ACP Platform Principles Summary

 

These are in no order of importance please check out the full platform plank for full details if more details are listed in following sections.

 

 

Science & Technology- Investing in America to create the industries of the 21st century and beyond.

 

For America to remain competitive in the 21st century we must increase our commitment to science and technology. We must teach and encourage our children to work in scientific fields. We must work with developing industries to encourage their growth. America led the world in the 20th century in technological innovation which enhanced our quality of life and our economy. In the increasing global economy we must work harder to be the leader of the 21st century in science and technology. Thus, the ACP supports:

 

Scientific/Technological Training, Teaching and Innovation:

 

 

Construction of two hundred Science and Technology Centers across the nation, these centers will allow working Americans to retrain themselves for new scientific and technological careers.  Low income workers taking advantage of this program will be able to have tuition and fees deducted from paychecks or welfare checks on a payment plan.

 

These centers will be a high school alternative for students who are interested in science and technology careers. They will teach basic high school curriculum and also an advanced science and technology and engineering curriculum

 

An expansion in tutoring services for students who are struggling in science and math.

 

Continued support for legal immigration of students coming to learn in America in the fields of science and technology.

 

Stem Cell Research:


1. The ACP should support federal and state funding of stem cell research

2. The NIH (National Institute of Health) and other public research facilities should only use donated embryos from invitro fertilization for stem cells.  The ACP is against embryos being grown or produced for stem cell research purposes only.

3. The ACP supports the ban on full human cloning

4. The ACP supports organ cloning to save lives.

5. The ACP supports not limiting the number of lines that scientists may look at to try to find medical information from stem cells.

Please check out: http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics1.asp for information on stem cells from the NIH (National Institute of Health)

Science: The Oceans:

 

70% of the surface of the Earth is covered with water.  The US has an impressive amount of shoreline and a good deal of "shallow" real estate that is the Continental Shelf.  There are multiple ocean currents that swirl and rush by our shorelines.  The ACP supports exploration of the oceans, harnessing the power of ocean currents (for electricity generation), and testing the feasibility of undersea habitats.

 

It is the position of the ACP that the oceans hold the answers too many of our problems, from food sources, to electricity, to housing our burgeoning population.  There are also depths and sea creatures that we have yet to explore.  Thus, funding of ocean research will be a priority for the ACP.  Specifically for underwater construction of habitats and ocean turbines for energy creation.

 

Science: Space:

 

The American Space Program seems to have fallen into a rut since the mid-eighties, with little to show the American public.  The Space Shuttle program has had two massive failures, the Challenger and the Columbia.  The current shuttle designs are decades old and are proving to be problematic.  Conversely, newer designs for reusable single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) craft have fallen by the wayside, for example the Venture Star. 


The International Space Station, once the centerpiece for global space cooperation and exploration now languishes in orbit, unfinished, too expensive to operate, and the contributing nations not adhering to a timetable.  The ISS is also experiencing quite a few technical faults which put at risk the entire project. Thus, the ACP supports:

 

1. Usable space technology like an orbiting platform where other exploration ships can be built in orbit, without the requirement of breaking Earth's gravity to achieve orbit. 

2. The ACP also supports partial privatization of NASA, with the US Government holding a controlling interest in the new infrastructure.  The agency would be evaluated and streamlined based on the new priorities.  Based on corporate and government funding, it is estimated that NASA could revitalize itself.