Ladies and gentlemen of the World Assembly, I come here today to discuss a matter of the utmost international importance, but which has, regrettably, never been brought up in these hallowed halls: invasive species. A nuisance so harmful, both ecologically and economically, that we must establish a united international front against the spread of this global menace if we are to succeed in drastically reducing its damage within the near future.
I have taken the liberty of providing scientific documents from a world called Earth explaining the extent of the invasive species problem. Among some of the more salient points on Earth's invasive species:
- The worldwide economic impact of invasive species is estimated at up to $1.4 trillion annually, almost 5% of global GDP. [1]
- In the United States alone, invasive species cause over $120-$160 billion worth of damage annually, roughly equal to having one Hurricane Katrina each year[2]
- In the last 500 years, invasive alien species have contributed to the extinction of nearly half of global bird extinctions [2]
- Over 100,000,000 acres of land in the United States alone have been infested by invasive plants; 4600 acres of American public land each day are lost to invasive species. [3]
- Invasive species are the second most dangerous threat to global biodiversity, surpassed only by habitat destruction. [4]
GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION IN DRAFT
Invasive Species Response Act
A resolution to increase the quality of the world's environment, at the expense of industry
Category: Environmental.......Industry Affected: All Businesses.......Proposed By: IcameraDescription: The World Assembly,
CONCERNED that the serious universal issue of invasive plant and animal species has been overlooked by the international community;
HIGHLIGHTING accidental overproliferation of invasive species as not only a threat to ecosystems across the world, but also a significant, yet preventable financial burden for businesses and governments;
STRIVING to reduce such consequences by promoting international response to present invasive species outbreaks and cooperation in curbing future spread of dangerous species;
Hereby;
DEFINES "invasive species" as any non-sapient plant or animal species posing a serious risk of rapid, uncontrolled, and detrimental population growth upon being introduced to a new environment;
INSTITUTES an international ban on the unregulated introduction of potential invasive species to nations in which said species are likely to overtake or displace indigenous flora and fauna;
MANDATES that nations or other groups desiring to introduce any potentially beneficial non-native species conduct highly thorough research into the potential consequences thereof and maintain a fund for use in population control efforts should they become necessary;
REQUIRES that nations maintain a reasonably comprehensive, freely accessible registry of indigenous species indicating their reproductive capacity, biological predators, genetic variability, and ideal environmental conditions, among other information relevant to population growth capacity or pest control;
ENCOURAGES cooperation between member-states and the World Assembly Science Program in identifying species with the potential to thrive in and dominate certain environments or cause extinctions of native species;
PERMITS customs officials to take necessary action against individuals suspected of cross-border smuggling of potential invasive species via airports, docks, post, or national and local borders;
OUTLAWS practices of the shipping industry conducive to the accidental spread of invasive species, namely the discharge of ballast water in coastal waters or internal waterways and use of inadequate vessel-cleaning procedures;
GRANTS businesses, particularly those involved in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and other industries whose profitability is likely to be hampered by the costs of invasive species management, full access to the aforementioned registries;
FURTHERMORE AFFIRMS the right of said businesses to apply for guaranteed low-interest loans to be spent on management of harmful invasive species, upon the presentation of credible scientific evidence proving the necessity of assistance.
Co-authored by Ceni
I remind you all that curbing invasive species can only help the world, and requires minimal sacrifice; as such, I plan to do everything in my power to pass legislation on the issue. This includes listening to feedback from my fellow ambassadors -- I shall remain open to any suggestions and ideas, particularly those concerning the impact of this proposal on extraterrestrial societies (who, I confess, were not my primary target audience at all) or the existence of any of these invasive pests in the text.
The floor is yours, ambassadors!
