Your Voice at the UN-- May 3, 2007

I think I should step back and provide a bit more clarity on the objectives of this conference, now that I understand it better. This conference exists to produce a document—specifically, this document contains recommended policies for nations to engage in sustainable development.

The chair of the Commission released a “negotiating text” last Wednesday, during the first week. This document came out of a preparatory meeting for the conference with all of the 53 member countries. Let me say here that most here, including the countries that negotiated the original draft, were happy. Suffice it to say that the second line is…” Given that fossil fuels will continue to play a dominant role in the energy mix in the decades to come, the development and use of advanced and cleaner fossil fuel technologies should be increased.” Most interests here-- nations, NGO’s, and delegate scientists alike want there to be a time-based transition to energy sources that are both renewable and far more sustainable than fossil fuels.

And that is just energy. The document also addresses air pollution, climate change, and industrial development. I have been mostly involved in the work with the Industrial Development policies, ensuring that the overall language is supportive of economic, social and environmental justice for all. Microfinance is one piece of that, within the larger context of sustainable capacity building. Specifically, I keep hammering away that we need to include the following:

1. Along with foreign investment, we need to highlight the need for local ownership and control of economies.
2. A sustainability index must be implemented that accounts not only for economic growth but also social and environmental well being.
3. We must support sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship, including through innovative financing (and microfinance).

Thank you, MBD community, for demonstrating that these are both important and possible!

The mood of the day Wednesday took a drastic turn when our focuses were pulled away from innovative industrial development, air pollution policy, and climate change to energy—there has been a significant amount of support for nuclear energy. NGO’s, Women, Youth and Children, Indigenous People—many of the major groups have come out against it because of it’s danger to vulnerable people and ultimate unsustainability. This afternoon, when the chair’s text was released it did not include nuclear energy in its proposal. Whew!

Do you have thoughts on the struggle between surviving and planning for the future? That’s essentially what this is… although the argument is that there are many other ways to survive the energy crisis than through creating dangerous nuclear plants that generate waste…

Today’s Definition:

Adaptation: Acknowledging that the effects of climate change are already and will continue to take place regardless of greenhouse gas emission reduction in the future, adaptation is the process by which humans will adjust and compensate for these changes environmentally, economically and socially, for survival. To read more about what adaptation to climate change looks like in the United States, see http://www.pewclimate.org/press_room/sub_press_room/adaptation.cfm

Sustainability Stat of the Day: Did you know that the United States currently owes over $1.2 billion worth of dues in arrears to the United Nations? The best graphical history of this I’ve found is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_and_the_United_Nations.

Thanks for sending your thoughts.... keep them comin'!

Caitlin