rate that will abruptly terminate in a few years. Look to alternative energy sources, such as nuclear and fuel cells. They do not require as much fuel that is difficult to extract. You already have the technology to be able to produce an environmentally friendly abundance of industrial output. If you insist on using this absurd Price System, at least make it efficient.
Your Friend and Ally,
Chief Executive Atma-sama
Palladian Technate Continental Control

Feline does not need any further green technology. Since our inception in 1997 (OOC: IC, the Democratic Arcologies of Feline was established at 2222 on 2 June, 1997 CE) we have produced zero environmental emissions.

The Evil Empire of Akaton is glad to see another nation eliminate environmental laws. In Akaton there are no plants or wild animals anymore. From border to border, Akaton has become a huge city. As far as pollution goes, we really don't care. At least the royal dictators don't care, they live in hovering palaces above the smog level. As for the people below, we have convinced them that the entire world is like this now, so they don't complain.

Official Allanean Ministry of the Treasury Reply

Dear Mr. Arma-Sama!

As a matter of fact, the nation of Allanea is slowly switching from trees to industrial hemp. Hemp, as you probably know, is a very cheap paper source. Moreover, after proper procedures, it's a very efficuient construction material. It is even possible to make fuel from hemp, which can fuel gas-turbine engines. The Allanean Armed Forces are planning to switch their tanks entirely to hemp fuel within several years - which will greatly reduce the Army's dependence on oil. Moreover, it can be used to make excellent clothes.
Nuclear power plants are mostly used for power in Allanea, and also small private generators and solar plants for people who like living "off the grid", like survivalists, for one example.
Attached please find a suit made of Allanean hemp, and a box of blended marijuana/tobacco cigars.

P.S. Feline, please contact me on AOL.

Offer's still open...

We would gladly accept both your offer.

<Communications to Allanea Arms Corporation>
{
<< Certainly. We can provide and install the biochemical system for one billion dollars--increased efficiency should pay that off quickly, no?--and prototype systems at a cost of one hundred million dollars each. If you buy ten of them and like them, we can discuss plans for licensing and production from there.

<< Will that be acceptable?
}

http://www.womengamers.com/dw/sshock2_rev.jpg
S.H.O.D.A.N. v3.0 : MCP, Q01
Cetagandan Duchess of Marilac

Absolutely.

(OOC: How many do you want and where do you want them? We are installing, after all...)

We would like 100 of the things in our Anne Coulter Mark VI spacefighters.

The robots descended like locusts.

Modifying oil extraction plants... now that was easy. Modern oil drilling essentially consists of a pipe-inside-a-pipe; pushing water through the outer pipe forces oil into the inner one. This is where simple bear-sized multipurpose utility robots, resembling beefy Wellsian Martians on tank treads, came; they simply set up the culturing vats and the enzymatic membranes in the water feed. Having water, the bacteria could easily do their work; and that water would be piped into the oil, giving it a vector to operate on.

More delicate humaniform avatars descended upon the indicated fighters, implanting the three meter by two meter by four meter 80M8 Nucleonic Omnidirectional Thrust Systems into their waiting fighters. A little bit of chopping and channeling is done so they fit into the aerodynamic frames, but the job is quickly and efficiently done.

"All right," says R-Benedict 4RN0LD, "plug and play prototypes. Just dial your exit coordinates and flip this switch here"--it indicates a red button on the console--"and off it goes. Efficiency may be a little reduced in an atmosphere, and they are prototypes so you may want to be testing them. Bye!"

The Zero-One utility ships blast off, their work complete.