Sustainable development: a tale of two little words and deeds
In Spanish http://www.inpsicon.com/news.php?extend.206
www.inpsicon.com
In 1987, the United Nations Environment Programme, headed by former Norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland paper analyzes the contemporary world situation and scientific data has shown that global society has been to destroy the environment and affect large segments of the population in the world, subjecting them to poverty. This analysis was published in a book entitled "Our Common Future", based on the conclusions of the Brundtland Report. In this report, the long-term sustainability (or sustainable development) was used for the first time, defined as meeting present needs without compromising future generations.
The purpose of Brundtland has been finding practical tools in exchange for development and environmental issues. To achieve this objective, the Commission for three years for audiences public and received over 500 written submissions and subsequently considered by political scientists from 21 countries and ideologies. As the book. the work so people with different histories and cultures has necessitated the strengthening of dialogue is why the result of this synergy is only one of them have achieved individually.
However, the concept surrounding the long-term sustainable development are brewing before the 1987 session. In fact, in 06 1972 Declaration of the United Nations Conference held in Stockholm, where the environment of man and two fundamental aspects that comprise it: the artificial and natural We actively discussed. Among the concrete results that indicate the concern of the pollution index and inequality in the conditions necessary for development. It is clear that although the long-term sustainable development has not been used until 1987, some events in the world has highlighted the need to check the definition of development and building an understanding, interdependent and fair review.
The issue was discussed in the dissemination and various scenes. After Ten Years of the Nations Conference 1972 United in May 1982 in Nairobi (Africa), was another conference, the focus has been the environment. Once again, the themes and topics to be included in a new mandate were: sustainable development.
Impact overtaken by the Brundtland Report to include this new term can be corroborated on the following Conference United Nations convened the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, 1992. As in previous conferences on the general theme was based on the ideas and concerns by the objectives and guidelines of the Earth Summit was designed to protect the planet.
Therefore, for the first time in human history, 180 countries represented at the Earth Summit joined on behalf of the treaty on climate change measures to mitigate the effects it produces, due to increased greenhouse gas emissions emissions. Currently, 181 governments party to the treaty, which meets annually to review progress and continue the search for solutions to problems.
In moments later, in 1997, all countries with a compromise on climate change meeting in Kyoto, Japan, and established the basis of commitment to reduce emissions by 7% over the next decade, reaching a commitment from the countries met in Rio five years earlier. In 1998, industrialized countries have increased emissions up to 10%, for example, the United States has exceeded 20%.
In the same year of the Kyoto meeting, the second Earth Summit took place in the United Nations headquarters in New York. But when the balance established in the first Summit of Rio de Janeiro and came to the same, the result is disappointing. While agreements were reaffirmed, the goals to stop the damage that the planet did not occur. Indeed, the globalization of the economy has broken progress Day in the order in Rio, has established a financial transaction in the world and exposed natural resources for the voracity of the market. These are common signs Alert:
• At many places in North America have registered their summer days or end of the 1990s.
• Since 1980 the Earth has recorded 19 of his warmest years, with 1998 the warmest, with 2002 and 2003 as the second and third, respectively.
• in 2003 extreme heat waves caused more than 20,000 deaths in Europe and more than 1,500 deaths in India.
• The mosquitoes that transmit diseases, increase as the climate changes that allow them to survive in areas that were previously inhospitable to them. Mosquitoes that can carry the dengue virus have been limited to heights of 1,000 meters but have recently appeared in the 2200 meters Andes mountains of Colombia. Malaria, upper reaches of Indonesia, has also been detected.
• De According NASA, the polar ice cap is melting at an alarming rate of 9% per decade. In the 1960s, the thickness of Arctic sea ice has decreased 40%.
• At the current rate of sea rise is three times the historical rate and appears to be accelerating.
• A recent study published Published in the prestigious Nature has discovered that at least 279 species of plant and animals are already an answer to global warming. The geographical distribution species has moved poleward at an average rate of 6.5 km (4 miles) per decade and the buds are ahead by an average of 2 days before each decade.
• In last 25 years, some penguin populations have declined by 33% in some parts of Antarctica due to the reduction in ice habitat winter the sea.
The hidden meaning of disagreement centers on how to address the problem. In other words, all participating countries agree the existence of the problem The current development models, but no one falls into the ways of implementing solutions. That's because these solutions require configuration of growth The economic welfare of the planet as one ecosystem, something that modern Western society had ever expected.
Since the outbreak of sustainable development long period in 1987, its importance has been focused on environmental sustainability, creating a domino effect of the global summits and conduct meetings to reaffirm the need to address the same problem: The satisfaction of human needs is not sustainable over time the way that future generations will not have the same resources we have now.
With meetings since 1998 are highlighted in the Nobel Prize in 63 countries that has developed a manifesto reaffirming the global climate crisis 1997, before signing the Kyoto Protocol, Japan. In that year, the Rome Agreement was held, focusing on the proper use of fertile land.
Sometime later, in 1998, the Lisbon Expo focuses on the protection of the oceans. In 2000, the climate summit in The Hague, Netherlands, concluding again that the objectives were not achieved. In 2002, in Johannesburg, South Africa, another Earth Summit was held to similar conclusions. (Http: / / www.gencat.net/mediamb/revista/rev33 cast.htm)
Unbelievably, the fundamental focus of all discussions focused on the adoption of the way the emission of pollutants should be evaluated to determine whether targets for reduction have become reality. It is true, however, not always offered the greatest force in this debate are the most polluting countries in the world.
An example of this is that recently a film was released, entitled "An Inconvenient Truth," sponsored by Al Gore, who has played an important role political positioning in the U.S. this problem. The documentary shows the retreat of glaciers with photographs taken during several years, and a study by researchers University of Bern Physics Institute and the EPIC data shows the Antarctic ice core, the concentrations of carbon dioxide now than during the past Back 650,000 years.
Similarly, the documentary reveals a survey carried out by Dr. Naomi Oreskes in (2004), which consists of a review of 928 articles scientists involved in climate change, published between 1993 and 2003. The study, published in the journal Science has shown that each article should be attributed to actions global warming of men or do not comment on it at all.
The scientific basis of this paper that our planet is in a critical are unprecedented and detailed and revealing, and today more than ever raise environmental awareness is necessary, based on a sustainable development perspective, to achieve coexistence balanced ecosystem that supports our life as a species.
Improving the environment is a commitment of companies and citizens. To start this stage, great sacrifices, and difficult and innovative methods are not necessary, the solution is simpler than we thought, who is in his hands. Your house From these 10 things to do recommended by An Inconvenient Truth. (Http: / / www.climatecrisis.org/pdf/10things.pdf):
1. – Changing light bulbs
Replacing a regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
2. – Drive less
Walking, riding bike, carpool or use public transport more often. You save one pound carbon dioxide for every mile you do not drive!
3. – Recycling more
You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling just half your household waste.
4. – Check the tires
Keep your tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage more than 3%. Each gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere!
5. - Use less hot
It takes lots of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing a low-flow showerhead (350 pounds of CO2 saved per year) and washing clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year)
6. – Avoid products with lots of packaging
You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%.
7. – Adjust thermostat
Moving your thermostat 2 degrees in winter and up 2 ° in summer. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, this simple adjustment.
8. – Plant a tree
A single tree absorbs one ton of carbon dioxide over its life.
9. – Switch off electronics
Simply turning off your television, DVD, stereo and computer when not in use save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
10. – Be part of the solution
Spread the world! Encourage your friends for see An Inconvenient Truth, and send the PDF document below: Http: / / Www.climatecrisis.org/pdf/10things.pdf
REFERENCES
www.inpsicon.com
• Inform the Brundtland. Available at: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informe_Brundtland
• Brundtland Report: www.ace.mmu.ac.uk / CAE / Sustainability / Retired / Brundtland
• Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Available at: www.pops.int / documents / convtext / convtext_sp.pdf
• Earth Summit. Available at: www.un.org/spanish/conferences/cumbre&5.htm
• Does the Sustainable Development of the possibility Improvement Quality of life for the Future or Utopia? Available at: http://lunazul.ucaldas.edu.co/downloads/9d56d192Revista20_7.pdf
• Sustainable Development. Available at: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desarrollo_sostenible
• Science Magazine. Available at: http://www.sciencemag.org
• The Earth Summit 2002. Available at: www.fondoin.org/documentos/getbindata.php?docid=10
• Johannesburg "Now What? Available http://www.gencat.net/mediamb/revista/rev33-cast.htm
• An Inconvenient Truth. Available at: http://www.climatecrisis.org
• Consequences of global warming. Available at: http://www.nrdc.org/laondaverde/globalwarming/fcons.asp
About the Author
International Relations Coordinator at www.inpsicon.com
Noah’s Ark( Arca di Noè)
Tags: country life magazine history, maps, media, news, reference, travel