Recommendation Drafting: Ban on Leaded Fuel

Sciongrad

TNPer
The World Assembly,

Recognising that internal combustion engines burning various organic fuels, such as short-chain hydrocarbons, are a method widely used for propelling vehicles,

Aware that burning short-chain hydrocarbons in some types of engine can lead to irregularities in the combustion cycle, a situation called ‘knocking’ that both reduces fuel-efficiency and increases wear on the engines,

Informed that one solution found for this problem is the addition of other chemicals to the fuel as ‘anti-knocking agents’, with organometallic compounds containing Lead (e.g. Tetra-Ethyl Lead) as a common choice for this role although reliable alternatives to them also exist,

Concerned that using those organometallic compounds for this purpose disperses Lead into the environment where it can be taken up directly by some life-forms and can also pass on accumulatively up the food-chains involved, possibly crossing national borders in the process, because Lead is a cumulative poison to many types of organism and can cause serious health problems even at sub-lethal dosages,

Believing it desirable to end this spreading of poison;

Defining the term ‘leaded fuel’ to mean any fuel mixture including organometallic compounds of Lead, or of any other metal of comparable or worse toxicity;

Hereby requires that each WA member nation _

1. Begin at once to restrict the numbers of vehicles requiring leaded fuel for efficient running that it produces and imports, so that the annual average number of such vehicles in use for civilian purposes within its borders for any year after one year has elapsed since the date of this resolution’s passage (or since the date when the nation first joined the WA, if later) will be no higher than the annual average number of them in use there for the year immediately before that initial date, and take further steps so that within no more than four years since that initial date no such vehicles at all are produced there for civilian use;

2. Begin at once to restrict the amounts of leaded fuel that it produces and imports for civilian use, so that the total amount of such fuels available for civilian purposes within its borders per year after one year has elapsed since the same initial date as for clause #1 will not exceed the total amount that was available there for that use during the year immediately before that initial date (or, if supplies were restricted during that previous year because the nation was at war for any part of that year, the total amount available there for that use during their most recent full year of peace instead if their government would prefer this figure), and take further steps so that within no more than four years since that initial date no such fuels at all are produced within its borders or brought into therein for civilian use;

3. Begin at once to restrict both the numbers of vehicles requiring leaded fuel for efficient running and the amounts of leaded fuel which it produces and imports for military use, on the same basis as it must restrict the availability of such vehicles and fuels for civilian use within its borders, unless it is in a state of open warfare at any stage during the four years following the relevant initial date in which case it may postpone the deadlines once by whichever is less out of a further four years or the duration of hostilities.
 
As I mentioned in the voting thread, I do not have strong feelings on this one, though I am slightly inclined against.

I will defer to you Scion. Though the vote seems decided now, I would still like to send out an IFV on this one.
 
Sorry for posting so late, I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and write this these past few days. Better late than never, though!

This resolution, despite the complicated language, is actually very sensible. As always, we first must look at the issue and whether or not it deserves international consideration in the first place. The resolution seeks to prohibit the use of lead and other equally toxic substances as "antiknocking agents" (which are substances uses to prevent gradual engine damage). At a first glance, this may seem very specific or overreaching, however, upon further analysis, we begin to see the extranational effects of using leaded fuel. For example, burning leaded fuel can cause permanent health damage to those exposed to it or its fumes. However, it can also be ingested by plants and animals, moving through the food chain and causing permanent damage to entire ecosystems. So this is clearly an issue worthy of attention by the General Assembly.

The content itself is also satisfactory. While it may be somewhat confusing to read at first, it does do a solid job of prohibiting leaded fuel while also allowing member nations a reasonable time span to slowly phase out lead and other toxic antiknocking agents from use. As such, the ministry recommends a vote FOR this resolution.
 
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