FROM THE BERKELEY VOICE NEWSPAPER, BERKELEY CALIFORNIA
2/14/13
High-rise apartments
As a longtime, left-leaning local environmental activist, I have been scratching my head over why our environmentally minded, or so I thought, City of Berkeley equates environmentalism with high-density, big-development projects, such as the high rise "luxury apartment" building featured in Judith Scherr's Jan. 18 Voice article, a project that was dubbed an "ecotower" by East Bay Express editor Robert Gammon.
It has become clearer to me now that I have read Rosa Koire's book "Behind The Green Mask: U.N. Agenda 21," telling of her experiences with the City of Santa Rosa.
Can you remember when we started hearing jargon phrases like "smart growth," "high density urban mixed use," and that word that is music to an environmentalist's ears, "sustainability?" The United Nation's idea of sustainability is quite different from what the average environmentalist has in mind.
Have you watched as old buildings are torn down and huge building after huge building is erected, now seemingly unoccupied? Why? The City of Berkeley did not come up with this stuff. The exact same lingo, methods and policies are being adopted by cities all over this county, country and world.
El Cerrito, Albany, Oakland and Walnut Creek have all, unbeknownst to most of their constituents, signed on with The International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives, which is tasked with carrying out the goals of U.N. Agenda 21 originally signed onto by President George H.W. Bush and by every subsequent U.S. president.
Shouldn't it concern us that an outside unelected nongovernmental organization is inserting itself into the zoning and planning departments of cities all over this country and regional boards are being created that make land use decisions unaccountable to the public?
"Smart growth" is not a local initiative. It is a land and power grab by corporate forces that are hijacking and financing the unwitting leftist environmental movement frightened of global warming.
Those on the left who are willing to make sacrifices and take personal responsibility for environmental degradation need to apprise themselves of how they are being used: The ultimate goal being to take away the sovereignty of local city governments, take away property rights of average citizens via redevelopment, eminent domain and rezoning, and to increase government control over our lives.
The farther government gets from the people the less power we have over our lives and local environment. Do the research. You can come to no other conclusion.
Vivian Warkentin
Berkeley
2/14/13
High-rise apartments
As a longtime, left-leaning local environmental activist, I have been scratching my head over why our environmentally minded, or so I thought, City of Berkeley equates environmentalism with high-density, big-development projects, such as the high rise "luxury apartment" building featured in Judith Scherr's Jan. 18 Voice article, a project that was dubbed an "ecotower" by East Bay Express editor Robert Gammon.
It has become clearer to me now that I have read Rosa Koire's book "Behind The Green Mask: U.N. Agenda 21," telling of her experiences with the City of Santa Rosa.
Can you remember when we started hearing jargon phrases like "smart growth," "high density urban mixed use," and that word that is music to an environmentalist's ears, "sustainability?" The United Nation's idea of sustainability is quite different from what the average environmentalist has in mind.
Have you watched as old buildings are torn down and huge building after huge building is erected, now seemingly unoccupied? Why? The City of Berkeley did not come up with this stuff. The exact same lingo, methods and policies are being adopted by cities all over this county, country and world.
El Cerrito, Albany, Oakland and Walnut Creek have all, unbeknownst to most of their constituents, signed on with The International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives, which is tasked with carrying out the goals of U.N. Agenda 21 originally signed onto by President George H.W. Bush and by every subsequent U.S. president.
Shouldn't it concern us that an outside unelected nongovernmental organization is inserting itself into the zoning and planning departments of cities all over this country and regional boards are being created that make land use decisions unaccountable to the public?
"Smart growth" is not a local initiative. It is a land and power grab by corporate forces that are hijacking and financing the unwitting leftist environmental movement frightened of global warming.
Those on the left who are willing to make sacrifices and take personal responsibility for environmental degradation need to apprise themselves of how they are being used: The ultimate goal being to take away the sovereignty of local city governments, take away property rights of average citizens via redevelopment, eminent domain and rezoning, and to increase government control over our lives.
The farther government gets from the people the less power we have over our lives and local environment. Do the research. You can come to no other conclusion.
Vivian Warkentin
Berkeley
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