Newsletter Volume 1                                                                  Issue 03, August 1999
 

1.    President's Message.
2.    Proposed Roundtable Sessions so far.
3.    Procedure for the transfer of payments into Global Community bank account: here is your chance to sponsor the World Congress.
4.    Articles:

        a.    Personal Sustainable Development pathway
                by Germain Dufour
                     1.    Introduction
                     2.    The appalling dilemma of decision-making
                     3.    What is personal sustainable development?
                     4.    What to decide?
                     5.    Spiritual values and survival
                     6.    Old rules to deal with old fears
                     7.    Human conscience
                     8.    What are the universal needs of a family, a community
                     9.    Governments self-serving politics
                     10.   Do laws serve more governments and selected groups than the overall population?
                     11.   Creating a universal code of conduct acceptable to all?
                     12.   The Universal Scale of Values
                     13.   The Glass Bubble Concept of a Global Community and Evolution
                     14.   Teaching children to become self-confident thinkers
                     15.   Is the human race becoming more intuitive or instinctive?
                     16.   Personal sustainable development for children
                     17.    In sustaining the development of your own life

        b.     Impacts of air pollution on human health in Bangladesh
                by Md. Hasibur Rahman, Executive Director, Environment and
                Agricultural Development Studies Centre, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

5.    Summer call for abstracts to be published in February 2000 Preliminary Program
       of the World Congress: deadline September 21st.
 6.    Editor's comments: send us articles for publishing in Newsletters and making them
       available on the Internet.
7.    Global assessment contracts: send your CV and abstract/paper.
 
 
 

1.    President's Message

The World Congress is well on its way. We are receiving a significant number of  excellent abstracts of papers being submitted to the World Congress. Original papers cover most of the important issues listed on our website. Several Roundtables have in the process of being organized. Everyone is brainstorming at home and their own research centre. That is what we want. Brainstorming on all the issues! New ideas! New ways! The right ones for our times!

In this Newsletter I have myself done a lot of brainstorming on the two issues of

                    1.1        The Scale of Values
                    1.2        Personal Sustainable Development

as applied within The Global Community.

The Scale of Values is a scale to be used for the actual measurement of sustainable development. You may wish to read again on the local/global indicators GESDI and GSDP. Without a scale of values measurements of indicators have no basic support, no sense of direction, no goal, no meaning, no soul. They become numbers in a table.

With a scale of values the measurement of indicators become alive with meaning, a sense of direction, a goal, a support centre, an education centre, a global assessment centre (GCAC), people who really understand and care. The scale is really the soul of our work. The scale is about people saying what is important, what we want, and what we are willing to do to save the earth and ourselves. The scale is  about behaviours, attitudes, new ways of doing things. It is about being responsible and taking charge. It is about managing the earth. It is about saying what is right and what is wrong. It is about living in a world of quality, security, safety and meaning. It is also about survival.

To obtain such a scale we must conduct a brainstorming exercise on every issue listed on our website. There is a tremendous amount of work to do. The World Congress will see that it will be all done.

The issue of Personal Sustainable Development discussed here will help a lot in changing behaviours and attitudes, and in bringing home a concept that has been for too long left on a shelf by the business sector. Sustainable development is not just about a corporation making a decision that includes the environmental aspects. It is about all of us. If we want a life on this earth we are all responsible. We all have "a Global Community" and we are all part of The Global Community. As such we all have a say on things. We take control of our lives and of our future on this planet. Control has for too long in the hands of those who dont care, who want wars and destroy everything and everyone, who want power for themselves. Control is given back to us all where it should have always been in the first place.

A lot of very good people nowadays talk about globalization. Globalization they say is about trade on a global scale. It is about a large corporation becoming larger and getting more power and control into the hands of a few people. We will not accept this concept as it is based on greed. It is another way of keeping control on our lives in the hands of a few people. With globalization, we have no control and no say in our future. The world will become a game played by a few people just as it has alway been in our history. No sense of direction and meaning. No security. Just a few people getting richer and controlling us all.

The concept of "a Global Community" gives back control on our lives to each one of us. We all have a say on what we want. We feel alive and responsible. We are individuals but we also belong to The Global Community. We have an identity, a meaning.

The Global Community Assessment Centre (GCAC) is now seeking global assessment contracts. Those submitting  papers to the World Congress are invited to send their CVs. So far they are the only ones qualified to conduct such assessments. They took time  to understand the Guidelines and Criteria of our work and conduct their research based on these new concepts. We will have to insist that each global assessment contract be done with respect to findings obtained during the World Congress.

Germain Dufour
 

2.    Proposed Roundtable Sessions so far

    a)    On well-being, the healthy family and the community
    b)    Measurement of indicators of Sustainable Development
    c)    The Global Community: its objectives, the Charter, the grassroots process and the organization
    d)    On Youth's education
    e)    Land Degradation
    f)    Quality of Life
    g)   Institutions for Environmental Governance: issues of Community Participation and Sustainable Development
    h)    Health
    i)    The Scale of Values
 

Interested? Interested in preparing abstracts and papers? Let us know.

You cannot attend in person? Your paper will be read and published in the Proceedings of the World Congress.

To establish a universal scale of values, a universal benchmark, your abstract and Paper should indicate what is very important to ensure a sound future for Earth, what is important, what is not so important, and what should be let go.
 
 

3.    Procedure for the transfer of payments into Global Community bank account: here is your chance to sponsor the World Congress.

Those making payments (membership, registration, sponsorship, etc.) to Global Community please send us an email about the reason of your payment, who you are, your address, the exact time and date you made that payment, where you made it, how much it was, and which one of the three ways listed here you have used.

4.    Articles:

a.    Personal Sustainable Development pathway
       by Germain Dufour
1.    Introduction
What do we want from the World Congress?
To plant a seed of conscience: an idea which will sprout and bear fruit.

Seed thought:
Improvement based on conscience is self-improvement which requires discipline to get rid of things that have to go and be replaced by actions that succeed.

Conscience in the minds of children is needed for they will inherit the earth.
The seed planted in the mind of a child will grow along with his children and will see it was good.

Conscience in the mind of an adult:
He realizes his personal life needs changes. He needs self-empowerment...free thought upon which his creativity for a better life will grow.
He will face, and reject all that must go.
He will replace bad habits.
He will meet his needs with self-empowerment.
No one else's.
To empower himself is the first step.

The ultimate war of independence is to decide for yourself
to know what you want
to "own" your life quest outright free and clear of imaginary obligation or laid-on guilt.

A man (a woman) has the right to decide what he will become and must go through his personal clean-up with the aim of becoming: a better person, a better neighbour, a better citizen, and more useful member of his global community.

Every man (woman) must make a personal decision about;
What is most important to me?
What about me deserves to be nurtured?
What is holding me back?
What requires serious attention?
What about me needs "starving out" so good qualities can grow?

Each and everyone of us is part of "a Global Community" wherever we go throughout our life. Personal sustainable development has to do with our behavior within this global community, what we do or dont, cause and effect, and how we interact with someone else global community and, on the planetary scale, with The Global Community. We are constantly required to re-evaluate our values and make decisions. The following is meant to question our ways and behaviors and start a discussion amongst us all about a universal scale of values. A Roundtable Discussion on a Scale of Values has been proposed.

2.    The appalling dilemma of decision-making
Life's major problems make us react ~ and there are myriad possible reactions ~ but to be of a mind-set that allows one to calmly face the problem detached from emotion in order to pick the best solution, may quite possibly be the most powerful tool of any person interested  in personal development.

Human desires, vanities, attachments to family mores, influence these decisions and so they tend to be accurate expressions of each individual's character at that particular time.

Our choice, in the end, is what we want because of what we feel.

This particular assessment of any given situation appears to express  our level of development as a human being devoted to building strong character.

One feels the most honest thing to do is face exactly what is presented on the horns of our dilemma for our choice:~
One solution will satisfy old values . The other will be in accord with new.

As a human, one is challenged - go forward, or not (just yet).

We are endlessly faced with the same choice hidden in endless guises unitl we "get it right."

3.    What is personal sustainable development?
Personal sustainable development has to do with each and everyone of us:

        3.1    being with self-control; eating to accommodate your body's needs and holding hereditary ills in check; maintaining a well working physical vehicle(your body); balancing our life with work, play and rest; feeding our mind and being constantly learning; communicating with others
       3.2    living with the empowerment of free-thought, creativity
       3.3    taking charge of our lives
       3.4    planning for our own future

Everyone has to decide this by himself. Knowing our weaknesses we can work eliminating them or at least making sure they would not affect significantly our decision-making process. It is a struggle that spans our lifetime.

 4.    What to decide?
Once an individual is in control of his own being then he can extend his empowerment out to his global community and The Global Community.

This way each person has to decide what:

    4.1       are the things holding us back and requiring serious attention and how can they be starved-out so good things may grow
    4.2        is most important
    4.3        deserves to be nurtured

At the end each and everyone of us decides what sort of person we want to become. After going through this personal clean-up we become a better citizen, a more sensitive neighbour, a moral responsible father, and a more useful and respected member of The Global Community.

5.    Spiritual values and survival
What conduct is correct if survival is the issue?
In Nature:
Predators are involved in eating other life forms, young of any other species sometimes their own.
In our History:
We have seen cannibalism, murders, wars. Wars have been and are still the most unsustainable action of our species. Wars destroy everything and everyone. Wars satisfy self-interest of a small group of people. Wars keep gun, ship, plane, computer manufacturers and people working with them happy and well fed and give them security for the rest of their lives. Wars are often taken or created in another country by a superpower for the purpose of creating wealth and a healthy economic development in the country of the superpower but completely destroy the country(ies) submitted to the war machine.

Having said that what are spiritual values to sustain life?

6.    Old rules to deal with old fears
Many rules are made to empower the rule-maker only learn to recognize those kind of rules! For they are seldom good for the person who obeys such rules.

Old fears have sometimes to do with family feud over several generations.
Old fears could be:
    6.1    a traditional hatred of people based on religious differences, skin colour, life styles, language differences, inter-marriage
    6.2    suspicious of strangers
    6.3    supertitions
    6.4    inaccurate beliefs due to ignorance
    6.5    inaccurate knowledge and interpretation of a religion

Things to go:
    6.6    Living in the past with old traditions, old wives'wisdom
    6.7    Family beliefs(racism)
    6.8    Old-age values
    6.9    Archaic mores
    6.10    Ghetto-ism
    6.11    Class systems
    6.12    Slavery
    6.13    Cast systems
    6.14    Sweatshops
    6.15    Perversions: child prostitution, child selling, etc.
 

7.    Human conscience
Conscience means human have the knowledge to keep the planet healthy; it is the science of determining right and wrong. In case of the human conscience towards the planet's survival it is:
    7.1    Saving the planet from becoming an uninhabitable place
    7.2    Stopping the planet from becoming an uninhabitable place
Human conscience should prevent the planet from becoming uninhabitable. How much of what we have in spiritual values do we have to leave behind? Old ideas and thoughts, traditions, laws, ways of doing things must be re-evaluated and some left behind.

Human conscience will insist all possible measures be taken to prevent the planet from becoming uninhabitable.

Education is necessary to awaken all people in all countries to the frightening fact that unless we all take responsibility for plant life it will soon become uninhabitable. It will no longer be able to support human life.

The most important factor in human existence is survival. To survive we need oxygen and we need food and shelter. Oxygen is provided by green plants. Therefore, we'd darn well better see we have lots of green growing plants.

Most people nowadays are urban dwellers. Urban people do not know the source of their food. Therefore people have to be taught to protect their food supply.

Things we do in our country can affect people on the other side of the planet. We exchange food with one another; there is a constant exchange of goods, services, manufactured products, basic products, energy, etc. If our manufactured plants produce pollution into theair this will affect food produced South of us.

Self-interest, self-preservation as a species, as peoples and inhabitants of this planet, instinct, are all driving forces of global human consciousness. Global consciousness is about a chain of dependence; everything depends on another form of life for survival like a symbiosis: lifeforms who contribute to the food or well-being of another species.

8.    What are the universal needs of a family, a community
What are real needs? Of whose survival do they depend on? Of what interest?
What is working?
What is missing?
Are there over-supplies of unnecessary things (cars,  ...); too many products?
Is over-automation a cure or is it creating unemployment, human misery, and a new class of people?

There are families all over the world (a few examples here):
    8.1    Canadian family in a small town
    8.2    Nomad family on the Gobe desert
    8.3    New York executive family
    8.4    Aboriginal family in Australia
    8.5    Chinese farmer's family
    8.6    Japanese patters'family
    8.7    English farmer's family
    8.8    Prairie farmer's family
    8.9    African tribes mans'family
    8.10    City peoples'families

All families need shelter, food, parents, children, language, body of knowledge, certain skills, a source of income, etc.

There are interacting universal responsibilities. In terms of parenthood, parents must raised their children mentally and physically healthy. It is a responsibility to do so. Which also means each must have an educational program (parents to children type, school, college, university, etc.).

It is important to have a home-base (for a sense of security), a house, a campsite in the bushes (for nomades).
 
 

9.   Governments self-serving politics
Governments self-serving politics should be investigated with respect to:
    9.1    Over-government(too many rulers)
    9.2    Over-taxing
    9.3    Over-paid politicians
    9.4    Too much power given to rulers and/or dictators of all kinds
 

10.   Do laws serve more governments and selected groups than the overall population?
The criminal system needs investigating to be in step with the times, and it should be based on needs of people rather than dictate through laws.

Could we create a universal law system to work and be applicable in all countries?
 

11.   Creating a universal code of conduct acceptable to all?
Such code would include many aspects: intermarriages, colour barriers, language barriers, respect between one another; etc.
 

12.   The Universal Scale of Values
We have no intention of imposing a scale of values. It has to be developed by us all.

The special factor in the work of those submitting papers to the World Congress is that all are evaluating impacts with respect to four interacting concerns (people's lives, resources, economic development and the environment) based on a new scale of values. The scale of values is about establishingwhat is very important to ensure a sound future for Earth, and to keep our planet healthy,  productive and hospitable for all people and living things, what is important, what is not so important, and what should be let go. From this scale, agreed upon by all members of TheGlobal Community, the assessment of sustainable development can be conducted. The benchmark is the scale established in year 2000 along with the first evaluation of sustainable development conducted with respect to the four levels.

 Their work will show how their field of interest influences all four interacting areas of concerns and they will develop policies (workable sound solutions) to submit to The Global Community.

The material sent so far is remarkable and original. All abstracts will appear in the Preliminary Program to be published in February 2000.

The effects of climate changes will certainly be a major issue. New ideas about energy and environmental accounting will also be discussed. However, your creative thinking is paramount. We do not dictate what to do. It's new ways of thinking that is important at the World Congress.

New standards, goals and objectives have to be defined. Firm universal guidelines are essentials in keeping the world healthy. Already we notice throughout the world  new ways of thinking being embraced, new behaviors and attitudes adopted. Sound workable solutions to all our problems will have to be researched and developed and made available to everyone on the Internet. This is la raison d’être  of The Global Community organization.

The aim of The Global Community is to give people an opportunity to meet, encourage and advise one another about original ways to best harmonize impacts upon

Worth a try?
 
 

b.     Impacts of air pollution on human health in Bangladesh
          by Md. Hasibur Rahman, Executive Director, Environment and
          Agricultural Development Studies Centre, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

IMPACTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON HUMAN HEALTH IN BANGLADESH

Md. Hasibur Rahman *

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated country of the world. Industrial and vehicular toxic gaseous emission impacts on environment and causing human health problem in densely polluted urban area. Mitigative measure is being implementing through air pollution monitoring, research, dissemination of research activities, particularly phasing out of two-stroke engine smoke belching auto-rickshaws the most polluting vehicles and finally government has decided to import lead (Pb) free fuel and encouraging to use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Public awareness already been adopting in urban area by the government and different non-government agencies to prevent serious health problems causing by air pollution.

Background:

In common sense people thinks air pollution means vehicular smokes and industrial gaseous emission. But air pollution means any solid, liquid or gaseous substances present in the atmosphere in such concentrations that impact on human health or other living creature as a whole creates environmental pollution. Composition of fresh dry air contents 78.09% Nitrogen and 20.94% Oxygen by volume. The rest of 0.97% is composed of different gaseous mixture elements (i.e. carbon dioxide, helium, argon, nitrous oxides and xenon) and very negligible amount of some other organic and inorganic gases. If these compositions found different in any atmospheric air then the air would be called polluted. Air pollution could be happen by two ways i.e. by naturally and artificially.  Naturally, air pollution caused by volcanic eruption, dust bearing cyclone, natural-fog, pollen grains, bacteria etc. Significantly, air is polluting by artificially i.e. man-made vehicular and industrial gaseous emission and also by house holds municipal wastes odors.

Human beings cannot survive without taking atmospheric oxygen through respiration system in a suitable mixture of oxygen, nitrogen and other inert gases. It is an assumption that an adult man takes 16-18 kg air through respiration system in his day life. Fresh air is a basic demand of human beings.

It is recognized that civilization of mankind was started with the invention of fire. Fire creates smokes, so air pollution was started from the primitive period of cave man. At that time air pollution was very negligible in ratio with the density of population. Air pollution increasing rapidly due to technological development, creation of engines, industrialization, power plant set-up, burning coal & crude oil, steam locomotives use of railway, steamer, motor vehicles, transport and internal combustion engines burning petrol, diesel, kerosene and also by households vegetable oils burning, fire-wood, paraffin's & kerosene burning. Including all above, use of aerosol and pesticides are mostly polluting the atmospheric air very seriously.

Developments of the metallurgical and chemical industries are creating smog as air pollutants impacting environment. Emission of chlorocompounds of solvents, dioxins and related compounds (chlorodibenzofurances, etc.) emitting from the chemical industry. One of serous problems is the ozone layer depleting substances by chloroflorocarbons (CFC), helon, methane etc. Brick burning industries in Bangladesh are using fire-wood, coal are increasing air pollution seriously. It is really difficult to completely eradicate of air pollution with use of vehicles, transportation and development of industries but it can be checked and minimize to a certain point.

Industrial emission and fossil fuel combustion in vehicles  equipment accounted for large amount of carbon dioxides emission are increasing global air pollution that creating acid rain and greenhouse effect causing global warming and climate change.

Sources of Air pollution in Bangladesh:

Urban air quality in Bangladesh is inferior compared to the rural areas, due to more densely population and traffic congestion. Increasing population, urbanization, transportation and industries are creating  uncontrolled emission sources related to air pollution that reflecting as negative impacts on environment as well as human health.
- Major industrial sources in Bangladesh are industrial plants of Cement, Pulp & Paper, Fertilizer, Textiles, Leather Tanning, Pharmaceuticals, Pesticides, Ceramic, Paints, Chemicals, Metal Coating, Plastic, Foundry, Soaps, Detergents, Power plants, Open burning of fuel-wood, Brisk burning industries, Solid waste disposal sites etc.

 The most general gaseous emissions from industries are odor compounds, such as H2S and NH3, SO2, NOx, CO, carbohydrates, fluorides, acid mists, Cl2, volatile organic compounds and Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM).
- Major vehicular sources in Bangladesh are Mechanized vehicles, Car, Bus, Jeep, Taxi, Truck, Micro & Minibus, two-stroke engine vehicles, motor cycles, Water engines vessels, Railway engine, Air crafts etc.

Major vehicular air pollutants are Suspended Particular Matter (SPM), Carbon dioxides, Sulfur Dioxides, Carbon Monoxides, Hydrocarbons, Nitrogen oxides and particulate of lead compounds and un-burn fuel particles etc. The emission from diesel engines is black smoke, CO, un-barn hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. Two stroke petrol engines which are used in motor cycles, scooters and three wheelers are less fuel burning efficient and release larger amount un-burn fuel and more CO than four-stroke or diesel engines.

Most of the brick burning industry established near the city for the better marketing of their products. These brick- fields are degrading the environment in two ways, i.e. use of fuel wood as a energy source causing deforestation and emission of pollutants contains suspended particular matters, carbon monoxides, sulfur dioxides, fluorine etc. are degrading ambient air quality. The pollutants discharged may cause respiratory problem of human and ashes including other SPM fallen on the crops and plants, often close the pores of the leaves and hamper photosynthesis and respiration of plants. Long term impacts of these pollutants any cause of death of plants and degrading environment as a whole.

House holds pollution causing by burning of coal, diesel, firewood, dry cattle dung, vegetable waste products, refuse burning emit carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxides, hydrocarbon and dust particles. Municipal solid waste and sewage are dumping near the city area, from the decomposition of these waste procedures bad odor and blowing air carries that bad odor to the residential areas causing unusual situation of city life.

With the increasing population and urbanization number of vehicles are introducing rapidly in urban area are causing serious air pollution. Narrow roads, congestion, formation of long queues at intersections, very low speed specially near shopping and commercial areas. Recondition i.e. poor condition of vehicles, low quality of fuel/lead containing fuel and poor traffic management aggravates the air pollution in city area. According to the Department of Environment there are 70-80 percent of vehicles are very poor condition and creating major air pollution in urban area of Bangladesh.
 
 

In urban area the ambient air quality is dependent on many factors whereby air movement, traffic volume, congestion, gaseous emission from industries and vehicles are the most important. The traffic emission relates directly to speed to travel, level and quality of vehicles engine maintenance. Suspended Particulate Matter and un-burn fuel causing serious problem in maintaining diesel and two stroke engines.

Environmental Legislation:

With a view to protecting the environment of the country, the government of Bangladesh promulgated Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995 and Environment Rules, 1997. This Act and Rules empowers the government’s implementing agency the Department of Environment to prevent, control and abate environmental pollution and conservation of environment in the country. Under the Environment Conservation Rules’97 Department of Environment is being provided environmental clearance, categorized various industries and projects into four categories on the basis of their expected pollution loads and proposed location. Rules include standards for air, water, noise and odor, vehicular emission, domestic and industrial waste effluents etc. Other related environmental legislation are Factories Act 1965, the Factory Rules, 1979, Shops and Establishments Act, 1965, Radiation Protection Act, 1993.

Ambient Air Quality Scenario:

Department of Environmental has given Standard Limit of SPM-500, SO2-120, CO-5000 and Nox-100 (concentration in micrograms per cubic meter) in industrial area, SPM-400, SO2-100, CO-5000 and Nox-100 in Commercial and mixed use area, SPM-200, SO2-80, CO-2000 and Nox-80 in residential and rural area and SPM-100, SO2-30, CO-1000 and Nox-30 for the sensitive area.

One report of Department of Environment views the investigative monitoring (December, 1996- September-1997) in different points of Dhaka City. The average monthly results of investigative monitoring as shown in December'96 is SPM-602.02, SO2-128.76, NOx-65.50 (in Tejgaon industrial area) in December'96 - SPM-1797.80, SO2-71.53, NOx-24.90 (in Farmgate commercial area).

Atomic Energy Commission showed in a report that at least 50 tones of lead are deposited annually in the air in Dhaka City. It also showed that at certain points with traffic congestion the air contains 463 nanograms of lead. Studies by Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital revealed that lead found in blood was eight times higher than the acceptable level, forming lead lines in the bone, mostly among under privileged children living in congested slums near transport hubs in the city.

Health Effects:

Air pollution with the lead is seriously effecting physiological constituent of the human body. It enters in the body through respiration system. Lead is a deadly poisonous metal and prolonged low does exposure causes cancer in human beings.

Air pollution impacts on human health through polluting agents and suspended particular matters such as municipal wastes, decomposed air-borne gases, vapors, fumes, mist, dust, industrial emission and vehicular emissions. These pollutants effect on human health on contact by skin, exposed membranes and by respiratory system. Immediate and long term impacts on human health are furnished below:

1. Eye Irritation, Nose and throat irritation, Irritation of the respiratory tract
2. Head aches, nausea and suffocation
3. A variety of SPM, particulate like pollens, initiate asthmatic attacks
4. Chronic pulmonary diseases like bronchitis and asthma are aggravated by a high concentration of SO2, NOx particulate matter and photochemical smog.
5. Hydrogen fluoride causes disease of the bone (fluorsis) and mottling of teeth
6. Carcinogenic agents such as exhaust of un-burn fuel causes cancer
7. Dust particles cause respiratory diseases. Diseases like silicosis, asbestosis, etc., result from specific dusts
8. Certain heavy metals like lead (Pb) may enter the body through the lungs and cause poisoning.

Recommendation:

i) It is need to ban new registration of two stroke engines and smoke emitted vehicles as well as phase out of these vehicles.
ii) Need to ensure import of lead free and low sulfur containing fuel.
iii) Proper monitoring and maintenance of all types of vehicles
iv) All vehicles need strict fitness tests and smoke emission test with heavy penalty of defaulters
v) Strictly ban sales of loose lubricating oils for vehicles
vi) Alternative transport fuels like Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), ethanol, methanol and electricity need to introduce in place of traditional fuel.
vii) Better traffic management with construction of fly-over, one way streets, multi-stored parking facilities and foot overpass would be most effective.
viii) Industries must not be set-up in any residential area and these must be set-up in a specific industrial zone (area) with proper effluent treatment plant.

Conclusion:

Air pollution must be considered as the most vulnerable environmental health hazards. It is important to take immediate initiative to protect air pollution on the basis of latest scientific information and technology available. To address this problems environmental education and mobilizing through community participation in the urban area is essential.  To reduce air pollution, every one of the Global Community can play an important role by taking right decision of consumer choice and maintaining their own vehicles and also participating in tree plantation. Tree and green vegetation can reduce air pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide and inhibit travelling of dust and chemical elements that causes positive impact on human health.

On the other hand, air pollution stimulated greenhouse effects, global warming and sea level rising. Sea level rising would be most worsen environmental disastrous for the low-lying country Bangladesh. It is important to raise awareness campaign and mitigative measures for air pollution to control global warming.
 
 

5.    Summer call for abstracts to be published in February 2000 Preliminary Program of the World Congress : deadline September 21st.
Once we have received your abstract, it  will be printed in the Preliminary Program which is due to be
published February 2000. The deadline is September 21st.

After the Paper has been presented at the Congress, it will appear in the Proceedings  to be published shortly after the World Congress. All authors will also be given a Life Membership in Global Community and The Global Community WebNet, and presented with a Certificate to this effect at the Awards
Ceremony of the Congress.

If you do come in person to present your Paper, the registration fee will be waived.

If you cannot attend in person, someone will be chosen to read your Paper, and your Life Membership will be sent to you by regular post.

For more information, read March and July Newsletters posted on our website. The webpage of The Global Community, the homepage of the The Global Community is found at:
                    http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/global2000
 
 

 6.    Editor's comments: send us articles for publishing in Newsletters and making them available on the Internet.

We are delighted to receive more articles for the Newsletters from our readers.

We have received many books and articles from readers and members around the world but the authors did not give us specific permission to print part of their work in the Newsletter, and therefore we cannot do so.

It is imperative that, if you give us permission to re-print, all or in part, you include all copyright verification of permission to quote. We do not have a copyright research expert to do this
work.

Your articles should also follow the same Guidelines used for the preparation of Papers (see Criteria in Call for Papers on the website or see Letter sent June99 in part 5 of this Newsletter ).

We thank Md. Hasibur Rahman and EADSC for so gracioustly sharing information with The Global Community.  Thank you again Sir. We would appreciate more articles.

In the words of Md. Hasibur Rahman, Bangladesh is suffering from various environmental
and agricultural constraints such as air, water and soil pollution, frequent flooding, desertification, poor sanitation, malnutrition, health and over population problem.

For the betterment of environment and sustainable agricultural development EADSC envisaged
to conduct different research oriented activities on different urgent issues of environment which
might be solved for the survival of the country and the coming generation in the next century.

Those who wish a copy of the complete article send us a stamped, self-addressed 8.5 x 11 envelope and we'll see you get one. People who wish to contact Md. Hasibur Rahman may email him at
icms@bdcom.com

The Editor.
 
 

7.    Global assessment contracts: send your CV and abstract/paper.

We are at the moment seeking global assessment contracts which  can be handled by the Global Community Assessment Centre (GCAC).

GCAC is compiling a list of people who wish to be involved in such challenge. Should a contract be accepted, will shall first consider our members in that area, providing they wish such employment and they have the necessary expertise and/or experience for the job at hand.

Those who submit  papers to the World Congress are invited to send applications with their CVs if they wish to be considered for contract work, here or abroad. The application package is found under Services/Job possibilities.

Our sponsor GlobalCommunityWebNet  Ltd. has a website found at:

http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/gdufour99

Send your application and CV to the business as well (the package is found under Reaching us).

It is important you realize our proposals benefit only the people who are involved with the World Congress and Global Community  If you are prepared to comply with those requirements, let us know. Study carefully our websites for full information.

As soon as a global assessment contract comes up requiring your expertise you will be notified. Only those who submit papers to the World Congress can be considered.

        Newsletter Volume 1                                                             Issue 04, November 1999
 

1.    President's Message.
2.    The Global Community organization.
3.    Call for proposals for new Board of Directors.
4.    International Ozone Day.
5.    Share your Vision of Earth for Year 2024.
6.    Abstracts and Papers submitted.
7.    Proposed Roundtable Sessions.
8.    Procedure for the transfer of payments into Global Community bank account.
9.    Abstracts to be published in February 2000 Preliminary Program
       of the World Congress.
10.    Editor's comments: sending us articles for publishing in Newsletters and making them
       available on the Internet.
11.    Global assessment contracts: including your CV along with your abstract/paper.

12.    Articles

        a.    To-day's children evoke a VISION of new millennium,
                by Virginia Dufour, retired teacher
        b.    The Personal Sustainable Development pathway for children,
                by Germain Dufour, Physicist
        c.    The Personal Sustainable Development pathway for an adult,
                by Germain Dufour, Physicist
        d.    Globalization  vs  The Global Community Concepts and its Organization,
              by Germain Dufour, Physicist
        e.    Ozone Layer Depletion and its Adverse Effects,
                by Md. Hasibur Rahman, Executive Director, Environment and
                Agricultural Development Studies Centre, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
        f.    The Ozone Depleting Substances: a Sustainable Development Issue,
                by Germain Dufour, Physicist
 
 

1.    President's Message

Announcement: major change

Due to the difficulty of making travel arrangements from far countries we were obliged to find new ways to bring  the work being done by our participants to the world.

The "Hotel Special Deal" at the Kananaskis Inn had to be cancelled. The World Congress will not be held at the Kananaskis Village as previously planned but will be conducted on the Internet, same date. Everything else stays the same except the Congress will be held  by email and through the Internet.

When, at the last count, we learned over 9,000 people visit our Website every month it became clear it was much to the advantage of the people writing papers that the entire world be made aware of their work as their research is of vital importance. The Call for Papers from around the world has been a great success.

One of the main purposes of the World Congress is to find new ways to do things, so why not use the Internet for our Congress? We are now preparing a World-wide Congress available on Internet.  Watch the Newsletters as plans develop.

Through the use of the Internet it becomes possible to hold a Roundtable Discussion on each issue. Brainstorming on all issues will also become easier to handle. More sucessful results will be obtained. Many more researchers throughout the world will have an opportunity to send their bodies of work.

Perhaps your University or organization would see the value of hosting the World Congress presentation on the Internet and the posting of the Proceedings afterwards?

Should sufficient members wish to see the Papers published in book form, sponsors will have to be found such as a University Press willing to donate the service.

The success of The Global Community organization is very much apparent now from the number of participants in the World Congress. Section 6(Abstracts and Papers submitted) shows that over 119 abstracts have been submitted so far and were sent from researchers in 59 different countries, another 109 may be sent in the next few weeks, and another 35% more papers may be submitted before the final deadline of March 24, 2000. The actual count of scientific research Papers may possibly be over 300 by the deadline. The variety and the quality of the original work submitted so far has made our common quest a success.

In order to facilitate Virginie returning to her duties with The Global Community organization, we have moved our operation to Guelph, Ontario, so that she can be close to her family.
 

2.    The Global Community organization.

The Global Community organization was envisioned in 1990 as an entity having a new home every five years. Its present home has been Canada since then. Its new home and headquaters will be established in year 2000 during the General Annual Meeting scheduled to occur during the World Congress.

Headquarters should move periodically anywhere on Earth to keep the organization free from connection to any specific country and cultural environment. Each new place would bring in fresh, stimulating input to the organization, giving it new life.

More information on the organization can be found on our website (see Main Index).

3.    Call for proposals for new Board of Directors.

Note that we are now accepting proposals for a new Board of Directors and a new host country for The Global Community organization.

A new Board of Directors officers will have to be selected and they will be required to work as a team. Those interested please submit their applications. A new Board of Directors is made up of at least four officers: a President, a Vice-president, a Treasurer, and a Secretary-general. For now, the constitution of The Global Community (Global Community) is being used to govern The Global Community organization but a Charter will have to be developed and proposed during the World Congress. Those interested in developing a Charter are invited to submit their proposals as a Paper during the World Congress.  Those interested in taking over the task of taking The Global Community organization into the coming millennium submit their proposal by March 24, 2000.

In deciding where Headquarters of The Global Community organization will move next, several criteria will be taken into account: qualifications of the candidates for leadership (submit your CV if not already sent), the communications infra-structure of the host country, support systems, and financial support by the Board of Directors or sponsors as the organization has no outside funds at all.

Candidates work strictly on a volunteer basis and find what support they need for the organization. Global Community will see that the transfer of The Global Community organization to its new home proceeds smoothly.

The new team must be capable of the successful continuation of global projects and also the initiation of new projects in the host country and other parts of the world.
 

4.    International Ozone Day.

Mr. Md. Hasibur Rahman has proposed that September 16 be the "International Ozone Day." He has also published an article on the issue in this Newsletter (see sections 8 and 10). We have been invited to participate by letting everyone know through our Newsletter. We should have held an awareness seminar on it and invited school and college and university students to raise awareness on Adverse Effects of Ozone Layer Depletion on Human Health and Environment. We could not do it in September but we want to let you know your suggestion was brought to The Global Community organization.

We understand the  "International Ozone Day" was held in Bangail as planned. The school systems are different from country to country. For instance in Canada, it would probably be better to have the  "International Ozone Day" later on during the year. It is something to think about. We propose to ask everyone to suggest a day or a period of time when it would be best for them to hold it. We will discuss this again during the World Congress and make it official throughout the world.
 

5.    Share your Vision of Earth for Year 2024.

We are asking The Global Community to participate in local public consultation processes to offer views taken toward creating a sustainable future for Earth over the next 24 years. We want everyone worldwide to feel free to participate in developing  a common Vision of Earth for Year 2024. We want you to feel involved in shaping the future.

Would you care to send us your Vision of Earth for Year 2024? Your Vision should be accompanied by several draft recommendations which will form the basis of the common Vision. If these recommendations were followed what would be Earth like in year 2024? We invited you to send us your idea The Global Community should take in the future. Try to be as realistic as possible.

Everyone will have the opportunity to comment on the draft recommendations. Results obtained during the World Congress will be added to the Vision and we will also have a session on creating the Vision. Draft recommendations will be presented to The Global Community organization for considerations.  Results will be added to the proceedings to be published afterwards.

It is very important that everyone conducts his/her own brainstorming exercise on every issue listed on this website(see August 99 Newsletter as an example whereby a brainstorming exercise was conducted on the Scale of Values and Personal Sustainable Development) . Everything you will come up with will be added to everyone else brainstorming ideas. We will compile all thoughts on every issue. Common grounds and trends will appear at the end, and lay the groundwork for conclusions.

What direction should The Global Community take over the next 24 years? Tell us the goals and values that are very important to you and which you feel will help create a sustainable future for Earth. The management of our affairs on the planet has become of vital importance and we want you to see your share of participation can help to sustain life.

Because globalization affects us all, your Vision of Earth for Year 2024 should include that topic as well.

Global problems call for:
                                        a Global Community ethics
                                        Global Community values
                                        Global Community way of conducting business
                                        Global Community Code of Ethics

More brainstorming exercises on globalization are required here. Keep in mind the concepts of "a Global Community" and of "The Global Community", follow the same Guidelines and Criteria develop for the Call for Papers for the World Congress, and conduct brainstorming exercises on globalization. This is the only way to find sound solutions to global problems. Globalization is directly related to sustainable development and the management of Earth. We want you to submit more Papers on the issue of globalization as it affects all the other issues in significant ways.

We ask everyone who considers him(or her)self a member of The Global Community, to take part in all local consultation processes, and to make known his idea for a sustainable solution to the community issue at hand. Such action will have positive results for Earth.

It is everybody's privilege to participate in developing a common Vision of Earth for Year 2024. Take your place by getting involved in shaping the future.
 

6.    Abstracts and Papers submitted.

A list of Paper presenters and the titles of their Papers is included here in alphabetical order. A separate list of the 59 countries where they originated is also included. The actual abstracts will be printed on Preliminary Program to be shown on the Internet on February 2000.

A total of 119 abstracts have been received so far. Many have also sent final Papers as well. The  deadline for the Paper submissions is March 24, 2000.

The scope and variety of topics received has made very exciting reading. Original insights resulting from individual research will most certainly influence thought around the world, and should bring the writers the recognition they deserve beyond their own countries.

Another 109 researchers promised abstracts by September. We are still awaiting them. If the work is about to be published there may still be time to include it in the Preliminary Program. It's a chance to have your work reach the entire world.

As mentioned in the Invitation Letter for Paper Submissions(see also March 99 Newsletter), 35% of the space in the Final Program of the World Congress is reserved for participants who will be submitting abstracts/papers between February 2000 and the final deadline March 24, 2000. You are still invited to submit abstracts/papers and creative work. No more than two papers per person is allowed.

The following Table shows the listings. Let us know of any corrections to be made.
 

7.    Proposed Roundtable Sessions.

    a)    On well-being, the healthy family and the community
    b)    Measurement of indicators of Sustainable Development
    c)    The Global Community: its objectives, the Charter, the grassroots process and the organization
    d)    The education of our youth
    e)    Land Degradation
    f)    Quality of Life
    g)   Institutions for Environmental Governance: issues of Community Participation and Sustainable Development
    h)    Health
    i)    The Scale of Values
    j)    Energy
    k)   Waste Management
    l)    Ozone Layer
    m)   Global Warming
    n)    Globalization
    o)    Climate Changes
    p)    Women's Issues
    q)    Vision of Earth for Year 2024
    r)    Spiritual values guiding a sustainable future
    s)    Air pollution
    t)    Water pollution
    u)    Resources Management
    v)    Global Economic Development

Interested? Interested in participating in any of these Roundtables?

Papers will be published in the Proceedings of the World Congress. As mentioned earlier, 35% of the space in the Final Program of the World Congress is reserved for participants who will be submitting abstracts/papers between February 2000 and the final deadline March 24, 2000.
 
 

8.    Procedure for the transfer of payments into Global Community bank account.

Those making payments (membership, sponsorship, etc.) to Global Community please send us an email about the reason of your payment, who you are, your address, the exact time and date you made that payment, where you made it, how much it was, and which one of the three ways listed here you have used.

This is very important as we must be able to track down the information related to each payment.
 

9.    Abstracts to be published in February 2000 Preliminary Program
       of the World Congress.

Abstracts received will be printed in the Preliminary Program which is due to be published February 2000.

With the new Internet agenda, all work will be published on the Web, an opportunity for net-working and reaching contacts important to your future, not to be missed.

You will also be made a Life Member of Global Community, and The Global Community organization which promises to be of world-wide significance as time goes by. A Certificate will be sent you as well to
verify your participation and membership which may be important to you as Chapters of the organization open in your district.
 

10.    Editor's comments: sending us articles for publishing in Newsletters and making them available on the Internet.

We are delighted to receive additional articles for the Newsletters from our readers.

We have received many books and articles from readers and members around the world but the authors did not give us specific permission to print part of their work in the Newsletter, and therefore we cannot do so.

It is imperative that, if you give us permission to re-print, all or in part, you include all copyright verification of permission to quote. We do not have a copyright research expert to do this
work.

Your articles should also follow the same Guidelines used for the preparation of Papers (see Criteria in Call for Papers on the website or see Letter sent June99 in part 5 of this Newsletter ).

We thank Md. Hasibur Rahman and EADSC for so gracioustly sharing information with The Global Community.  Thank you again Sir. We appreciate your articles.

In the words of Md. Hasibur Rahman, Bangladesh is suffering from various environmental and agricultural constraints such as air, water and soil pollution, frequent flooding, desertification, poor sanitation, malnutrition, health and over population problems.

For the betterment of environmental and sustainable agricultural development EADSC has envisaged
different oriented activities on different urgent issues which might be solved for the survival of the country and the coming generation in the next century.

Those who wish a copy of the complete article send us a stamped, self-addressed 8.5 x 11 envelope and we'll see you get one. People who wish to contact Md. Hasibur Rahman may email him at
icms@bdcom.com

The Editor.
 

11.    Global assessment contracts: including your CV along with your abstract/paper.

We are at the moment seeking global assessment contracts which  can be handled by the Global Community Assessment Centre (GCAC).

GCAC is compiling a list of people who wish to be involved in such challenge. Should a contract be accepted, will shall first consider our members in that area, providing they wish such employment and they have the necessary expertise and/or experience for the job at hand.

Those who submit  papers to the World Congress are invited to send applications with their CVs if they wish to be considered for contract work, here or abroad. The application package is found under Services/Job possibilities on the website.

Our sponsor GlobalCommunityWebNet  Ltd. also has a website found at:

http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/gdufour99

Send your application and CV to the business as well (the package is found under Reaching us).

It is important you realize our proposals benefit only the people who are involved with the World Congress and Global Community  If you are prepared to comply with those requirements, let us know. Study carefully our websites for full information.

As soon as a global assessment contract comes up requiring your expertise you will be notified. Only those who submit papers to the World Congress can be considered.
 
 

12.    Articles

12 a. To-day's children evoke a VISION of new millennium,
         by Virginia Dufour, retired teacher

With the advance of a new millennium one tends to dream of a new Eden.

The signals of what the world could become are already apparent in the life-style of to-day's children.

From babyhood our little ones have been privileged to enjoy group activities. They develop a circle of friends from many ethnic backgrounds, boys and girls together. They learn consideration for others early on, the rewards of sharing, and a special code of conduct necessary for a group to function as an harmonious whole.

By the time our children have become teen-agers the group of friends has virtually replaced the family unit in importance. It is most apparent in High School years. As they enter University the group of friends has solidified to the point where a group-home will be rented, all sharing the cost.

These young people habitually hold two or three part-time jobs, or engage in some entrepreneural activity, for money is regarded as the energy source for their way of life.

They spend their extra money investing in the money-market ~ even real estate. They finance their own educations for they are keenly aware they go nowhere if they are not intellectually prepared.

Freedom of lifestyle is more important to them then mounds of possessions. These young people are not trapped by "things" although they own the best of sports equipment and outdoor clothing, being very health conscious. They eat very well.

All of their lives they have been educated by osmosis through T.V., movies, computers, and on another level by enlightened teachers in sophisticated educational settings. They drive cars, some fly planes, all use machines of every kind every day. And all of these things, in conjunction with the close security of the group of friends, lays the ground work for a new life-style, this new world just beginning, in the care of these brave new souls.

And what a great, wide, wonderful world they have upon which to lavish their uninhibited imaginations!

Being outdoors-aware, these young people will be focusing on the air we breathe, the water we drink. Few of them really know where their food comes from for all their lives they have bought food in boxes from stores. They will have to address food supply ~ perhaps influenced by the food prepared for astronauts, but it will be health conscious food, with low preparation time.

Food was bountiful in the original Eden. It is hoped in the new Eden everybody will have enough to eat. Unfortunately, today, starvation in some countries forces people to kill and eat their animals. This means rare species have to be herded into safe areas to avoid extinction. Even oceans are filthy. Some people wonder if the giant world-wide business conglomarates, who have made so many marvellous philanthropic gifts to the world, will take it upon themselves to help the starving in an intelligent manner. Globalization could become the "god who will provide"!

The young adults in charge of our new Eden will benefit from the popularity of small businesses cropping up. It is to be expected they will have re-acted to the businesses in the past whose job-security plan was built on products with built in obsolescence, and the creation of one of our major new industries to-day-waste control! Garbage makes a lot of money! Our young people will be the first to grasp that fact! It will pay them handsomely not to allow this "creative energy" to escape their grasp!

Most of us are somewhat aware we have to unload. It is necessary to follow the job market at the first opportunity. Possessions are costly to buy, but far more costly to move across country. The result is Thrift Stores flourish and bulge at the seams! Department stores have empty aisles. Our new generation already exhibits the inner awareness: less is more.

Living with a group of friends in a Space Age may involved jobs in Space. Take Tourism for example. The Tourist Trade is making a very clear statement about its future ~ at present the practice is to take customers to all the remaining unique cultural outposts for the picturesque experiences ~ but since the aboriginal people who live there tend to ape their viewers with such alarming speed, soon the only place Tourism can advertise is Outer Space!

And if our group of friends work in Space their human mating practices will have to change to deal with extended periods away from Earth.

Furthermore, their children may be born in a gravity free environment. Will these babies have to be especially genetically altered to survive?

One very re-assuring fact is that the young people of to-day are interested in all the secret wisdom behind all the existing religions and sifting out the common truths. They seek the best of the best.

Their childhood conditioning has prepared them to act on a firm understanding of what it takes to get along with others, working as a group.

They are educated to understand a broad panorama of human truths ~ all those universal needs and rights every one shares.

They see money for what it is - energy to use for good.

Their idea of power is power over Self.

Each and every Self is dedicated to an idea for good that others can share together in creating this new Eden.

What we have here is the birth of genuine group concern and unconditional support for the individual's well-being ~ a giant leap in human behaviour which could well change the functioning of global communities everywhere.
 

12 b.    The Personal Sustainable Development pathway for  children,

            by Germain Dufour, Physicist

Improvement based on conscience is self-improvement which requires discipline to get rid of things that have to go because the results are negative and be replaced by actions that succeed because the results are positive.

Conscience in the minds of children is needed for they will inherit the earth.
The seed planted in the mind of a child will grow and when he has children they will see it was good.

"The body is the horse the soul rides on ~ you don't get far on a sick horse."

There are a number of ideas to keep a child's development sustainable:

    *  Eating for power: combinations of foods that create vitality and health.
    *    Teaching your child how to make good things for himself.
    *    Making good things to eat: simple meals children can make for themselves.
    *    Let your child know where food comes from ~ the labour required to get food; give him personal experience in the growing of edible food by means of  individual garden plots at school growing food that keeps them strong and healthy. Community effort is necessary to make this work ~ gardens grow during summer holidays. They need constant care.
    *    Developing the perfectly healthy body: games and exercises, activities that develop a great body(swimming, skating, skiing, roller-blading, etc.)
    *    Developing an open mind: ideas, concepts, attitudes that have proven to work well in foreign societies as well as our own.
    *    How learning works:  how to study, how to memorize, how to think, logic. Finding "best ways" to do things, workable sound solutions.
    *    Children have to learn to become problem solvers as they will be facing global problems on a daily basis. Give them confidence in problem solving.
    *    How kindness works: how people react; cause and effect of action; living smoothly.
    *   What is happiness: LOVE is a verb; one does nice things for others. It is not enough to just say "I love you."
    *    Build a program to develop the ability of the children to make decisions.

Most of us have been brought up with the knowledge adults make their own choices ~ and
pay the price. Could children not be made aware of this as well?

Even a child can see if he acts in certain ways, things can backfire and cause harm. And also
that he can act in ways that attracts good things ~ even over a period of time.

If a child has the habit of reacting to unpleasant life events in knee-jerk revenge or angry
responses, sparks fly and nasty side-effects flare up all around him. Such action causes
memories that rankle for years. Children need to be aware of this. It is one of Nature's Laws.

It is very important for children to have experience in choosing to react well, even in little
things.

It is not so important that one agree with other children all the time. One obeys parents and
teachers. But a child has to be taught it is not required of him to be somebody's victim; that
is o.k. to disagree with a course of action.

What must be let go is the uncontrolled way some children react to the troubles of their lives.
Let us teach them making unproductive choices attracts even more trouble and frustration.
Reacting in inappropriate ways in time of conflict must stop.

Teaching a child how to sustain the development of his own life toward happy solutions calls for a series of small victories, each one easily achieved.

Perhaps the best place to start is care and management of the child's own room at home, and his own personal care. Personal experience will teach him a sense of order affects his life for good in all ways. Once the child feels he has his personal space in good control, he can advance to dealing with problems with family members, later on, school-mates.

Older children could be encouraged to keep a journal about incidents, and how things happened
and were worked out.

Referring back to these records, a child gains a sense of mastery, and quickly builds up finesse
with successful ways and means, good phrases to use and so on.

It won't take long before a child has solid evidence that bad luck and tough breaks were only
wrong moves that could have been avoided.

He'll get the conviction it is not people or "things" that makes him happy. He is making himself
happy ~ it is a state of mind he has created for himself.

This self-improvement journey will sustain him for as long as he uses it, the results to be
enjoyed for ever.
 

12 c.    The Personal Sustainable Development pathway for an adult,
            by Germain Dufour, Physicist

Conscience in the mind of an adult:

He realizes his personal life needs changes.
He needs self-empowerment...free thought upon which his creativity for a better life will grow.
He will face, and reject all that must go.
He will replace bad habits.
He will meet his needs with self-empowerment.
No one else's.
To empower himself is the first step.

The ultimate war of independence is to decide for yourself
what you want
to "own" your life quest outright free and clear of imaginary obligation or laid-on guilt.

A man (a woman) has the right to decide what he will become and must  his own personal clean-up with the aim of becoming: a better person, a better neighbour, a better citizen, and more useful member of his global community.

Every man (woman) must make a personal decision about:

What is most important to me?
What about me deserves to be nurtured?
What is holding me back?
What requires serious attention?
What about me needs "starving out" so good qualities can grow?

Each and everyone of us is part of "a Global Community" wherever we go throughout our life. Personal sustainable development has to do with our behavior within this global community, what we do or dont, cause and effect, and how we interact with someone else's global community and, on the planetary scale, with The Global Community. We are constantly required to re-evaluate our values and make decisions. The following is meant to question our ways and behaviors and start a discussion amongst us all about a universal scale of values. A Roundtable Discussion on a Scale of Values has been proposed.

Life's major problems make us react ~ and there are myriad possible reactions ~ but to be of a mind-set that allows one to calmly face the problem detached from emotion in order to pick the best solution, may quite possibly be the most powerful tool of any person interested  in personal development.

Human desires, vanities, attachments to family mores, influence these decisions and so they tend to be accurate expressions of each individual's character at that particular time, at that age in his life. These tend to constantly change as we frow in expereince.

Our choice, in the end, is what we want because of what we feel.

This particular assessment of any given situation appears to express  our level of development as a human being devoted to building strong character.

One feels the most honest thing to do is face exactly what is presented on the horns of our dilemma:

One solution will satisfy old values. The other will be in accord with new. Make a choice!

As a human, one is constantly challenged - go forward, or not - just yet! Are you ready for it?

We are endlessly faced with the same choice hidden in endless guises until we "get it right."
 

Personal sustainable development has to do with each and everyone of us:

      *  being with self-control; eating to accommodate your body's needs and holding hereditary ills in check; maintaining a well working physical vehicle(your body); balancing our life with work, play and rest; feeding our mind and being constantly learning; communicating with others
      *    living with the empowerment of free-thought, creativity
      *    taking charge of our lives
      *   planning for our own future

Everyone has to decide this by himself. Knowing our weaknesses we can work at eliminating them or at least making sure they would not affect significantly our decision-making process. It is a struggle that spans our lifetime.

Once an individual is in control of his own being then he can extend his empowerment out to his global community and The Global Community.

This way each person has to decide:

   *      what are the things holding him back and requiring serious attention and how can they be starved-out so good things may grow
   *        what is most important
   *        what deserves to be nurtured

At the end each and everyone of us decides what sort of person we want to become. After going through this personal clean-up a person becomes a better citizen, a more sensitive neighbour, a moral responsible father, and a more useful and respected member of The Global Community.
 
 
 

12 d.    Globalization  vs The Global Community concepts and its organization,
          by Germain Dufour, Physicist
 
 

The concept of "a Global Community" gives back control on our lives to each one of us. We all have a say about what we want. We feel alive and responsible. We are moral individuals with a conscience but we also belong to The Global Community. We have an identity, a meaning, a part to play in the world.

One tends to be alarmed at the popular concept of globalization because  it is based on greed. Globalization is here to stay and is a fact of life. The world has become global. Societies throughout the world are struggling to be in step with the most powerful nations. National economies and financial markets are connected through computer link-up and are interlocked. Commercial banking and business ownership has no economic or political borders. Because of the dynamic of trade in goods and services and because of the movement in capital and technology, production in different countries has become increasingly dependent on one another.

In consequence of globalization, the new economic and political distribution of power around the world has become very different then we were used to. It has become very fluid, in perpetual motion and affected by global markets. Giant new markets are forming all over the world. Competition is hardening. National economies can no longer insure or guarantee rights of possession on any property. National borders no longer mean protection, security, cultural boundaries, resources ownership, political and economic control.

International market regulations try to control or ease the effects of globalization. The effects are often devastating. With globalization comes global problems such as:

    *    unemployment in industrial nations
    *    poverty increases world-wide ~ entire countries in a state of starvation
    *    environmental degradation
    *    national interests of a country changing and becoming more trade oriented and trying to go with the wave of global trade
    *    international interests of a country take prime importance
    *    in developing countries, national debts constrict the institutions of the national state and contribute to the destruction of the economic activity which, in turn, as the effect of creating unemployment
    *    national currencies of many countries are affected by national debts and contribute in destroying social life, creating ethnic conflicts and civil wars
    *   the large corporation is becoming larger and getting more power and control falls into the hands of a few people
    *   globalization is another way of keeping control on our lives in the hands of a few people
    *   with globalization, we have no control and no say in our future and the world becomes a game played by a few people just as it has alway been through history, leading to revolutions and war
    *   with globalization there is no sense of direction and meaning, no security for the individual, just a few people getting richer and controlling us all

Human conscience will insist all possible measures be taken to prevent the planet from becoming uninhabitable. Globalization has the effect of a giant tidal wave on all our values. The Global Community organization has the task of proposing to the world a new system of values.

Human conscience means humans have the knowledge to keep the planet healthy; it is the science of determining right and wrong. In case of the planet's survival it is:
  *   Saving one's own country from becoming an uninhabitable place
  *   Stopping the planet from becoming an uninhabitable place

Human conscience can prevent the planet from becoming uninhabitable. The need to survive can put checks and balances  on the rampantglobalization effects already raging like a virus in our world.

To survive what must be re-thought? Old ideas and values, traditions, laws, ways of doing things must be re-evaluated and some left behind.

It's your life at stake here. Your life and the lives of your children ~ there is no such thing as you taking a Spectator Sport position in the grandstands, enjoying the happenings of the time with detachment and amusement!

Men have the right to be able to provide for their families. We can help the Planet recover from wanton destruction. We can control the resources of our world with good sense. Greed and power of the few can be replaced by Community Conscience and the desperate will to survive!!

The choice is simple survival:

*    every man has the right to be able to provide for his family
*    people have the right to food
*    children have the right to be educated
*    the world has a right to clean healthy fields, streams, meadows and mountains, water and breathable air
*    resources can be helped to last indefinitely

Actions by groups that lead to revolution and war must be curtailed. Power based on greed is not in the best interest of humanity.
 
 
 

 12 e.     Ozone Layer Depletion and its Adverse Effects,
              by Md. Hasibur Rahman, Executive Director, Environment and
                Agricultural Development Studies Centre, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Strastopheric ozone layer inhibits to enter the dangerous Ultra Violet (UV) rays of the sun to the earth's surface. Ozone layer is working as an umbrella to protect the life on earth from the adverse impacts of lethal radiation of the sun. Man-made some harmful chemicals are causing depletion of the ozone layer, the hope of survival of life on earth the only habitat of human being. With the depletion of ozone layer more solar radiation (UV-B) will reach to earth's biosphere that will effects on human health, ecosystem and climate change.

Introduction

Earth's atmosphere is divided into several layers on the basis of temperature and gaseous variation. The lower portion of the atmosphere is called troposphere, it is usually extends upto 12 km from the earth surface. Above the tropopause there is a stable layer of air that usually extends upto 50 km from the earth's surface is called stratosphere. The vertical distribution of the ozone extends roughly between 15 to 50 km above the earth's surface and about 25 km with a maximum concentration of (5x1012) molecules per cubic centimeter. The existence of this thin shield of a relatively highest concentration of a poisonous gas  "Ozone" in the stratosphere is called the "Ozone Layer". The average depth of this layer is about 2.5-3.0 mm. In the earth atmosphere a negligible quantity of ozone found but it creates air pollution and causes health hazardous. Ozone presents in the stratosphere layer as a vital layer to filtrate and efficiently screens out almost all the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. According to the wavelength category ultraviolet radiation can be classified into three types: UV-A (315-400nm), UV-B (290-315nm) and UV-C (200-280nm). Relatively shorter wavelength radiation is more harmful to living organisms. However, the UV-C from the sun is completely absorbed by the stratospheric ozone. Even though little depletion of ozone layer can almost totally screened out UV-C radiation. The longer wavelength UV-A is relatively harmless. The middle wavelength UV-B, less lethal than shorter wave radiation also absorbs most of all but due to little depletion of stratospheric ozone it enters to the earth atmosphere in large quantity and causes dangerous impacts on human health and ecosystem. The rate of entry increase is said to be approximately 2% for every 1% decrease of ozone concentration of the stratosphere.

What is Ozone?

Ozone is an allotropic modification form of oxygen. It is a pale blue gas having a pungent irritating odor.  Oxygen contains two atoms but ozone formed with the three atoms of oxygen. Chemical formula is O3 and molecular weight is 47.998.

Through natural atmospheric process ozone molecules are created and destroyed continuously. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun breaks up oxygen molecules into atoms which then combine with oxygen molecules to form ozone. Electric discharge reactions, including lighting and electric sparks from motors, also convert some oxygen to ozone.
 

Ozone Layer Depletion:

Any damage to the ozone layer allows more UV-B radiation to reach the surface of the Earth. The first major statement of scientific concern over ozone depletion was prompted by James Lovelock’s discovery of the presence of CFCs in the atmosphere all around the world. Depletion of the ozone layer was discovered when a Scientific Research lead by Prof. F. Sherwood Rowland and M.  Molina was jointly published and suggested that the increasing use of chlorine, fluorine & carbon compounds called Chloroflurorocarbons (CFCs) might play a major role in depleting Ozone layer in the stratosphere.  Their extensive works have been conducted in the meantime to confirm the possibility of the ozone depletion by CFCs and assess the future environmental impact. In fact, such ozone depletion was observed later in global trends of total ozone as well as dramatic depletion of the stratospheric ozone thereby found the "Ozone Hole" over Antarctica.

Unexpected recurrence of cold winter temperatures in the stratosphere may itself be due to cumulative ozone destruction, or possible to climate change; in either case, ozone losses over the Northern Hemisphere may be more severe than anticipated in the near future.

From the report of federal meteorological department of Russia, it has been shown that two large ozone hole were observed in the ozone layer over Russia, one in the over Bultic States, Belaruss and Ukraine including Scent Petersburg and another over Yakutaska and Crushnoyearsk of Sieveria. The second ozone hole is very large and the amount of the depletion ozone layer is unanimous. For taking excess protection measures, it has been warning the peoples of the concern area. It has been known from the department that the amount of ozone layer over North-west Russia decreases 20% than the normal state and for that region, the solar ultraviolet radiation penetrates about the increasing rate of 40% in the concern area. In Sieveria, it has decreased about 35% of ozone. It is not mentioned by expert, how many times is stable this ozone hole but warned the peoples, specially, white skin and red hair not to move in the day sunlight.

Ozone Depleting Substances

Human interventions are now threatening the destruction of fragile shield of ozone layer that protects the earth from the harmful rays of the sun through the use of some chemicals termed as "Ozone Depleting Substances" (ODSs). The major ozone depleting substances are Chloroflorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform.

Most of the world's CFC production is used in fridge's, freezers, air conditioners, spray cans, blowing foams for various uses from buildings and cars to fast food containers and for cleaning and used as propellants in aerosol cans. Halons, which are similar to CFCs in structure but which contain bromine atoms rather than chlorine are more dangerous to ozone destruction. Halons are mainly used as fire-extinguishing agents. Carbon tetrachloride also used in fire fighting and present in pesticides, dry cleaning agents and grain fumigants is slightly more destructive than the CFCs.

Rowland and Molina asserted that CFC molecules could diffuse up into the stratosphere where they are broken apart by solar UV radiation, releasing free chlorine radicals. The chlorine radicals act as a catalyst to destroy ozone molecules without itself undergoing any permanent change. The net result is that 2 molecules of ozone are replaced by 3 molecular oxygen leaving the chlorine radical free to repeat the process. Thus each chlorine radical can destroys thousands of ozone molecules before it is removed from the stratosphere. Some of the CFC substitutes already developed such as Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) also deplete the Ozone layer at much lower rates.
 

Impacts of Ozone Layer Depletion

UV-B radiation adversely effects on plants growth, harming crop yields, and quality, and damaging forest, increases plant pathogens and decreases the productivity of phytoplankton and also the early development stages of fish and other aquatic organisms.  The most severe effects of solar UV-B radiation are on early development stages of aquatic systems such as fish, shrimp, crab, amphibians and other animals, decreased reproductive capacity and impaired larval development. This will leads to a significant reduction in the size of the population of consumer organisms. It is particularly important that more than 30% of the world’s animal protein for human consumption comes from the sea and in many countries. So decrease of seafood will increase socio-economic problems. On the other hand, reduction in the productivity of marine and terrestrial ecosystem could, in turn, reduce the absorption of carbon dioxide thus contributing to global warming.

The increased penetration of solar UV-B radiation to the earth’s surface has adverse effects on human health, animals, plants, microorganisms and materials and air quality. The substantial adverse effects on human health rises in the incidence of and morbidity from skin cancer, eye diseases, and infectious diseases. Impacts on human health is as follows:

(a)  Skin Cancer: UV-B radiation is the key risk factor for the development of melanoma skin cancer. White skinned people who have little protective pigment in the skin are most susceptible to skin cancer. Epidemiological data observed by UNEP environmental impact panel that indicates the possibility of incidence of melanoma increases with exposure to sunlight especially in childhood.

Prediction has also been made that a sustained 10% decrease in ozone will be associated with a 26% increase in melanoma skin cancer. If all other things remain constant there will be an increase in excess of 300,000 cases of cancer per year throughout the world (UNEP, 1991).

(b)  Cataracts:  An increase in the incidence of eye disorders particularly Cataracts, is related to the rise in the level of UV-B radiation. If the ozone layer decreases by 1%, it is predicted that globally the number of cases of cataracts will increase by 0.6% to 0.8% (UNEP, 1994). Eye cataracts will lead to the cause of blindness in future.

(c)  Weakening of immunity: Exposure to increase UV-B radiation could also suppress the body's immune system. According to the report of environmental impact panel, a lowering of immunity is occurring not only in light-skinned people, but is affecting dark-skinned people also. It is believed that a weakening of immunity results in increase of infectious diseases such as simple herpes, leishmanoid and malaria. Weaken immune system could lead to an increase in the occurrence of infectious diseases and possible decrease of body protection such effect would exacerbate the poor calorie consuming mal-nutrient people of many developing countries.

Promotion of Ozone Layer Protection in Bangladesh

Bangladesh accessed to the Montreal Protocol on 2nd August, 1990 and ratified its London amendment on 18th March 1994. As a signatory to the protocol, control measures have to be imposed on the import and consumption of ODSs in Bangladesh from July 1, 1999. As a developing country, Bangladesh will enjoy a ten-year grace period in order to meet its basic domestic needs and schedule of ban of CFCs, halons and carbon tetrachloride in 2010, methyl chloroform in 2015 and of HCFCs in 2040.
 

Within the stipulated period Bangladesh is committed to Phase-out ODSs, Ozone Cell was constituted within the Department of Environment (DOE) on 1995. The major activities of Ozone Cell are:
· to coordinate and facilitate activities related to ODS phase-out;
· to grant permits during transition Period and Monitor activities related to ODS use in Bangladesh;
· to facilitate exchange of information and access to information on ODS phase-out activities, technology alternatives, technical reports, etc.;
· to disseminate information and create awareness about ODS phase-out;
· to organize Seminars/Workshops on ODS substitutes, alternative technologies recycling and recovery, etc.;
· to report to the ozone Secretariat, on yearly basis, about Progress being made in the implementation of the country Programme;

Aerosol sector is the single largest CFC consuming sector (as per survey report, 49% of total ODS is used in this sector) in Bangladesh and uses a CFC-11/12 mix. The Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund has agreed to finance "Aerosol Sector Phase-out" project in Bangladesh, and the Govt. of Bangladesh recently approved the project (Source: DOE).

Conclusion

It is most important to stop ODS production phase by phase with replacing by non-ODS production for industrial purpose. Ozone layer is a global concern its adverse effect would be most vulnerable to the life on earth.  Increases in solar UV radiation could decreases the productivity of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, hence destroying the marine phytoplankton which are a major atmospheric CO2 absorber and reservoir will impacts on global warming and climate change.

Ozone layer is the vital to life survivor, because it absorbs dangerous ultraviolet rays of sun to reaching the surface of the earth. Bangladesh contribution to ozone depletion is negligible. As a developing country, having low level of industrialization and economic development, so the chances of using ozone-depleting substances are insignificant.  To mitigate ozone layer depletion, ozone friendly alternative technologies are needed to introduce immediately. In the recovery and recycling sector of refrigeration and air conditioners is to be adopt modern technology to take care in case of licking of ODS during recycling period. Citizen can play a vital role in choosing ODS free equipment for their daily life and for better environment.
 

 12 f.    The Ozone Depleting Substances: A Sustainable Development Issue  by Germain Dufour, Physicist

The technical definition of Sustainable  Development is:

     "a sound balance among the interactions of the impacts (positive and/or negative), or stresses, on the four major quality systems: People, Economic Development, Environment and Availability of Resources."

The non-technical definition is:

"a sound balance among the interactions designed to create a healthy economic growth, preserve environmental quality, make wise use of our resources, and enhance social benefits."

An evaluation of sustainable development consists of ranking risks relative to each other and to help deciding which practice is better than another. It takes into accounts:

* the economic impacts of environmental and health degradation;
* the impact of people activity on the environment;
* global concerns and their impacts on the economy, health and the environment;
* the welfare, economic development and quality of life of future generations;
* expenditures on pollution abatement, clean-ups, and people health;
* the depreciation or appreciation of natural assets, the depletion and degradation of natural resources and the environment, ecological processes and biological diversity, the costs of rectifying unmitigated environmental damage, the values of natural resources, capital stocks, the impacts of degradation or improvement, social costs, health costs, environmental clean-up costs, and the costs of the environment, economic growth, and resources uses to current and future generations and to a nation’s income.

The measurement also gives a proper and sound signal to the public, government and industry about the rate and direction of economic growth; it identifies environmental, health, and social quality; it identifies sustainable and unsustainable levels of resource and environmental uses; it measures the success or failure of sustainable development policies and practices; and it identifies resource scarcity. Values obtained enable us to make meaningful comparisons of sustainable development between cities, provinces, nations over the entire planet.

The Ozone layer of the Earth is an important physical characteristic of our environment that protects life from the ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. Several different substances affect the capacity of the layer from blocking these rays.

An Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS) is a chemical compound that is sufficiently stable to reach the stratosphere and is capable of reacting with stratospheric ozone, leading to ozone depletion.

The Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer is an international treaty that was ratified by 24 nations in 1987 that allows the continued trade of recycled halons (i.e., those produced before January 1, 1994). The Montreal Protocol does not prescribe restrictions on the use of any ODS; however, the Montreal Protocol does call upon Parties to make best efforts to control unnecessary emissions.

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) provides the legal basis for Canadian compliance with the requirements of the Montreal Protocol. There are two regulations under the Act:

a. The Ozone-depleting Substances Regulations (ODS  Regulations), SOR/95-576, December 7, 1995 ; and
b. The Ozone-depleting Substances Products Regulations (ODS Products Regulations), SOR/95-584, December 13, 1995.
c. The former prohibits the manufacture of ODS's (such as halons) in Canada, and prescribe
restrictions on the importation of ODS's (such as halons) into Canada. The latter prohibits the use
of ODS's in specific applications.

Several provincial legislatures have established environmental requirements for ozone-depleting substances, including halons. In addition to these legal requirements, industry and trade associations also establish standards for the management of various substances within their fields.

Since 1987, the federal government has initiated several regulatory projects to reduce or eliminate the use of ozone-depleting-substances in Canada. These projects have targeted manufacturers, importers or users of these substances.  One such project is The Canadian Environmental Protection Act Ozone-depleting Substances Regulation designed  to eliminate the production and importation of CFCs as of January 1, 1996.

Federal ODS Regulations control the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale, import and export of ozone depleting substances. Federal ODS Regulations do not restrain the use of ODS in Canada. Regulations applies to the production and importation of ODS.

Several federal government officials were contacted and have confirmed that:

* No permits are required to use any equipment containing ODSs;
* The intent of the Regulations is controlling emissions not replacing existing systems;
* Most developing countries no longer produce ODSs; the only way we can use ODSs is through recycling; users will eventually find that there will be less and less equipment making use of ODSs and that the equipment will be more expensive to purchase;
* Users of ODS should also contact provincial authorities for further information on purchase, use, reuse, and release of ODS;
* As well, the Act and its Regulation has provisions related to the servicing of equipment which may contain ozone-depleting substances (refrigeration and air conditioning equipment and other equipment which contains ozone-depleting substances);  servicing procedures must also conform to the requirements specified in the Environment Canada "Code of Practice for Reduction of Chlorofluorocarbon Emissions from Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems." Persons servicing equipment which contains ozone-depleting substances are required to have training in accordance with the Apprenticeship and Industry Training Act and its regulations.

The release of air emissions exceeding or contrary to the limits set in this regulation are reportable in accordance with the substance release provisions of the Act. Regulatory offences and penalties are set out in this regulation, with a maximum fine for individuals of $50,000 and $500,000 for corporations.

ODS Federal - Provincial Government Officals were contacted. It was found  that

(A) The federal government position was to create a Strategy on ODS and to make sure that all federal buildings and facilities across Canada would be phasing out ODS; and
(B) The Defence Department was stocking all cylinders containing ODS for its own uses and purposes at a later date; the Government of Canada has a lot of equipment with ODS and stocking cylinders would protect future needs.

If you happen to have a Fire Extinguishing System with a cylinder containing Halon1301, the disposal of halons should be decided in advance and be performed in a manner that does not endanger the environment (through unnecessary releases to the atmosphere). Chem-Security (Alberta) Ltd., with the Alberta Special Waste Management System in Swan Hills, was contacted to estimate the cost of destroying  the Halon 1301 cylinder. It was found that Chem-Security was unable to destroy  the ODS. They have never destroyed ODS because they are not equipped to do so. They said they could not take the cylinder.

Government officials were called back and told  that it was not surprising that Chem-Security had not destroyed  the Halon cylinder or  any other ODS container because no one in Canada can do it. It has never been done in this country. Even though ODS  will make their way to the Ozone layer and destroy the atmosphere of the Earth, everybody prefers to recycle ODS.

 So far only one U.S. company was found to have the capacity of destroying the ODS. Inspectors from the company are willing to come to Canada to start the procedure of taking away the Halon 1301 cylinder and having the gas destroyed but for a high cost.

 More ODS are at this moment slowly  making their way to the Ozone layer (it can take years for ODS to get there). If we do not stop recycling ODS, most recycled ODS, if not destroyed now, will eventually make their way to the Ozone layer and destroy it. It makes no sense that the federal and  provincial governments, and the industry, are not doing anything about this (except on paper with long and expensive strategies and phasing out plans). Thousand of kilograms of ODS stockpiled by governments and the industry will eventually make their way to the Ozone layer and destroy it.

Basic principles of sustainable development require that we do all possible to protect Earth and its atmosphere from being damaged beyond repairs. Certainly there are other options.

It is proposed here that incentives should be given to any individual or organization to take an ODS containing cylinder to a federal government owned storage facility where it can be destroyed and rendered harmless. It should be made easy for anyone wanting to have the ODS destroyed.

Anyone consciously contributing good to the evolution of the planet deserves encouragement.