The dark underbelly of sustainable development: Agenda 21

Sustainable development has been the catchphrase of the environmental movement for over 20 years and rarely are underlying motives questioned. After all, a majority of people want a healthy future,
free of pollutants and global warming where the earth is protected for ourselves and subsequent generations. There is a catch, however. The underpinnings of sustainable development are rooted in Agenda 21, a body of regulations inspired by the United Nations (UN) "Earth Summit" conference in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. At first glance, the agenda looks beneficial and harmless -- except for the fact that it sets forth a policy which strips individuals of freedom and controls private land unconstitutionally.

The birth of sustainable development

The United Nations conference on environment and development, often referred to as the "Earth Summit," was held in 1992 to advance sustainable development throughout the world. Agenda 21 was born out of the summit as an international standard of policy. On the surface, the agenda appears favorable -- helping to save humans, wildlife and the environment from destruction through building guidelines and proper management of natural resources. But dig a bit deeper and it will soon become apparent Agenda 21 is yet another vehicle of control.

Code officials knocking

Imagine officials representing the International Code Council (ICC) having access to the keys for your home and could enter the property at any time to check for code 'violations.' According to Red State, the Cedar Falls City Council in Iowa approved an ordinance that will require:

"Mandatory lock boxes [outside of] all commercial property including apartment buildings and Triplexes. Inside the box you have to provide keys to all entrances to the property including keys to individual apartments."

It may seem like cities such as Cedar Falls are acting locally in the best interest of their community's safety, but in reality the lock box legislation is based on international code and regulation which has ties to Agenda 21. If an ICC official deems a space to be in violation of Agenda 21 rules, property can be searched (easily with the provided key), heavily fined or seized at their discretion without due process. If Agenda 21 comes to fruition, private land will be a luxury of the past and citizens will be told how they will live and where as dictated by UN guidelines.

Global rule and public lands

The UN publication, "Earth Summit: Agenda 21," outlines every area of regulation including industry, science and technology, farming, the role of children, youth and women in sustainability, water, poverty along with demographic dynamics and human settlement development. Concerned citizens believe this framework has nothing to do with environmentalism and everything to do with control of a nation's resources. Massive swathes of 'public land' will be under the command of the government who are then controlled by the policy of the UN. Many are troubled that the agenda is created by a global organization yet spoon-fed to the American public under the auspice of "local" government. If this doesn't sound alarming enough, have a look at the "Biodiversity Map" of the United States. The legend indicates the small areas where citizens would be allowed to live under the rules of the agenda.

Seeing that Americans have a long history of pioneering spirit and independence, it might be worthwhile to consider the ramifications of Agenda 21. Does the American public truly desire regulation by a behemoth world organization or would citizens rather find solutions within the freedom of authentic, local innovation and small government?