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Global 2000

World Congress on Managing and Measuring Sustainable Development
Global Community Action 1

August 1-22, 2000

OVERVIEW

The OVERVIEW of Global 2000 was made from the Discussion Roundtable summaries of the 73 Discussion Roundtables. These summary results include brain-storming exercises, Vision statements, comments and recommendations, reviewing of research papers and also results of the discussions in August 2000.


Index
of

Discussion Roundtable Summaries
* Social
* Environment
* Economic Development
* Availability of Resources










Discussion Roundtables Listing and Summaries

Social Aspects

1. On well-being, the healthy family and the community
2. The role of families
3. Women's issues
4. Personal sustainable development pathway
5. Social development
6. Earth Charter
7. Aboriginal peoples
8. Human Rights
9. Quality of Life
10. Global Ethics
11. Genetic resources
12. Public discussions: listening to all voices
13. Eradication of poverty
14. Wars, armed conflicts, and violence
15. Earth management
16. Cooperation between developing and developed countries
17. Human health
18. Education and training
19. Spiritual values helping a sustainable future
20. Transboundary agreements
21. Disability and globalization
22. Human evolutionary development
23. Institutions for Environmental Governance: issues of Community Participation and Sustainable Development
24. International and interstate conflicts on the base of environmental stress
25. Social-economical problems of environmental refugees
26. Sustainable urban community development
27. Globalization
28. The Global Community: its objectives, the GCAC, the Charter, the grassroots process and the organization
29. World models to sustain Earth
30. Definition of Sustainable Development
31. Vision of Earth in Year 2024
32. The Scale of Values
33. A photo display presentation for interpreting sustainability
34. Dramatic play presentation
35. Implementation of Sustainable Development
36. Measurement and assessment of indicators
37. Population Pressure


Environment Aspects


1. Ecological protection and management
2. Sustainability of technological processes
3. Marine area management
4. Land management
5. Waste management
6. Energy management
7. Ozone layer protection
8. Global warming
9. Climate changes assessment and management
10. Air pollution
11. Water pollution
12. Measurement and assessment of indicators
13. Land Degradation
14. Environmental films to stimulate the emotional perception of ecological problems and motivate people
15. Ecological Education
16. Watershed Management


Economic Development


1. Global Economic Development
2. Risk analysis to measure sustainable development for large construction projects
3. Integrated system of economy-environment accounting
4. Financing sustainable development
5. Measurement and assessment of indicators
6. Sustainability and Global Consumption
7. Sustainability, lifestyle and global consumption
8. Sustainable Agriculture and World Trade



Availability of Resources


1. Resources management
2. Farming
3. Water resources protection and management
4. Measurement and assessment of indicators
5. Energy
6. Mining
7. Tourism
8. Forest Issues and Sustainable Forestry
9. Fresh Water Resources, Clean Air and Human Rights
10. Oil and Gas Industry
11. Manufacturing Industry, Consumption and Sustainability
12. Power Industry


1. On well-being, the healthy family and the community

Health is created and lived by people within a community: where they work, learn, play, and love(Dufour). Health is a complex state involving mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and social well-being. Each community can develop its own ideas of what a healthy community is by looking at its own situation, and finding its own solutions. Health promotion generates living and working conditions that are safe, stimulating, satisfying and enjoyable. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, a community must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change with the environment. The overall guiding principle for the community is the need to encourage reciprocal maintenance, to take of each other and the environment. The important part of the thinking in both community health and ecological sustainability is the need to find a sense of community as a crucial aspect of healthy individual development.

There is a multitude of influences shaping family life and its well-being. Wellness is a concept related to physical well-being. It is a new health paradigm replacing the old model of doctors, drugs, and treating symptoms. Spiritual well-being deals with mental, emotional and spiritual as well as physical health. Instead of blaming the doctor for an illness and expecting insurance companies and government to pick up the health care tab, a wellness approach places personal responsibility as part of the solution. Personal responsibility is a fundamental aspect of The Global Community concepts. We are being responsible people whenever we are aware of our surroundings and community and we seek to improve not abuse.

One of the main coping strategies of poor households during the transition period is engagement in small scale farming, production and /or petty trade such as self-employment (Dzhamanbaev). These activities help to smooth household consumption and maintain food security during crisis. Despite considerable efforts, however, most of the poor people engaged in these activities have not been able to overcome poverty.


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2. The role of families

Pavlova argues that only after pursued reforms it is possible to revive families in Russian Society. Only after education in the spirit of moral principles it is probable to revive new family relationships, new family psychology, new traditions. World history of Society development evidently showed connection between family and spiritual level of mankind development. Contemporary African setting has two major types of family: nuclear family and extended family. The nuclear family includes father, mother and children while extended family has father, mother, children and also embraces in-laws, uncles, aunties and so on. All the forms of family expressed come from either a monogamous setting or a polygamous setting. Monogamous setting simply means one man one wife while polygamous setting sets no limit to the number of wives a man can have. Polygamy is seen as an index of wealth, strength, affluence and greatness. This is delusion and its acceptance is becoming low in modern African setting. Loss of support for polygamy is as a result of sudden understanding on the part of the entire populace. All cultures and nations value the family as an important social unit. The family is the basic social unit of The Global Community (or Earth Community or Earth Society). 

Members of The Global Community organization appreciate all people's cultural and religious perspectives on family planning. We are promoting tolerance for their beliefs and practices. We want to cooperate on a global scale in making the world a better place for our children and their families. The 'role of families', with its cultural and ethical aspects, is a complicated issue for policymaking. A global intercultural dialogue on rights and responsibilities of individuals and societies regarding decisions about sustaining Earth can be very timely. We will keep this dialogue open as there is so much more to discuss. The 'role of families' is a very important issue. It includes a vast domain of fundamental questions that are concerned with human aspects.

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and wellbeing of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control." The couple has the responsibility to take fertility decisions. Society has the right to balance its members basic natural rights and social rights and may have to impose limits on their natural rights in order to improve the quality of life of the people. Such an action would have to be conducted with respect of the dignity and worth of the human person. Social incentives and disincentives, and ethical pressures may all influence the decisions of the couple. 

Our species is threatened of extinction unless we all behave and conduct our lives responsibly. The Global Community organization has taken the role of a unique and universal society that represents the best possible values for the survival of our species and of all life on Earth. We are the new Earth Community or Earth Society.

We are asking if there are universal ethical principles. We have before us many principles that tell something about issues:

  • The principle of justice: all persons within a given society deserve equal access to goods and services that fulfill basic human needs.

  • The principle of individual liberty: individuals have the freedom of decision and action, to the extent that their actions do not interfere with the rights of others.

  • The utilitarian principle: morally right actions or policies are those that result in the greatest number of people.

These principles help us in understanding the extent of the issue. Furthermore, all life on Earth has a problem of survival.


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3. Women's Issues

Major institutions promoting women’s rights are governments, NGOs and international organisations that deal with three problems, namely women’s rights, religious revival and prevention of violence against women.

The governments take measures in order to:

  • Disseminate legal literacy at a family level, using such available tools as community councils in Uzbekistan;
  • Include the subject of women’s rights into religious education, where it is available;
  • Take stricter measures at the executive level against violators of women’s rights;
  • Pass special laws within the Civil Code against specific forms of violence against women, e.g. domestic violence or violence during armed conflicts;
  • Implement reforms of the Family Code in favour of greater equality of sexes, e.g. prohibition of polygamy;
  • Train officials, who will supervise the observance of laws, to the means of handling cases of violence against women;
  • Set up shelters, rehabilitation and crisis centres for women with appropriately trained professional personnel (questions as to whether this problem should be resolved by independent FNGOs were realised);
  • Collect and disseminated statistical data regarding violence against women in their respective states;
  • Distribute governmental reports on the status of women among concerned
  •  NGOs and agencies and provide NGOs with available data.
Non-governmental organisations include measures into their programmes in order to:
  •  develop and introduce education and campaigns on legal literacy of women ( ); release awareness-raising information, printed and audio-visual materials on women’s human rights, violence against women and legal literacy ( );
  •  establish hot line for women victims of violence ( );
  •  influence mass media to make the society realise women’s rights and to develop skills of maintaining links with mass media ( );
  •  conduct studies and act as independent sources of information among women, in particular in the sphere of violence against women ( );
  •  protect and lobby actions for the government and governmental agencies to change legislation and policies towards women ( );
  •  initiate campaigns on the conscience-raining and training among men;
  •  improve links among FNGOs in Central Asia and other states for information exchange and technical co-operation;
  •  maintain links with feminist groups in other Muslim states to launch actions of solidarity (WLUML was cited as an example of the existing international community of solidarity ( );

International organisation work in that direction in order to:
  • - provide financial support to FNGOs;
  • - assist in the distribution of the information and experience among FNGOs;
  • - help to form communities among groups of women doing the same work;

Transitional period is a time of social transformations and it must comprise new interrelations between culture and development. Part of this new culture must be a refusal from traditions which date back to medieval times and have brought to violation or restriction of women’s rights. New culture should envisage open discussion of interrelations between traditions and human rights which are recognised as a universal value now.

The focus of the Heather Eaton's paper is to bring ecofeminism into a discussion with the social, political and ecological consequences of globalization, and to achieve ecofeminism. One goal is to address the need for adequate responses to the dominant global systems of corporate rule and economic profit and can leave ecological and social ruin in their wake. It is a step in the evolution of ecofeminism perspectives in dialogue with the intent of liberation from the vantage points of liberation theologies, North/South experiences, and radical and political movements. 


Condemned by individual governments and the United Nations as the most widely reviled abuse of women's human rights, military sexual atrocities against women continue unabated at the dawn of the third millennium (Janet M. Eaton).

Alexander has found that India has moved away from gender equality. Although there has been a growing awareness in recent years of the disadvantaged predicament of women in Indian society, social justice can be achieved only through the active social struggle of women. The suppression of women from participation in social, political, and economic life hurts the people as a whole, not just women. Alexander discussed first the persistence of extraordinarily high levels of gender inequality and female deprivation are among India’s most serious social failures. Few other regions of the world have achieved so little promoting gender justice. Second, gender inequality does not decline automatically with the process of economic growth. In fact, we have seen that some important forces operate in the reverse direction. Third, gender inequality is not only a social failure in itself, it also leads to other social failures. We have illustrated this link in some detail with particular reference to child mortality and general fertility.

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4. Personal Sustainable Development

A new concept proposed by du Hamel is called the Global Enhancement (GE). GE acts as a framework with a strategy that stems from a platform I call a change of focus (CF). CF is initiated from a microeconomic base where community pressure influences the political chain of power from the individual locality, to the national level of the state. Thereby, political power is secured by the politician’s subjugation to community initiatives, and continues to provide political stability to the party as long as they put into action the community’s needs. However, this structure loosely exists now for business initiatives both at the community level and the global level. For instance, the previous example of transnational companies operating in free trade or export processing zones are the result of political deals and investments made by people in power. But, what is the key to GE and critical for its success, is environmental education to the masses at the microeconomic level. Thus, the following process begins to take effect:

  •  People become aware of their immediate environment through education on the seriousness of environmental dangers and destruction occurring in their surroundings; 
  •  People learn how environmental neglect threatens the health of their person or community; 
  •  People acquire a new knowledge of how to solve environmental problems that will propel them to get involved in the political process that institutes rules and regulations regarding environmental investments. 
  •  Therefore, people will act by demanding the need for environmentally sympathetic actions in state or individual affairs.


Karopa considered the interdependence between a person's health and the state of environment.  The idea is to create a system of scientific knowledge about: the human organism and ecological laws (Steiner, Savard); the internal and external spheres of the human organism; and about health as a cumulative effect of various ecological factors. 

Langes found that adults become interested in the concept of sustainability and transforming their patterns of living and working when the learning process holds the promise of enabling them to return to their sense of life purpose, re-defining and raising their quality of life, and mobilizing their moral and ethical autonomy, particularly in the context of work. During her study, the participants began a transformative journey from  "the mode of having" including consuming and grasping, to "the mode of being" or relatedness, a mode that is part of an ecological way of being. The participants also began to restore organic connections to their time, space, body and human relations. It was concluded that both transformative and restorative learning are vital elements for integrating ecological principles into everyday living and working and hence, for creating sustainable societies.

Lopin discussed the theory of development as a method of cognition. It is necessary to realize clearly that the ambient universe and our internal universe are the results of a previous development and basis for further development. 

Shpigel discussed the achievements of science and technique and  problems in interpersonal, ethnic, religious relations, have become the reason for considering the processes of the evolutionary development. The evolutionary development of the nature is determined by the priority development and perfection of information-control biological systems and the human brain possessing the consciousness is an information-control system which has become the highest point of development of the nature.

 McGregor considered political well-being, or an internal sense of power and autonomy, is construed as being in control of one's life, being able to and having the freedom to make decisions, being aware of and able to anticipate the consequences of one's actions on one's self and others and having the skills to act on one's decisions. We equate this with empowerment and self formation in our mission statement. When this dimension of well-being is achieved, individuals no longer accept unquestioningly those practices in society that are frequently taken for granted, those practices which reinforce inequality and injustice.

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

      *  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.
 

Personal Sustainable Development pathway(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.

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, fresh water 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 the air 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 nomads).
 



5. Social Development

Bivol mentioned that the combined efforts of many sciences revealed a close interdependence between the human health, the conduct of the people, the quality of their environment, the type of their professional occupation, the motives and objectives of their lives, the relationships with other people and with the natural elements. Zadorsky stated that the concept of sustainable development includes three aspects: ecological, economic and social. The under-estimation of any of these three components will result in an infringement of stability of development. Russia has recently become a state of the "general ecologization" (Bogolyubov). Moreover the importance of this sphere of human knowledge and the necessity of the environmental education are accepted by everybody including teachers and ministers. The final aim of the environmental education is the formation of a "healthy environment community" that lives in harmony with nature(Knijnikova). 

Keith Brown  examines the transition of the economy of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, from a heavily industrialized region reliant upon coal and steel, to one moving towards development based upon knowledge and culture. A closer look at multimedia and entertainment sectors illustrates the breadth of the diversification that is taking hold.  This thesis suggests the two are inextricably linked and those of us who are practitioners or academics in the field must encourage local communities and community groups to embrace globalization and the resultant niche opportunities for innovative, entrepreneurial solutions for regional, national and international demands. 

Vilinovic, Chrenko, HudekToma and Miklos developed a project to assist the Slovak Republic in enhancing public participation in activities promoting sustainable development at the national, regional and local level. The segment will provide small grants and technical assistance for NGO´s and local communities in order to strengthen their capacity and to assist them in the implementation of small projects related to sustainable development with a particular focus on environmental protection and management, social and community development and building partnership between municipalities, NGO´s, the private sector and other stakeholders of the society. The projects should be linked to the sectors and issues (Dernbach, Huba) recognised by Agenda 21, for example air, soil and water pollution problems, biodiversity issues, energy issues, environmental law related issues, education and awareness raising, rural development or sustainable development (both on national and local level).

Colman proposed some types of economic growth that clearly enhance well being, increase equity and protect the environment. There is vital work to be done in our society: - raising children, caring for those in need, restoring our forests, providing adequate food and shelter for all, enhancing our knowledge and understanding, and strengthening our communities. But we will never shift our attention to the work that is needed if we fail to value our natural resources, our voluntary service, and if we place no value on equity, free time and the health of our communities (McGregor, Pavlova, Soskolne).

Danielyan proposed to  elaborate method basing on the statistical data of other countries (in particular the CIS countries), which would make it possible to evaluate the situation from the same position with implementation of a rather adequate system of parameters.
Section Leader – Karine Danielyan, has summarized results from her section:

Dear colleagues,

I hope most of you have became acquainted with the reports, presented to the “5. Social Development” section.

Dr. G. Arakelyan (Head of International Relations commission of our Association), and I together have organized the Round table in Yerevan and briefly discussed the section’s materials with the specialists - members of Association “For Sustainable Human Development”. I express the common opinion that the reports are utterly interesting and cover the broad spectra of problems from “the general theory of development” up to specific examples of local Agenda-21 (for states, cities), or separate well worked programs on environmental education and Eco-House. Below is performed my vision of the forthcoming discussion on the section (taking into account the results of conducted Round table also). The themes for discussion I think will be as follows:

1. In one of performed reports was given the well-known term “Sustainable development suggests a discourse about the prospects for ecology and equity in post-industrial societies” (Sacsh, 1998). Many people, especially economists, share this opinion. In practice most of managers in poor (or impoverished, as my country) countries express it in a utilitarian form: “From the beginning we have to achieve at any price the well-being of developed countries, and then we shall think about ecology and sustainable development”.

By my opinion it is in principle wrong to think, that transition to sustainable development is possible only in post-industrial society. The natural resources of planet are limited, humanity passed all permissible limits of global resources usage long ago; and Summit in Rio-92 noted the insustainability of the modern western models of production and especially consumption systems.

I suppose that at any level of economical development (in case, of course, when the living wage and hygiene and sanitary conditions are secured) reorientation towards sustainable development and fulfilment of its basic principles are possible. At the same time the primary task for post-industrial super- developed or super-consuming society must be the decline in resources use rate.

Mahatma Handy wrote that Great Britain for its welfare has used the resources of the half of Planet. How many planets needs a country like India for its welfare?

We need to follow the most resources-economy path, we owe to transfer prestigiousness accent from material welfare towards spiritual development.

I think the touched upon problem will be one of the basic themes of our discussion.

2. From the mentioned subject there originate a number of questions in the field of progress indication.

Ought the SD indicators and indexes to be same for all countries, or they must to be classified for different groups of countries (for example industrial, middle-industrial countries, countries in transition, developing and the least developed countries)? For example, such approach has been used by UNDP while developing the population poverty Index (2 variants – for developed and developing countries). UNEP also ranges the ecological problems and priorities by countries (GEO report) - for example, as the basic ecological priority for the least developed countries is recorded food security.

In the field of SD indication the following question seems to me more interesting. Practically all methods of index calculation include economical assessment of ecological processes (damage assessment, other). By my opinion such approach can be acceptable and practical for local problems, but on the global level it is needed quite new philosophy, as, in principle, it is impossible to evaluate the loss of biological species or the lake eco-system, etc.

We have developed the method which enables to avoid the transformation of ecological indicators into economic ones (the report is placed in the section on indicators).

It is interesting to know the section participants’ opinion on this subject.

3. The same basic problems (the rate of unification or approach ranging) exist in the field of transition to SD also. Estimating the Rio+5 process UNDP noted, that the main omission of the passed years is the lack of ecological and poverty eradication programs integration – as really “poverty is the major pollutant”. At present WB started such integrated programs in a number of countries, among others in Armenia. In the reports there is noted some positive experience in this field. It is advisable to discuss this problem on a broader scale.

4. In environmental field the non-repayable assistance of developed countries is of technical and information nature. At the same time the economics of developing countries and countries in transition is unable to realise any substantial environmental investments. Accordingly, not existing “old” neither obtained “new” knowledge is taking root.

As a rule, cleaner technologies are not passed, since they are the ownership of the private business-sector, and the last one practice philanthropy of such kind extremely seldom. As a result there are no real changes in our countries in this field.

Some authors of our section suggest to found International Centre of Practical and Industrial Safety for Countries in transition. By my opinion this idea is undoubtedly worthy of attention. The proposed activity is one of UNIDO mandate, but it seems it is really insufficient.

5. Few participants touched the basic (by my opinion) theme of contemporaneity: “Globalisation and Sustainable Development”. But this subject deserves deep accent, particularly in the light of the last demonstrations in Seattle, Davoce, Washington, and the results of NCSDs International Forum (New- York, UN, April 17-29, 2000) and Global Millennium Forum (UN, May, 22-26, 2000) discussions.

6. In some reports is discussing the role of education and human resources development and legislation in the field of SD as well. It would be very useful to exchange the experience in this field.

7. Democracy and human rights are the very important aspects of SD. In this field the some participants of the section gave attention to the problem of gender inequality (particularly, to the violence during the war).

It is of interest to know the views of the participants on the following questions:

- To what extent serious is the gender inequality problem in different countries?

- Whether does economic growth provide the transition to the gender equality invariably?

- What are the impact of traditions and ethnic mentality on this phenomenon and the most optimal ways for problem solution?

8. A number of reports is devoted to the environmental education. Under discussion are the tasks, ways and tendency of total ecologization of education and youth involvement into the sphere of SD formation in the frames of state and non-formal education.

The exchange of views in this field will be very useful.

This problem is very interesting to me also, as I am the author of the university’s textbook “Sustainable Human Development Concept: Theory and Practice”, other, and I am reading the lectures at the universities and schools, through radio and TV also.

9. There is broad discussion around the very important subject – conservation and development of ethnic and cultural diversity. This problem is harmonious with the problem of bio- and landscape diversity. It is underlined the ecological compatibility of the indigenous people mode of living, the necessity of global “perception of the Earth as a veritable being of Geia analogous to a mother to us all”.

I completely agree to the outspoken point of view, that diversity of cultures (urban among others), but not cosmopolitanism, is the basis for social sustainability. But at the same time the culture of Moderateness and transition from anthropocentrism to the ecocentrism (or biospheracentrism) must be common for all planet cultures.

In discussions is underlying the role of the family in sustainable consumption models forming, and the necessity of protection and preservation the family institution.

I believe these thesis both are of great importance for small nations, as the modern pressure of uniform mass-culture (or rather pseudoculture) is a serious threat for them. In Armenia we realize it, as it is already three thousand years we survive thanks to the family, conserved language and culture.

I think when discussing this problem it is advisable to draw attention to the following question:

- Do the modern mass-media serve for generation of mentality corresponding to the SD principles and ideology, particularly to the culture of Moderateness and to the idea of conservation of ethnic, cultural, bio- and landscape diversity.

I completely agree to the outspoken view, that diversity of cultures (urban among others), but not cosmopolitanism, is the basis for social sustainability. But at the same time the culture of Moderateness and transition from anthropocentrism to the ecocentrism (or

10. Somewhat separate is the report “The Theory of Development as a Method of Cognition”. I think it needs an all-inclusive, laborious analysis.

We would be glad to get responses concerning the specific projects - Agenda-21, Eco-House and other.

Thank you for collaboration.

 

De Feis explored the four diverse interests of the "four-legged stool": needs of people, optimal resource utilization, economy, and environment, and the opportunities to bring management, big business and the economic sector back into the "sustainable development fold."  

Djanaeva found  that the current socio-ecological crisis (SEC) was a crisis of interrelations between society and natural environment, but not of the interrelating parties separately. Besides SEC is considered as a historical normal state of the development of the system "Society-Natural environment". Using the ecological approach helps to identify the roots of the challenge. 

A significant proportion of Ireland's population resides in urban areas and therefore the issue of urban environmental quality is of great importance (Dunne and Convery). Although a number of recent policy initiatives have focused at improving the socio-economic conditions of urban areas, many urban environmental problems are still intensifying. Such problems include waste management, aspects of air quality, noise and water pollution, traffic congestion, the loss of open space, and the degradation of the urban landscape. In 1996, the EPA report, State of the Environment in Ireland, recommended that a comprehensive set of environmental and sustainability indicators are developed for Ireland to guide sustainable development and to measure environmental quality and the effectiveness of government policies. Among those suggested for priority was the theme of the urban environment. The Policy Agreement for a Government of Renewal (1994) states the Government's commitment to work towards a new set of indicators of sustainable development, taking account of environmental and social factors, and to be used alongside measures of economic activity such as GDP.  

Dzhamanbaev found that building the capacity of the poor to develop their own strategies for overcoming poverty and supporting these very strategies enables us to ensure sustainability of poor people’s own initiatives. Moving towards institutional sustainability is important for ensuring that financial services are available on a long-term basis for the poor. This should not, however, compromise the need to ensure the sustainability and development of the poor people’s activities themselves. The Human Element is a key determinant for growth and sustainability(LaBianca).  

Lange researched answers to the question: What will it take to engage individuals and communities in significant changes that constitute a sustainable society? The primary purpose of this qualitative educational research study, carried out in Canada, was to determine the entry points and learning processes that are most effective in engaging middle class adults in actions that contribute to a sustainable society.

 Lange has shown that achieving sustainable development may be linked with policies emphasizing community, the value of information, originality in ideas, and the arts (Guidotti, Karopa).  

KON discussed the impacts of the recent economic globalization on the Brazilian economy have revealed a diversified tendency in spatial development, when regional economic indicators are observed. This is due to the specificities of each region, as regards their sector structure, the availability of human resources, the agglomeration economies and the degree of technological innovation undertaken by local enterprises. 

Krasnyansky bring solutions to the problems of ecology and technological safety that become more and more important for mankind. The majority of countries of East Europe, South America, Asia and Africa have not enough finances either for environment protection (keeping air and water clean) or for utilization of the accumulated industrial and domestic wastes, or for preventing fires and explosions in industry, woods, etc. The industrial wastes in these countries (stored in dumps and settling tanks)can be of interest. In the Ukraine there had been accumulated not less than 25 billion tons of such wastes, and the estimates are that they are 2 - 3 trillion tons in the whole world. On the one side such wastes are the source of ecological disaster and on the other side they contain billions of tons of ready residual raw materials: coal, oil products, wood, iron, non-ferrous metals, rare metals, etc.

 Lagutov Vladimir Victorovich from Russia developed a new concept is aimed at the stabilization of the environment under conditions of limited resources and authority degradation. The main idea behind the realization of this goal is the dislocation of the most active social part of the local population in the key areas of river basins. 

The Belarusian people badly need adequate information concerning the real consequences of the Chernobyl accident(Mikalai). They are often unaware of what is to be done to improve the state of environment, their living standards, and how to deal with various problems that life presents. The problem of survival and human rights are on the agenda of the Belarusian society at the turn of the centuries. 

Ng discussed public spending, especially on research and environmental protection, is likely well below optimal due to the long-term and global public-good nature and the overestimation of the costs of raising public revenue. This overestimation arises from 1. Economists' emphasis on the excess burden of taxation, ignoring that this is largely offset by the negative excess burden on the spending side; 2. The failure to take account of the environmental disruption effects of most production and consumption (which make taxes largely corrective than distortive), relative-income effects (which bias in favor of private consumption), and burden-free taxes on goods with diamond effects; 3. The failure to recognize the fact that, in non-poor countries, higher private consumption does not increase happiness at the social level, making the happiness cost of public spending virtually zero. Both reported happiness and indicators of quality of life have little positive association with economic growth but increase with scientific and technological breakthroughs at the global level.  

A. Nikitin and S. Nikitina discussed Ethnoculture as the basis of harmonic interrelations between human beings and environment.

 Md. Hasibur Rahman proposed that natural resources management, stakeholder participation and sustainable development are interrelated. 

Sharov discussed the ecological education is vital for inhabitants of the Chelyabisnk region to preserve the greatest values - their health and life. 

Yemelin tells us of the life in Russia and the EcoHouse project. Less than three years later the house is humming. A good proportion of the residents are engaged in different environmental and social activities, including two with full-time and two with part-time jobs in the house. The stair-wells are in good condition, two-thirds of the roof is literally blooming, organic waste is composted in the basement – which has been rebuilt and rat-proofed, and which also houses experimental cultivation of Witloof endives. Heating bills have been nearly halved. A community meeting room has been renovated and decorated, and is heavily booked for meetings of all kinds, including a kind of «resident’s surgery» at which people can seek professional help with their problems.

 



The history of humanity has always been that of an increasingly more complex interrelationship between its members. Clans to tribes, to nations, to empires,  and to today's economic and political alliances. Societies have become global and communications have made us all 'neighbours'. Massive migrations within and among countries have contributed to increasing contacts between human beings of different origins, religions, ideologies, and moral-value systems. The Global Community is becoming pluralistic. Recognition and respect  of this pluralism is a necessity for the survival of mankind.

The Global Community recognizes that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Freedom is both a principle and a value. It is because human beings are free that they are subject of law and are creators and holders of rights. Freedom and human rights are therefore basic to each other. 

Fundamental freedoms are far from being enjoyed by all but it is our common future, it is part of our Vision statement for year 2024. Human freedom is a value to be attained.

Equality is a value, an ideal for people who live a hard day-to-day life of economic inequalities such as unemployment, and social inequalities caused by the privileges enjoyed by some people and the exploitation of others, and inequality of educational and health opportunities. Freedom and equality are both indispensable.

Equality and freedom are therefore accepted and enshrined as universal values by which The Global Community organization will governed its affairs. As universal values they are concerned with our ability to decide, to choose values and to participate in the making of laws, and they dependent on the recognition of other people. These values forbid any form of discrimination on the grounds of race, nationality, sex, religion, age or mother tongue.

By accepting both values of freedom and equality we can achieve justice. One can be answerable for one's actions in a 'just' way only if judgements are given in the framework of democratically established laws and courts. 

Social justice is another universal value to which The Global Community aspires and accepts as a universal value. Social justice consists in sharing wealth with a view to greater equality and the equal recognition of each individual's merits.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights resides in the fact that it gives equal emphasis to cultural rights, economic and social rights, and civil and political rights.  The Global Community organization asks how meaningful is the right to life or to participation in political life, if poverty, destitution and epidemics prevent individuals from enjoying freedom of movement, freedom to vote, to marry and so on?  We found evident that economic and social rights are the essential prerequisite for the effectiveness and exercise of all rights recognized for human beings. This was the reason for organizing the World Congress: to find the best ways to sustain us all. The developing countries are having a harder time than others to achieve the exercise of these rights on a lasting basis, with the problems of economic globalization presenting new challenges. We must therefore beware of enforcing economic rights alone to the detriment of individual civil rights and the rights of all individuals to decide their own fate and the future of their country, their political rights.

The universality of human rights recognizes the right of all individuals to participate in the cultural life of their community and of other country, to receive education and training, and to be informed. In this World Congress, you were asked  to list values that were the most important, very important, important, not so important, and values that should be let go in order to sustain all life on Earth. We are aware that traditional customs and standards could burden the sustainability of all life on Earth. They could burden Earth society or any society forever, and holds individuals in a straitjacket. We cannot accept that. No one can! There are choices to be made and you must make them. Cultures can develop and can go on developing. Even religious beliefs may evolve. We are living now and we are able to create these changes. We are at least as bright , most certainly brighter, than the people who were living thousand of years ago.  As far as The Global Community is concerned, cultural and religious differences cannot be a reason or an excuse or a pretext for not respecting human rights. Quite the contrary, all kinds of cultures may promote human rights and especially cultural rights. They are different in their achievements, but they are equal in dignity where they are expressions of freedom. At any time or in any given place, men, women and children use their culture to invent new ways of making human rights a living reality. Diversity enriches us if it respects the dignity of each individual, and if it takes account of human rights as a whole.


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6. Earth Charter


As explained by Vilela, an Earth Charter Commission was formed in 1997 to oversee the project and the drafting of the Charter. The Secretariat for the Commission is at the Earth Council in Costa Rica. In March, 1997, at the conclusion of the Rio+5 Forum in Rio de Janeiro, the Earth Charter Commission issued the Benchmark Draft Earth Charter. The Commission also called for ongoing international consultations on the text of the document. Between 1997 and 1999 over forty national Earth Charter committees were formed, and numerous Earth Charter conferences were held. Comments and recommendations from all regions of the world were forwarded to the Earth Council and the Drafting Committee. Guided by these contributions to the consultation process, the text of the Charter has been extensively revised. In April, 1999, the Earth Charter Commission issued Benchmark Draft II. The consultation process continued throughout 1999 in order to provide individuals and groups with a further opportunity to make contributions to the drafting process. As a result of the worldwide consultation process, the Earth Charter Commission issued a final version of the Earth Charter after their meeting on March 12 – 14, 2000 at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The Earth Charter Commission plans to review responses to the document in two or four years and consider possible amendments.


Bivol explains that the revolution in communications and transportation made the world smaller and the people closer to each other in their needs and preferences, consumption patterns and lifestyles. This circumstance makes the existence of an Earth Charter rather promising as regards to its possible impact on man’s mentality and behaviour. However, the revolution in social life and education made for a huge diversity of personalities and tastes, hobbies and standards of life, methods of earning and entertainment. The combined efforts of many sciences revealed a close interdependence between the human health, the conduct of the people, the quality of their environment, the type of their professional occupation, the motives and objectives of their lives, the relationships with other people and with the natural elements. The Earth Charter shall make good use of this interdependence and, at the same time, avoid huge enumeration of degradation factors and their consequences.



7. Aboriginal peoples



8. Human Rights

Mikalai mentioned that solving environmental problems and those of sustainable development, we should keep in mind that they are closely connected with the generally acknowledged human rights. Hardly there can be any effective and progressive development without a broad public access to decision- making.  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is certainly a good start in findings universal values. Universal and fundamental human rights are universal values. There are more universal values to be found. Human rights and democracy are closely intertwined. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is one of the characteristics of a democracy. 

In health we add that an  adequate level  of health care is a universal value as well as a human right. We expect adequate health services to be accessible, affordable, compassionate and socially acceptable. The Global Community  is required to participate in the development of health policies and services.

The Global Community is committed to participate in the discussion of all issues related to human rights and in finding universal values other than  human rights.

Human rights represent an ideal and a supreme goal which can give meaning to life in society. Throughout the history of humanity, the rights of human beings have been defined and enshrined with reference to the values of the dignity of each individual and of freedom, equality and justice. These values are universal. The Global Community has accepted and enshrined them into its own ways of behaving and dealing with all peoples. Cultures and societies differ so much that their expression takes varying forms, but diversity does not affect the foundation of inalienable values constituted by human rights. Each individual is recognized as a representative of humankind. Human dignity resides in each of us and this dignity must be recognized and respected by all.






9. Quality of Life


Colman has researched and developed an indicator to include the quality of life. Natural resources are explicitly valued; unpaid household work and voluntary work are measured; and costs are distinguished from benefits. The GPI subtracts rather than adds the costs of crime, pollution and accidents. The index goes up if we have more free time, greater equality, and a cleaner environment. It therefore more accurately reflects actual changes in our quality of life

Lange proposed a value to redefine the quality of life from a consumptive, acquisitive mode to a mode of non-consumptive relatedness. This mode challenges the frantic pace, exhaustion and burn-out many people feel. It enables people to restore organic connections to time, space, body and human relations and to engage in non-consumptive forms of fulfillment. Most importantly, it can reduces the depletion of natural resources for endless material goods and exploitation of human and natural communities for profits.

Ira mentioned that well-being - including stress, life satisfaction, and personal happiness is an important dimension in assessing the way of living in different places.


Abramia explained that the Georgian Parliament regulates major legal relations in the area of environmental protection on the entire territory of Georgia and is guided by the following key principles: · "polluter pays" principle
· "biodiversity conservation principle"
· "recycling principle"
· "restitution principle"
· "environmental impact assessment principle"
and the "information availability principle" - information on the condition of the environment shall be open and available to public. 

Hao explained that China has now established an environmental protection management system which is supervised legislatively by the National People’s Congress, implemented by the people’s government at various levels, managed in unified way by administrative departments in in charge of environmental protection and supervised by various relevant departments in accordance with the laws. There are a set of management system such as Annual check system, technical supervision system, centralized management by specialized department, monitoring networks etc.

Well-being is a concept central to this explanation of the Kerala phenomena(Alexander).  Our operational definition within this analysis (securely within the dictionary definition exclusive of income) is a the package of closely associated measures of human behaviours: infant mortality rate, life expectancy, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. This definition is also framed by our understanding of human behaviour as a part of human sustainability.


McGregor has researched and developed a new
concept of quality of life that is indeed multi-dimensional, complex and very subjective. For instance, someone who has changed their consumption habits to better ensure that their choices will make a better quality of life for themselves, the environment and future generations, may be seen by others as having a lower or inferior quality of life since they have removed themselves from the materialistic mainstream characteristic of our consumer society. Someone may feel that an absence of violence and abuse in their life leads to a higher quality of living even though they have fewer tangible resources, money, or shelter; peace of mind and freedom from abuse has increased the quality of their daily life relative to what it was like before. Family-life professionals have a role to play in helping families help individual members identify, clarify and select values that may improve their quality of life. There are four universal quality of life values which lead to "human betterment" or the improvement of the human condition. In addition to the value of species survival (human and other living organisms), they include: adequate resources, justice and equality, freedom, and peace or balance of power. Since quality of life is at the core of our professional mission, it must be better understood, especially in relation to well-being. 


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10. Global Ethics

McGregor has extended the idea of sustainability to be a moral and ethical state, as well as an economic and environmental state, wherein sustainable consumption patterns respect the universal values of peace, security, justice and equity within the human relationships that exist in the global village. Put more simply, not only should consumers be concerned with the impact of their decisions on the environment but also on the lives and well-being of other people. Since one of the key functions of families as a social institution is to engage in production (selling their labour in return for wages) and consumption (using those wages to buy goods and services), the roundtable would examine the role of families as they impact sustainable consumption and development. To embrace a moral and ethical perspective, the family's function of production and consumption has to be discussed in relation to its other key functions , especially (a) socialization of children into adult, roles and (b) social control of family members so they are responsible contributing members of society. 


 
Dr. Heinrich Wohlmeyer has developed "Basic Principles of Applied Ethics".


Funding Criterion:

This criterion recalls that those realities, on which others build upon, have to be protected first. A classical example is, that to the stewardship of the ecological base (the base of life) has to be given priority before the fulfilment of various economic and social wishes.

Criterion of Integration:

In the case of conflict wider strategies to keep the system concerned functioning, have to have priority before those addressing narrower fields.
E.g. demands resulting from the social system of a particular country have to find their limits in the protection of the global ecosystem or the aim of maximization of labour productivity in agriculture and forestry should not be realised at the expense of biodiversity landscapes.

Criterion of Urgency:

Vital interests of future generations have to be considered as having priority before less vital interests of the present generation. Typical examples are climate change and soil erosion.

Criterion of Reversibility:

If a measure is inevitable, a variant, which causes reversible damage, has to be preferred before a measure causing irreversible loss.

Criterion of Regenerability:

Regenerable organic raw materials and primary energy carriers have to be preferred versus not regenerable fossil sources.

Criterion of Circular Orientation:

Supply chains have to be designed in a way, that the goods can enter after usage or consumption into natural or industrial recycling processes.

Criterion of Precaution (Precautionary Principle):

If serious damages to persons, animals, plants and the ecosystem cannot be excluded, an action or pattern of behaviour should be refrained from.

Criterion of Least Impact:

A measure for supplying goods or services for humans should choose a path, which entails the least possible impact on the ecological and social system concerned. This criterion is related to the precautionary principle. Its reason is, that functioning proven systems should not be disturbed and that unnecessary risks should not be taken. One example of its application in the eco-sphere is to rely on natural varieties before changing genomes by genetic manipulation.

Criterion of Causation (Causation - or Polluter pays Principle):

The causing agent should be made responsible for all damages he took into account. Negative examples are limited liabilities granted to air- and ship transport, to atomic energy plants and to data high ways.

Criterion of economy:

Human supply strategies consuming less resources should have preference before those enhancing more resource consumption.
A positive example is the Factor 10 Strategy (increasing resource productivity by a factor 10).

Criterion of Cooperation:

If measures or their consequences trespass national boarders, cooperative measures should be preferred.

Criterion of respect of human dignity:

Strategies, which violate human dignity, should not be permitted. Examples are the expulsion of an indigenous population by the flooding of a valley for a hydroelectric power plant or the imposition of overtaxing efficiency aims without a right to a say.

Criterion of wellbeing and aesthetics:

Strategies fostering human wellbeing and beauty of the environment should be preferred. This criterion is especially applicable to the management of cultural landscapes and the design of industrial sites and working places.




11. Genetic resources

Guru and Horne discussed the task of discerning all the relevant issues having a bearing on the conservation and management of genetic resources and then integrating them into consistent policy is extremely complex. They mentioned that despite its many benefits, genetic engineering has caused concern among some people. Some oppose genetic engineering because they fear that harmful, uncontrollable bacteria might be produced accidentally. Others worry about possible environmental damage by the deliberate introduction of organisms whose heredity has been altered. In addition, some people question the morality of manipulating the genetic material of living creatures. In this paper developments in the national and international intellectual property rights policies on biotechnology are perused. Special focus is placed on the cause for worry and the different viewpoints held on the interrelationship of intellectual property rights, genetic engineering, and loss of biodiversity.



12. Public discussions: listening to all voices


Barsky, Diepeveen, Wilson and  Hanna proposed new ideas based upon material from a variety of perspectives, including conflict resolution theory, social work theory, and sustainable development theory. When all people are provided an opportunity to give voice in public discussions, sustainable development decisions will include a more complete range of perspectives, ideas, and solutions. People will be more committed to the processes, more trusting, and more likely to contribute. Past lip service to participatory decision making must give way to meaningful involvement. With a truly broad base of people being mobilized in a collaborative effort, a shared vision of the future is surely within reach. 

Grishin and Tokmakova discussed the following issues of public participation in environmental impact assessment: (a) goals and principles; (b) practical acpects; (c) legal, administrative and institutional frameworks; and (d) methods for arranging public participation in EIA. More practical experience dealing with public participation in environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context has been gathered since the entering into force the Convention in September 1997. Practical aspects of public participation in EIA in a transboundary context were discussed.

 Hyvarinen contributed to the debate about the EU's role in the international climate negotiations. 

KAANICHE explained that sustainable development constitutes an evolutionary and very complex process making use of several disciplines and different data: economic, social and ecological. 

Mehandjiev and  Mehandjieva proposed  a contemporary clear and practically applicable definition of the notion "sustainable development" can be build, in accordance with the principle and approaches of the Bulgarian Association of Environmentalists and Ecologists - ABEECOL.

 During the last years, private companies as well as public agencies have been realized that consultation of stakeholder groups is an indispensable step for achievement of results and improvement of impacts (Nauheimer). Consequently, companies like The Body Shop, IBM, or Shell have developed their own tools to ensure that management decisions can be significantly influenced by customers, shareholders, employees, suppliers, the public opinion and other important groups. 

Rich explores the relationship between the features of collaborative environmental management and the conditions necessary for achieving sustainability.

When communities, nations, or international bodies make decisions affecting sustainable development, there are many voices to be heard (Barsky,  Diepeveen, Wilson and  Hanna). Typical bodies involved in public discussions of environmentalists, developers, business people, taxpayers, scientists, community planners, governmental officials, and non-governmental organizations. 


13. Eradication of poverty

  Constraints to poor people’s accessing and benefiting from credit among the 19 microfinance schemes in Kyrgyzstan, only 3 of them (FINCA, UNDP Poverty Alleviation Project, and the completed Pilot Demonstration Project - World Bank) reach the poor(Dzhamanbaev).


Dzhamanbaev explained that in developing poverty alleviation interventions, the need for detailed poverty analyses within target areas cannot be underrated. Employing participatory approaches in identifying needs, solutions and designing specific mechanisms for poverty alleviation reduces the risk of programme failure. Building the capacity of the poor to develop their own strategies for overcoming poverty and supporting these strategies enables us to ensure sustainability of poor people’s own initiatives. 

Madeleine dit qu'il est tentant d'affirmer sans risque aucun d'etre dementi que quelque soit l'angle sous lequel on veut aborder ce concept de nos jours, pour l'Afrique et pour les africains, la notion semble paradoxale dans la mesure ou elle conjugue deux idees contradictoires: d'un cote, celle du developpement, et de l'autre, celle de durabilite.

Poverty exists everywhere, and in  it takes dramatic forms in developing countries where governments have a hard time in coping with the basic needs and demands of their populations (Dufour). The distribution of wealth around the world demands more compassionate approaches to bridging the continuously widening gap between the rich and the poor. Understanding the economic and social development of a balance world is a priority of The Global Community organization. The eradication of poverty in the world is a priority and our responsibility. 

The interaction of poor health, poverty and environmental deterioration has been measured and was found  to have a direct relationship with the stage of economic and social development of a country. 

Policies to combat poverty should not damage the environment. Environmental policies should not create poverty. This requires: 

  1. The diversification of production activities thereby reducing pressure on natural resources

  2. A major change in consumer habits so as to be compatible with the natural environment

  3. The development of technologies aimed at specific environmental and social conditions; 'clean' technologies that have less impact on the environment

Several developing countries are ruled by socio-economic and political structures that are oppressive and it is the inherently vulnerable  and dependent groups that are at a higher risk of neglect and abuse. There has to be an organized NGO sector and active human-rights groups in such societies in order to protect and defend the oppressed people.


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14. Wars, armed conflicts, and violence

  Condemned by individual governments and the United Nations as the most widely reviled abuse of women's human rights , military sexual atrocities against women continue unabated at the dawn of the third millennium(Eaton).  

Wars begin in our minds, and it is therefore in our minds that the event of peace must be constructed(Dufour). We may desire peace and abhor war and also be moved by the suffering it causes but this is not enough. We must realize that knowledge of and respect for human rights and other universal values found in this World Congress can lead each member of The Global Community towards the universal peace to which we all aspire.


15. Earth Management


De Feis explained that balancing equity amongst the needs of people, optimal resource utilization, the economy, and the environment is at the heart of sustainable development.
Djanaeva proposed that each level of the Social Ecological Crisis(SEC) roots has its own structure, interrelations, or hierarchy, subordination as well as with the basic ecological relations.(Vilinovic,  Chrenko, Hudek,  Toma and  Miklos ).   Raghbendra Jha and K.V. Bhanu Murthy argue that the notion of sustainability as used in the extant literature is incomplete because of two reasons: (i) a neglect of the spatial dimensions of sustainability and (ii) the absence of a link between sustainability on the one hand and change in behavior and property rights on the other. They concentrate only on the problem of consumption reduction. It advocates a complex strategy for attaining the reductions in consumption necessary for attaining sustainability. It advocates the use of group taxes on producers as well as consumers. Second, the tax revenues so collected are earmarked for spending for the purpose of the environment. The resulting lowering of the discount rate and behavioral changes would lead to a drop in the rate of increase of prices of natural resources and, therefore, to a postponement of their consumption. All these involve the design of an intermediate run policy that treats environmental goods as merit goods as a prelude to their (ultimately) being treated as common resources. Md. Hasibur Rahman explained that 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. 

The democratic functioning of The Global Community organization, or Earth Community, or Earth Society (three names for the same organization), implies the possibility of a global dialogue among all its members, between people of all beliefs and opinions. Democracy is a way of living together and an expression of respect for other people; it is now rooted in The Global Community. The typical fundamental freedoms of a democracy (freedom of expression, thought, assembly, and association) are themselves part of human rights. These freedoms were present during the World Congress as we have dialogue and debate on the rights of different people and their accompanying obligations and responsibilities as human beings. These freedoms can exist everywhere.

Democracy is a political system based on the participation of the people. It foresees the separation of powers among the judiciary, the legislative and the executive authorities, as well as free and regular elections.

The organization promotes efficient forms of management and participation. The political rights of The Global Community define the conditions under which citizens exercise their responsibilities. For our organization to be  democratic, we must organized our political and social life with the greatest respect of all peoples.


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16. Cooperation between developing and developed countries

During the past three decades, the size and composition of external capital flows to developing countries have gone through major changes.

Since the beginning of 1990 we have witnessed a rapid expansion of private capital inflows due mainly to the rapid liberalization of markets and privatization of economic activity in developing countries. The private sector has become the principal borrower.

Large amounts of capitals from foreign direct investment are now making their ways to developing countries. They are a supplementary investment to private capital inflows.

The success of the integration of developing countries into the international trading system depends largely on the effective management of their exchange rates.

 Huba described the situation in Slovakia, as well as in other post-communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe. In Slovakia, which is more or less representative as a typical Central and Eastern European country in transition, the principles of sustainable development are still rarely applied.  The impacts of the recent economic globalization on the Brazilian economy have revealed a diversified tendency when the regional productivity indexes are observed(Kon).  World globalization process caused significant changes in advanced and also in less developed economies in recent years that include: a) increasing internationalization of economic activities; b) the reorganization of dominant firms: c) the increasing integration of manufacturing and service production; d) the growing use of microelectronics technology; e) the growing demand in industry for a high skilled workforce, but many routine jobs being displaced by technical change; f) the increasing complexity and volatility of consumption; and a changing role for state intervention.

  The problems of ecology and technological safety become more and more important for mankind (Krasnyanski). But the majority of countries of East Europe, South America, Asia and Africa have not enough finances either for environment protection (keeping air and water clean) or for utilization of the accumulated industrial and domestic wastes, or for preventing fires and explosions in industry, woods, etc. 

  Wegosky and his organization suggested that  a special activity to compensate the destroying affects of Urban Civilization upon nature. In our views the mankind can achieve the balance only by creating nature-reviving dynamic that is to compensate the destroying urban dynamic. 

During the past three decades, the size and composition of external capital flows to developing countries have gone through major changes. Since the beginning of 1990 we have witnessed a rapid expansion of private capital inflows due mainly to the rapid liberalization of markets and privatization of economic activity in developing countries. The private sector has become the principal borrower. Large amounts of capitals from foreign direct investment are now making their ways to developing countries. They are a supplementary investment to private capital inflows. The success of the integration of developing countries into the international trading system depends largely on the effective management of their exchange rates.


17. Human health

 Shawkat Ali, Ayesha Akhter and Md. Hasibur Rahman discussed about how the urban slum dwellers impose extra pressure on socio-economic and environmental problems of urban area of Bangladesh. To uplift this situation, the government has taken some necessary measures to conserve environment, social justice and simultaneously, create employment-generating activities for the slum people.

 Cultural concepts of ecosystem and human health have been linked with thoughts about cities and human settlements since ancient times (Guidotti). There has been a progression of these concepts through religious ideas, philosophical systems, sanitation, toxic substances, and, most recently, the risk of ecosystem change on a large scale resulting in the collapse of global and regional system that sustain human communities. 

 Kryukova and Schlotgauer explained that the Dzhango Community territories are located in the central part of Sikhote-Alin, in the Khor River watershed. It is possible to single out 90 food and 94 medicinal species of plants, the most valuable as for their biological and economic potential, availability and traditional use. The timber industry activity has the negative impact on the territory: inevitable destruction of forest ecosystems and deterioration of ecological condition, final fall of the ethnobotany, destruction of the ethnic economic complex and traditional way of living for indigenous people. 

 Dr. Kh. Murtazaev, I.Turakulov and S.N. Karimov, from NGO "Ecology and Scientific Technical Progress" (Northern Tajikistan) have been studying wild, rare and disappearing medicinal plants of the Kuramin and the Mogol-Tau mountains. Alongside with many disappearing plants we discovered a unique plant from the family of the carnations - Mukhallas (Diantus) which saves from many diseases. 

The World Health Organization's definition of health is "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

WHO's goal of health for all contributes to our understanding of the our values. It contributes to our understanding of the approaches of various societies to the ethical and human-value aspects of health as a way to pursue deeper understanding of human values across cultural and political realms. 

The Global Community organization is proposing that every individual of a society is co-responsible for helping in implementing and managing health programmes along with the government and the public institutions. 

Health of people is affected by pollutants. A tissue carries a pollutant burden if it contains an environmental residue greater than that needed for optimum growth and development. Human pollutant burden patterns may serve as indicators of the environmental quality. Human tissues can furnished important insights into current pollution problems. Tissue burdens in human tissues contain exposures from multiple routes and can provide important intelligence for the setting and appraisal of environmental standards. 

The World Health Organization's definition of health is "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

Health of people is affected by pollutants. A tissue carries a pollutant burden if it contains an environmental residue greater than that needed for optimum growth and development. Human pollutant burden patterns may serve as indicators of the environmental quality. Human tissues can furnished important insights into current pollution problems. Tissue burdens in human tissues contain exposures from multiple routes and can provide important intelligence for the setting and appraisal of environmental standards. 

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18. Education and training

  LaBianca and Brendel have explained that more than perhaps any other factor, progress toward reaching the goal of sustainable social development will depend on building a cadre of leaders in the countries of the north and south with the capacities needed to create enabling environments for sustainable social development.  Bogolyubov explained that Russia has recently become a state of the "general ecologization". Moreover the importance of this sphere of human knowledge and the necessity of the environmental education are admitted by everybody including teachers and ministers.  Victoria Churikova discussed about the new aspects for environmental education: a step into the 3rd millennium.  Youth programs abound: Delta Sigma Pi, Future Business Leaders of America, Junior Achievement, Junior Chamber International (Jaycees), Operation Enterprise – youth program of the American Management Association, United Nations Youth Unit, and others(De Feis). It is in these organizations that the sustainable development movement must take hold. 

 Gutina discussed about the educational program in Moscow. One section is called "ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS THROUGH THE EYES OF CHILDREN". Children have contributed drawings. The pupils readily participate in these competitions, offering unexpected solutions accompanied with drawings. This simple of ecological knowledge is dissemination easily embraced by the children.  Lange used a wholistic definition of sustainability as the key learning pivot in the conceptual framework that guided her study. 

  As we enter the new millennium, one of the growing concerns among First Nation people in Canada is the under-representation of Aboriginal students in all science disciplines such as health-related professions(Noureldin and  Michell). For those students who are interested in working with Aboriginal populations, there is a requirement for an understanding of basic science as well as traditional healing philosophies and approaches. Sharov explained that  ecological education is vital for inhabitants of the Chelyabisnk region to preserve the greatest values - their health and life. The Youth Ecological Center of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, is a non-governmental social- ecological organization (NGO) It is promoting development of civil society in Tajikistan through the conducting of social- ecological and educational programs (Skochilov). 

Human rights education, training and public information are essential elements in order to create stable and harmonious relations among all members of The Global Community  and to foster understanding, tolerance and peace.

The importance of the role of human rights education in The Global Community context cannot be ignored. Human rights are universal values and their protection can only be achieved through knowing the rights of all and the means to ensure their respect. Human rights education constitutes an essential contribution to the long-term prevention of human rights abuses. It requires the full involvement not only of students but all those concerned: teachers, administrators and parents. It is taught in an atmosphere of mutual respect with the understanding that it is a common responsibility to foster human rights in The Global Community.

The Glass-bubble concepts

A sample-mini lesson plan to assist Elementary School Teachers to demonstrate the concept
of Global Community to children.

To experience the concept of "global community" walk outdoors in a location
with as many natural elements as possible - city, park, river, mountains - be prepared
to really look, to really see whatever surrounds you.

Look up, look down, to the right, to the left, in front and behind you.

Imagine all this space is inside a giant clear glass bubble.
This is "a global community."

Wherever you go, you are inside a "global" community. Every thing, every living creature there,
interacts one upon the other. Influences inter-weave and are responsible for causes and effects.
Worlds within worlds orbiting in and out of one another's space, having their being.
Your presence has influence on everything else inside your immediate global community.

Learn to be aware of that and act accordingly, to create good or destroy, to help or to hurt.
Your choice.

Now let us explore this Global Community that we have visited and discover why each
member is important ~ each bird, each tree, each little animal, each insect, plant and
human being ~ and how all work together to create a good place to live.

You walk like a giant in this Global Community. To all the tiny members you are so big, so
powerful, even scary…

You can make or break their world. But by knowing their needs, and taking care,
you can help your whole Global Community be a good one.

Why are you important to this "Global Community"?
Why is it important to you?
What do you like about it?
What bothers you about it?
Anything need to be done?

* What is really good there?
* What is very very important?
* What is not so important?
* What is not good?
* What is needed to keep the good things?
* What could make them even better?
* What do they do to keep the good things good?
* Could they help get rid of bad things?
* What unimportant things need to go?
* How could they help get rid of these things?

Let each child be aware he either grows up to be a person who helps or a person who destroys.
Each child makes his own choice. He creates his own future in this way.

This may or may not inspire some sort of creative project, of what "could be" to aid this Global
Community to remain healthy.

There are many environmental projects for children to help create. For examples:

1.    A POOCH-PARK where apartment-dwelling pets can go to do all sorts of doggy things,
       unleashed; and a doggy-walk service.

2.    A SKATE-BOARD RUN that is free of pedestrians and traffic.

3.    ADOPT-A-PARK to over-see to curb bullying of small children. To act as protectors for
       birds, frogs, and other wildlife.

4.    ESCORT SERVICE to take small children safely to school and back.

5.    DE-LITTER A LOT for baseball, soccer, outdoor rink in winter. Create your own play
       field.
 
 


With nature and human nature being in separable, ecological education should be incorporated in aesthetical education (Gutina). Ecological education is of primary importance in junior school when the child's soul and mind are open to knowledge and emotional sensations, when the basis of upbringing, education and culture are formed. Love of nature is to be inculcated in the child at an early age to help the child realize the beauty and harmony of the environment and develop in the child a tender attitude towards all creation. The pupils to be taught to understand the interaction of all parts of the creation , the role of the human being in safeguarding the life of other beings, the role of man in protecting the environment. Emphasis is placed on the aesthetics of the environment, to demonstrate its beauty and harmony which are a source of poetry, art and music.

Ng suggested that the costs of public spending have been grossly overestimated. While it is desirable to do away with the inefficiencies in public spending, it is an increase in public spending in the the areas of research and environmental protection that can really increase our welfare. Scientific advances and a cleaner environment benefit the whole world for generations to come. 


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19. Spiritual values helping a sustainable future

 

The social fabric of life is changing and with it the aspects of family well-being. We observe changes resulting in weak family values, a lack of respect, the impersonality of daily life, individualism at the expense of personal responsibility, and a lack of community sense. We also observe that people would trade in their incomes and material possessions for meaning in their lives. When individuals and families derive meaning and purpose in life from having more material things rather than relating to others, they are lost since they tend to focus on themselves all the time rather than others in the home or in the larger local and global community.  Humanity lost itself in creating an economic security to replace the spiritual security. People are truly searching for themselves and for a focus in life. Material possessions are not given people all what they need. Materialism has failed to provide them with the psychological comfort that they need. This failure is seen by people' attempts to "fill the gap"  by over-consumption, materialism, addictions, withdrawal and violence, conflicts.  People crave for inner peace; they feel disconnected with reality and others in the world, and they need more substance in their life and are searching for spiritual well-being.

The Global Community is on a massive spiritual quest. The human species is now going through a major evolutionary stage in its development. There will be a shift in consciousness that will bring us all together and closer to God. This change will occur within a generation. The Global Community organization has a duty to guide people through this process. This is what the World Congress is about.

Spiritual well-being is in relation to society's loss of spirituality, spirituality in the family, and spirituality shaping home economics practice, and the new focus to be attained by The Global Community.

Spirituality does not refer to any specific religion or faith. Spirituality is not about religion. Spirituality is about reaching one's full potential, about developing and nurturing supporting and sustaining relationships, and about seeking and finding meaning in our lives and seeking one's own truth, values and perspective on life. It is about laughter, joy, happiness, belonging, acceptance and community spirit. Spirituality is also about finding a new relationship with humanity based on trust, peace, and universal values we found in this World Congress.

Spirituality is a sense of being connected with a positive force or Being greater than oneself.  In the world of spirituality and religious beliefs it is better to have God closer to us, no tier person in between (no religious figures who existed a long, long time ago). We are with God anytime and anyplace with think of God. We are also connected with The Soul of Humanity. Our species can only survive by having each one of us living responsibly locally and globally so it is better to appreciate a Being closer to us, The Soul of Humanity. There is true love of us, of all life on Earth and of Earth itself coming from this Being. It is my experience that this Being exists and is wonderful. The Soul of Humanity is with us and God the Spirit. All Souls on Earth are parts of The Soul of Humanity. We now know that the Souls of all those people who seek to destroy life on Earth by conflicts and wars will never be allowed back on Earth to taste life again in whatever form it may be. No confession of any kind or to anyone can stop this process. There are trillions of young Souls ready to replace the entire Earth population if it maybe. No excuse! Not even  humanitarian efforts based on responding to conflicts and wars by conflicts and wars such as those of the United Nations intervening in other countries affairs. 



20. Transboundary agreements


Destruction of USSR and occurrence of the new states has put new problems of guards of natural resources and potential opportunities in the region of the Caspian sea. It is connected to the following circumstances:

- Sharp increasing of offshore oil production power. Wide-scale production and the transportation of petroleum creates serious ecological danger in the region.
- Increasing of the water level. 
-Chemical pollution of the sea by industrial wastes.


21. Disability and globalization


22. Human evolutionary development

 


Shpigel has proposed that the process of evolutionary nature development can be divided into several evolutionary components, namely, biological evolution, psychic evolution, evolution of consciousness, and cognitive evolution. Such separation can help to understand more precisely processes going on in nature and society. At the present stage of evolutionary processes of human society, time and space components of evolutionary development can be added. The time component is characterized by a society development based on level of consciousness and knowledge achieved prior to the powerful information exchange through TV and computers. The space component is just related to the information exchange through mass media and simplified personal contacts. The selective mechanisms of evolutionary processes use systems of the information protection, as tools for a biological defense from quick modifications of accumulated information, which can be dangerous for existence of species. When the quick modifications take place in species environment, nature selection is activated by systems of the information protection. An understanding of the information processes in the brain with it very strong influence on the human behaviour is very important for the help to many people. Such phenomena for contemporary human society as wars, terrorism, crime, psychic disorders may be actions of the nature selection.

This World Congress is breaking grounds in its limitless well of new thoughts. We have created (and still thousands more to come) new thoughts, concepts, ideas, ways of doing things to sustain Earth throughout the coming millenniums. During the past thousand years humanity has lived with the "life program information" (read research paper by Shpigel) transferred into the brain via two ways: our genes, and education and upbringing (IMPRINTING theory). The mechanism of biological information protection did the rest. We are lock, stock, and barrel with the old stock. In a way! Today our species is evolving to rid itself of the old thoughts that is threatening its future and survival. This is a survival reaction and is very real. Our species will accomplish the evolutionary leap within a generation. Our consciousness will evolve rapidly. We will reach levels never imagined before. We will get much closer to God and God to us as we are parts of his/her own consciousness. 


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23. Institutions for Environmental Governance: Issues of Community Participation and Sustainable Development

During the past five decades various changes have taken place in political, economic and social institutions (Sudhakara Reddy). Worldwide trends indicate that economic reforms, changes in national policies, and global concerns have contributed to redefine the roles of these institutions for Sustainable Development. In India, this paradigm shift helped to evolve an institutional mechanism from state controlled towards community participation in the area of natural resource management. Bapat described the 'new social movements' are social movements in the sense of having a broad organisational structure and an ideology, aimed at social change. They define their exploitation and oppression in new terms - related to conflict school, but having clear differences with it. The environmental movements within the new social movements express the concerns of groups of people regarding depletion of water, degradation of land and other changes in ecosystems affecting traditional patterns of natural resource exploitation. These movements generally take place in rural areas, and the leadership for the movement generally comes from outside the community that is adversely affected.

Bogale explained that land degradation resulting from excessive soil loss in agricultural area remains a major environmental problem through out the world. With soil conservation practiced widely in many developing countries, accelerated soil erosion continues to threaten these nations’ food security and economic development. In Africa, area expansion of agriculture has been a norm for a number of decades, and today there is increasing expansion in to the fragile lands. 

Vilinovic,  Chrenko, Hudek,  Toma and  Miklos claimed that the overall aim of a society is to contribute to an understanding of sustainable development as an ongoing, cumulative process owned by the society as a whole. It consists of a formulation and the implementation of a National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD) as a governmental policy document with the broad participation of the civil society.


24. International and interstate conflicts on the base of environmental stress


The results of John, Youn and Park show that benefits exist for preservation of ecological resources. Such results imply the need for a 'balance' between economic interests and ecological interests, which is the essence of sustainable development. The adverse consequences of political conflicts on humanity do not further the cause of human development in any way. Eaton brings into focus the violation of human rights and atrocities against women during such conflicts.

Awareness of environmental problems and importance of a stable ecological systems, appreciation and tolerance towards different cultures would help in creating a congenial environment for understanding the concept of sustainable development. Dr. Bogolyubov stresses on the importance of inculcating a 'naturalistic approach' in the educational system for creating such awareness about ecosystem in the students. Drouziaka draws attention to the preservation of bio-diversity and cultural identity. Dr. Abramia elucidates the importance of inclusion of sustainability elements in various legislations. Ramkumar and D'Souza discuss another facet of sustainability that pertains to application of sustainability. The authors conclude that even though various conservation policies could be consistent with sustainable development in the short run, they can be contradictory in the long run.

JOHN, Youn and  Park explained that the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between South-North Korea has served as a sanctuary to diverse biological resources since the Korean War ceased in 1953. During winter season, flocks of cranes (Grus spp.) converge in the rice field along the DMZ.
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25. Social-economical problems of environmental refugees



26. Sustainable urban community development


Shawkat Ali, Ayesha Akhter and Md. Hasibur Rahman have described an urban community problem found in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated country of the world. Increases of population creating unemployment, more food demand and shelter demand. Day by day rural people are coming to the city for searching income sources. The land less farmers, low-income people who don't have any shelter in rural area are gathering in the Dhaka City and Chittagong City are creating slums in the government's abundant / un-used land and also at private lowland area. A huge number of slum are increasing in the urban area of Bangladesh and adversely impacting on environment and social health. 

Bass,  Hansell and  Poole have shown that by increasing vegetation in urban areas will reduce the urban heat island, and the impacts of other urban environmental problems, which will be exacerbated under climate change. Reducing the urban heat island will also reduce the energy demand for space conditioning, and hence greenhouse gas emissions. Plants directly reduce the urban heat island through evaporative cooling but further reduce energy consumption through shading. The most common strategy to increase urban vegetation is to plant trees at ground level. However, where space is not available for trees, vegetation can be grown on building roofs, but walls offer far more space, hence vertical gardening is a viable alternative.

 The 1995 New Land Planning Act of Tuscany is one of the most advanced act in Europe (Bentivegna). According to this new law all choices in Tuscany land planning activity must pursuit these goals: sustainable development, transparency in decision process, citizens participation, integration among space organizations and time in life and job. 

There is a need to facilitate communication among all people in an urban community site and provide them with adequate information about a sustainable urban community development. Indicators and indices must be made available and easily translated by the users for implementation  at the site. There has to be good communications between the scientific and technical people and the users. Potential users are:

  • City planners 

  • Most people in an urban community, the public

  • Government officials

  • Regulatory and Judiciary Agencies

  • Scientists and engineers

  • Special interest groups

The appropriate data will be examined when specific issues arise. By adding the predictive capability of indicators we have given everyone a sound tool in the development of an urban community.

It is important to explore the extent to which the quality of the urban environment influences health, personality, well-being, and behavior.

An indicator of sustainable urban community development is the open urban areas in parks and playgrounds as a per cent of total urban area. An important aspect of community living is the accessibility of outdoor leisure space within the community. It also reflects the suitability of a community as an environment for raising children.
 

A Sustainable Home and Community Development will include the following parts:

* Health care system,     * Educational system,     * Seniors'care,     * Food chain, nutrition,     * Population growth,     * Farming communities,     * Parks,     * Psychological, biological, genetics and evolution,     * Spiritual pathways,     * Entertainment,     * Quality of life, customs and beliefs, information access, communication, aesthetics,     * Decent housing, suitable community services,     * Pollution, waste,     * An atmosphere of social justice,     * Family stability,     * Religion,     * Infrastructures and facilities, land planning,     * Juvenile crimes, gangs, drugs, illiteracy,     * Socio-cultural and political influences, multi-culturalism, laws,     * Anthropological, Aboriginals, Natives    *Social, economic and spiritual well-being

Essential elements of an adequate urban and rural development:

  • Suitable community facilities and services
  • Decent housing and health care
  • Personal security from crime
  • Educational and cultural opportunities
  • Family stability
  • Efficient and safe transportation
  • Land planning
  • An atmosphere of social justice
  • Aesthetic satisfaction
  • Responsive government subject to community participation in decision-making
  • Energy conservation and energy efficiency are part of the decision-making process and made part of the community design
  • The application of the 4 Rs is integrated in the community design
  • Community businesses, working areas, play areas, social and cultural areas, education areas, and training areas
  • The use of renewable energy sources, central heating where possible, and cogeneration of electricity are made part of the community design when possible
  • The form of community development integrates concepts such as cooperation, trust, interdependence, stewardship, and mutual responsibility
  • Promote self-sufficiency in all areas such as energy, garbage, food and sewage disposal
  • Rely on locally-produced goods

For a community to be sustainable there has to be a general social and economical well-being throughout the community. Health is the basic building block of this well-being. Health is created and lived by people within a community: where they work, learn, play, and love. Health is a complex state involving mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, social and economical well-being. Each community can develop its own ideas of what a healthy community is by looking at its own situation, and finding its own solutions. Health promotion generates living and working conditions that are safe, stimulating, satisfying and enjoyable. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, a community must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change with the environment. The overall guiding principle for the community is the need to encourage reciprocal maintenance, to take care of each other and the environment. The important part of the thinking in both community health and ecological sustainability is the need to find a sense of community as a crucial aspect of healthy individual development.

A Sustainable Community Development Code should be developed to keep contractors in line and is a complement to the Building Code. Land use should encourage higher residential densities throughout the urban area and especially in areas closer to transit services. We would see more mixed uses of property and mixed land uses. Rigid zoning of land should be abolished. Sustainable suburbs would render development along city's edges affordable, environmentally friendly, and would be the sites of interactive and diverse neighborhoods. Building designs should make it easier for people to work at home. Community designs should make it easier for residents to start up a small business, and carry on their trades. The local community organization itself should find it easy to start up a small business, and carry on its trade. Communities should become more stable, self-reliant, and self-sufficient in all areas such as energy, garbage and sewage disposal, and food. People should take responsibility of their built environment, and communities should become environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable.

Transportation has deeply changed the cultural melting pot of cities and community living. Transport of passengers and goods could be made more efficient, safe, and economical through a "use pay" system to cover costs of the transportation networks and pollution abatement. Cities should require an environmental impact assessment and public review to be conducted whenever there is a need for new transportation links, development or river crossings. Transit is critical in mitigating environmental degradation so, today, ridership levels are high; services should be closer to people and their work places; 'clean' technologies and alternative fuels should be well in use; and policies and strategies should be in place to discourage the use of the car and need to commute, and encourage the use of transit, walking and cycling.


 

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27. Globalization


Many socio-political infrastructures created for global industries neglect the environment and do not promote environmental sustainability. She proposed the restructuring of knowledge that governs society, a strategy aimed to change the focus of the capitalist economy and considered  Indigenous peoples and their nurturing of spiritual and environmental partnership with nature - a valuable and integral part of their socio-economic structure. 

Heather Eaton has brought ecofeminism into a discussion with the social, political and ecological consequences of globalization, and to achieve ecofeminism. One goal is to address the need for adequate responses to the dominant global systems of corporate rule and economic profit and can leave ecological and social ruin in their wake. It is a step in the evolution of ecofeminism perspectives in dialogue with the intent of liberation from the vantage points of liberation theologies, North/South experiences, and radical and political movements.
 

Globalization  vs The Global Community concepts 
          by Germain Dufour 

Globalization in general can be described as a social process of intensifying the relations between the different parts of the world; geographical limits become less and less significant. Economic globalization is seen by the growing interaction and interdependence of the world's different nations and corporations. The major aspects of these increased interactions are capital flows, flows of material goods,  and labour. Markets, technologies and consumption patterns thus gradually let go their national or local character and become international and global. Economic globalization leads to globally more standardized sets of products.

Political globalization facilitates the spread of individualism and thus Western consumer society.

Cultural globalization is concerned with a change of the different sets of values that are connected to tradition, religion and different political systems.  Cultural globalization is fed by information passing geographical boundaries through communication systems and media, like TV, Internet, advertisement etc. Cultural globalization homogenizes the sets of value systems of different cultures via constantly evolving

The globalization of consumption can be observed. Market analyses can prove the existence and the demand of certain products worldwide and the presence of corporations in different countries of the world. A globalization of consumption is actually taking place because we observe that certain products are sold with success all over the world.

Globalization of consumption represents an environmental danger. The consumer society is blamed for causing the largest part of environmental problems through resource depletion, emissions and wastes. 

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 rampant globalization 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.  

Globalization is a process interaction which involves growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide with implications and impacts on social, cultural, political, environmental and familial aspects and rights. With the globalization of the economy comes now the task for defining the obligations that go with the rights.

The Global Community organization is concerned with the sustainability of current levels and patterns of consumption and with the economic, political, personal, environmental, availability of resources, societal and spiritual impact of excessive, run-away consumption. The goal of the World Congress was to find a balanced, sustainable global consumption. About 20% of Earth’s people account for 80% of the world's total consumption.

We have assigned ourselves the task of finding ways to make consumption, consumer rights and responsibilities:

  • Fair to the well-being of others

  • Socially responsible and sustainable to future generations

  • In line with the universal values found in this World Congress

  • In line with human rights and responsibilities

Consumers' rights impinge on the rights of other humans living in The Global Community. The right to choice is the consumer right that refers to the right to have a range and variety of goods and services at competitive, fair prices and variable, satisfactory quality. In order to assure choice in the developed country markets, governments have implemented trade laws to facilitate cross border transactions and transnational corporations (TNCs) have set up business off shore so they can lessen the cost of the production process. The goods that are available in the developed country markets are provided by slave labour, child labour, sweatshops or in countries that allow the TNCs to forego adhering to pollution or ecological concerns and human rights in pursuit of profit. Labour rights are abused in efforts to earn more profits. This leads to abhorrent working conditions, job insecurity and low living standards (all human rights). Consumers in developed countries have been socialized to want more and more things to consume but have not been socialized to appreciate the impact of their consumption choices on the human rights of other people; that is, they are not being responsible for their decisions.

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 always 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 rampant globalization 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.

A corporation will now be required to:

  • Be concerned with issues such as climate change, bio-diversity, pollution prevention and adopt high standards

  • Minimize environmental degradation and health impacts

  • Be responsible for the environmental impact of its products and services throughout their cycle

  • Adopt a wide environmental code,  and policies, health and safety practices  and procedures aimed at reducing resource and energy use in each stage of a product or service life-cycle

  • Set up appropriate management systems to implement policies

  • Conduct annual checks and balances and provide reports to the community

  • Respect the political jurisdiction of national communities

  • Respect human rights, social and cultural rights 

  • Recognize its political and economic impact on local communities

  • Contribute to the long-term social, cultural, environmental and economic sustainability of the local communities

  • Respect the rights of indigenous peoples, their culture and land, and their religious and social customs; provide employment and training opportunities 

  • Ensure that each employee is treated with respect and dignity and is not subjected to any physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse

  • Respect employees' right to freedom of association, labour organization, and free collective bargaining

  • Provide equal pay for work of equal value

  • Recognize the responsibilities of all workers to their families, and provide for maternity leave, and paternity leave

  • Ensure that their be no barriers to the full participation of women within the company

  • Participate in the creation of child care centres and centres for the elderly and persons with disabilities where appropriate

  • Ensure no discrimination on grounds of race, ethnicity, or culture

  • Ensure that persons with disabilities who apply for jobs with the company receive fair treatment and are considered solely on their ability to do the job; provide resources and facilities which enable them to achieve progression in employment in the company

  • Provide training to all employees to conduct their activities in an environmentally responsible manner

  • Work with organizations concerned with children's rights, human rights and labour rights to ensure that young workers are not exploited

  • Ensure that a mechanism is in place to address ethical issues of concern raised by employees

  • Make sure that the company's policies balance the interests of managers, shareholders, employees, and other affected parties

  • Adhere to international standards and protocols relevant to its products and services

  • Adopt marketing practices which protect consumers and ensure the safety of all products

  • Conduct or support research on the environmental impacts of raw materials, products, processes, emissions and wastes associates with the company and on the means of minimizing such adverse impacts

  • Make a sustainable use of renewable natural resources such as water, soils and forests

  • Conserve non-renewable natural resources through efficient use and careful planning

  • Conserve energy and improve energy efficiency of internal operations and of the goods and services being sold




28. The Global Community: its objectives, the GCAC, the Charter, the grassroots process and the 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 August during the World Congress. It will be given a new organizational structure as per input sent during this Discussion Roundtable.

Headquarters may be in Canada with branches everywhere else in the World. Or there may be a Board of Directors selected in a country and the Board would change every five years and 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.

How should the organization be structured? There two options:

A)    Assuming The Global Community organization is structured as a moving entity every five years.

We are now accepting proposals for a new Board of Directors and a new host country for The Global Community organization. We accept proposals by groups of four officers as described below.

Only participants (who become automatically lifetime members of the organization) can apply to become an officer. You may still apply to become a participant.

Officers of the new Board of Directors will be selected and they will be required to work as a team. Those interested please submit applications now. A new Board of Directors is made up of at least four officers: a President, a Vice-president, a Treasurer, and a Secretary-general. The past President is an automatic officer as a Vice-president. Those groups of four officers (or more) interested in taking over the task of taking The Global Community organization  through the next five years please submit your proposal now.

Any group will have to satisfy basic criteria as shown here.

In deciding where Headquarters of The Global Community organization will move after the election,  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 Global Community organization has no outside funds at all.

Ten percent of any money made by the organization should be put into a special fund and let accumulated. The fund could only be used by the organization in case of an emergency and for its own survival.

Candidates work strictly on a volunteer basis and find what support they need for the organization. As President of the organization, I 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.

Five years late the team will pass on the organization to a new group in another country with a different  cultural environment using a similar process. No debt should be passed on to the new group. A credit should have been let accumulated over five years and pass on the new group.

The deadline for submission of your proposal is August 1st. You must send the CVs of the officers, a short essay of why you think you can manage the organization through the next five years, and show how you will satisfy the above criteria.

All participants of the World Congress will be asked to vote for the new Board of Directors as a group. They will select the group. A vote will be a vote for the group. The voting procedure will be described at a later date.

The first task of the Board will be to approve the Earth Charter discussed during the World Congress. This task may be accomplished during the World Congress.

B)    Assuming The Global Community organization has a Headquarters in Canada and branches are created everywhere else in the world.

In this case the new Board of Directors would be a group of at least four people chosen amongst members (participants to the World Congress). They may be from any country.
 
 



29. World models to sustain Earth

Colman explained how the GPI measures of well being, prosperity and progress that explicitly value the non-material assets that are the true basis of our wealth, including the strength of our communities, our free time, the quality of our environment, the health of our natural resources, and our concern for others. Danielyan explained that the Human Development Index, used by UNDP, should be supplemented by the "social indicator" (e.g. the population poverty index, which has been developed by UNDP and presented in the Human Development Report for 1997), and the "integral environmental indicator". The obtained variant will be the most appropriate one among the existing quantitative evaluations of the situation in a country from the point of view of Sustainable Development. On demand of UNDP representative office in Armenia, such technique was developed by us in 1995. Gottinger  analyzed sustainability concepts, such as sustainable growth, sustainable development and sustainable resource use, in terms of conventional neoclassical economic theory, emphasising sustainability on a macro vs. micro scale. 

 Lausmaa described a model where one gets that the right to share global natural resources and dispose of waste depends on one’s contribution to the global technological progress. It means that the consumed amount of natural resource should be less than the total resource saving through the development of a more efficient production technology. High consumption level assumes a high rate of technology progress. As to the principle of global equity, everyone should have an equal access to the natural resources on the Earth, but no one has the right to use them as one may like. Limits and constraints should be put on both absolute consumption and the technology to be used. Limits to absolute consumption, described and worked up in detail in, is a necessary measure to keep the use of some resources in renewable level.  Ming Lei discussed the integrated accounting for environment and economy under the framework of sustainable development has received increased attention by the international society, since the report of the World Commission on Environmental and Development was published in 1987. This heightening interest led to the proposal contained in Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environmental and Development (Rio de Janiero Earth Summit 1992) to encourage the development of integrated system environmental and economy accounting. 

 Dufour researched an developed an other indicator was developed to measure the costs of development: the Gross Sustainable Development Product (GSDP).

The GSDP is defined as the total value of production within a region over a specified period of time. It is measured using market prices for goods and services transactions in the economy. The GSDP is designed to replace the Gross Development Product (GDP) as the primary indicator of the economic performance of a nation.

The GSDP takes into accounts:

  • the economic impacts of environmental and health degradation or improvement, resource depletion or findings of new stocks, and depreciation or appreciation of stocks;
  • the impact of people activity on the environment, the availability of resources, and economic development; 

  • the "quality" of the four major quality systems and the impacts of changes in these systems on national income and wealth;

  • global concerns and their impacts on the economy; 

  • the welfare, economic development and quality of life of future generations; 

  • expenditures on pollution abatement and clean-ups, people health, floods, vehicle accidents, and on any negative impact costs;

  • the status of each resource and the stocks and productive capacities of exploited populations and ecosystems, and make sure that those capacities are sustained and replenished after use; and 

  • 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 of GSDP shows that consumption levels can be maintained without depleting and depreciating the quality and quantity of services. It indicates the solutions to the problems as well as the directions to take, such as:

  •  invest in technology, R & D, to increase the end-use efficiency;

  •  increase productivity;

  •  modify social, educational programs and services;

  •  slow down or increase economic growth;

  •  remediation of components of the four major quality systems; and

  •  rectify present shortcomings of income and wealth accounts.


The measurement of GSDP 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.


A status report of all physical accounts show the physical state and availability of resources and the state of the environment. Examples of the physical stock accounts are:


• minerals • oil, gas and coal • forests
• wildlife • agricultural • soils • fish
• protected wilderness areas • flow rate of water


Valuation in terms of money accounts is difficult for some non-market values such as:


* aesthetic satisfaction * air quality * water quality
* soil carrying capacity and productivity * acid rain deposition
* biodiversity * wilderness and protected areas * land productivity


GESDI can be obtained for these quality indicators that are difficult to give a money value to. Both the GESDI and GSDP are measured together and tell us about the quality and cost of development, locally and globally.
Measurements of GESDI and GSDP provide insights for the discussion of issues such as :

  •  Is the actual rate of development too slow or too fast?

  •  Are People aspects being stressed too far?

  •  Are resources and the environment managed in a sustainable manner?

  •  What forms of community and home designs promote sustainability?

  •  In what ways should social, educational, and health programs and services be modified?

  •  Is this generation leaving to the future generation a world that is at least as diverse and productive as the one it inherited?

  •  What improvements can be brought up to the quality of development?




30. Definition of Sustainable Development


The concept of Sustainable Development was presented for the first time in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development, in the report Our Common Future . The commission was created by the United Nations, and was made of 21 nations, including Canada. The commission, headed by Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, said that the planet needs " a new era of environmentally sustainable sound economic development. Dr. Brundtland also said that government must strongly support "a new political approach to environment and development, where economic and fiscal policies, trade and foreign policies, energy, agriculture, industry, and other sectorial policies, all aim to induce development that is not only economically but ecologically sustainable."

Beginning in 1987, Dufour has researched and developed the complete definition of Sustainable Development as well as creating a method of measurement. The technical definition of Sustainable Development was given as being:

"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 was given as being:

"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."

Mehandjiev and  Mehandjieva proposed  a contemporary clear and practically applicable definition of the notion "sustainable development" can be build, in accordance with the principle and approaches of the Bulgarian Association of Environmentalists and Ecologists - ABEECOL.

  In thinking about and developing a framework for analyzing sustainability it is best to begin from first principles(Raghbendra Jha and K.V. Bhanu Murthy). Some of these principles are listed below. 1. Individual behavior of members of the current generation should not completely determine the fate of future generations. 2. Future generations must be ensured the required minimum level of consumption. 3. The purview of sustainability must be expanded to include the possibility of divergence between social and private costs and the existence of public goods. Sustainability should not be narrowly interpreted in terms only of tradeoffs in intertemporal consumption. 4. The price path of natural resources and property rights to future consumption must be so defined as to avoid over-exploitation by the present generation. 5. In some situations the market may not have a solution. 6. Hence, there may be a rationale for non-market intervention. 7. The design of this intervention is an important aspect of a strategy to attain sustainability. It is the contention of this paper that an appropriate strategy for the attainment of sustainability would involve a change in behavioral patterns and a clearer definition of certain property rights.

Marin R. Mehandjiev and Krassimira R. Mehandjieva described a definition that includes "the sustainable development of a region, country, town, enterprise, etc., during a certain time-period t, is the totality of their state changing process effects, expressed by the increase (or decrease, or constancy at least) of the values of economic-social-environmental factors (criteria), recognized by the majority of the respective citizens.

Zadorsky explained that there was already a standard definition of sustainable development - " it is a coordination process of productive forces, maintenance of satisfaction of necessary requirements of all members of a community under condition of preservation and reconstruction of integrity of environmental natural environment, creation of opportunities for balance between its potential and requirements of the people of all generations ".

 



31. Vision of Earth in Year 2024



32. The Scale of Values
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is certainly a good start in findings universal values. Universal and fundamental human rights are universal values. There are more universal values to be found. Human rights and democracy are closely intertwined. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is one of the characteristics of a democracy. 

In health we add that an  adequate level  of health care is a universal value as well as a human right. We expect adequate health services to be accessible, affordable, compassionate and socially acceptable. The Global Community  is required to participate in the development of health policies and services.

The Global Community is committed to participate in the discussion of all issues related to human rights and in finding universal values other than  human rights.

Human rights represent an ideal and a supreme goal which can give meaning to life in society. Throughout the history of humanity, the rights of human beings have been defined and enshrined with reference to the values of the dignity of each individual and of freedom, equality and justice. These values are universal. The Global Community has accepted and enshrined them into its own ways of behaving and dealing with all peoples. Cultures and societies differ so much that their expression takes varying forms, but diversity does not affect the foundation of inalienable values constituted by human rights. Each individual is recognized as a representative of humankind. Human dignity resides in each of us and this dignity must be recognized and respected by all.






33. A photo display presentation for interpreting sustainability

This series of photographs and quotes are examples of different kinds of approaches and meanings people have for "sustainability". The photos are from Canada and the United States . There is a juxtaposition between the small scale, local level initiatives and the larger scale industrial/corporate approaches. The idea is to incite reactions from viewers so that they challenge their own definitions and beliefs about sustainability. By identifying the diverse uses of the term "sustainability" through photos, it is hoped that the viewers will come closer to identifying how they themselves would articulate what sustainability is and how it can be achieved. Or quite possibly how sustainability is not being achieved.


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34. Dramatic play presentation



K.V. Bhanu Murthy explained that the purpose of the play is to awaken the environmental consciousness amongst the youth, in particular.



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35. Implementation of Sustainable Development

Del Porto developed the Coefficient of Sustainability as a working tool to measure sustainability from a variety of perspectives that could be utilized by practitioners to assess a value for sustainability that could be understood by a diverse population from businessmen and planners who will see this as a cost/benefit analysis for budgeting resources and planning to social scientists who would seek to quantify the externalities imbedded in the concepts "Quality of Life" and measurable by economists when they use the term "Cost of Living"



36. Measurement and assessment of indicators

 Colman mentioned that the GPI Atlantic recently found that a 10% shift from truck to rail freight would save Nova Scotian taxpayers $11 million a year when the costs of greenhouse gas emissions, road accidents and road maintenance costs are included. Telecommuting just two days per week would save $2,200 annually per employee when travel time, fuel, parking, accident, air pollution and other environmental and social costs are included. 

 Danielyan explained that with consideration of the given forth constituent (SHDI = HDI + Pe) the Human Development Index may already be qualified as Sustainable Human Development Index. The scale of countries, ranged according to SHDI, will undergo considerable changes in comparison with the one, based on the rating according to HDI, depending on the degree of rational use of natural resources. This technique has been successfully approved by us basing on the statistical material of Armenia (Pe = - 0,427, SHDI = 0,404) and Georgia (Pe = - 0,237, SHDI = 0,592). The evaluation has been carried out on the base of the data of 1990 (the year was chosen as the most stable and provided with statistics within the last period of time). Thus, Armenia outstripped Georgia in the scale elaborated by UNDP on the base of HDI, while taking into consideration the environmental indicator the countries exchange their places. To certain extent it can be asserted that Pe makes it possible to evaluate the portion of the contribution made by countries into the general environmental degradation on the planet. Thus, Pe of Armenia, which is equal to 0,427 (the limits are 0 and 1) may indicate the following: the country is included into the group of countries, whose environmental characteristic is entirely adequate to the general situation on the Earth and almost does not diverge for either the better or the worst.

  Del Porto mentioned that the Coefficient of Sustainability is a working tool to measure Sustainability from a variety of perspectives that could be utilized by practitioners to assess a value for Sustainability that could be understood by a diverse population from businessmen and planners who will see this as a cost/benefit analysis for budgeting resources and planning to social scientists who would seek to quantify the externalities imbedded in the concepts "Quality of Life" and measurable by economists when they use the term "Cost of Living".

 J. Dewulf, J. Mulder, H. Van Langenhove, H.J. van der Kooi and J. de Swaan Arons describe the development of a parameter, which enables to quantify the sustainability of technological processes. 

 Dott. Giuseppe Di Vita describes the effect of technological progress upon the waste produced and recycled. Section 3 shows the existence of an optimal stationary growth path, developing its diagrammatic analysis. Section 4 attempts to estimate the effects of waste recycling on the growth rate at which the economic system converges to the endogenous stationary growth path.

 Kun H. JOHN,Yeo C. Youn and Jae W. Park presented the  CVM as widely used nonmarket valuation method in developed countries but still a new research protocol in Korea, which is in a state of transition toward being a developed country. 

  Tõnu Lausmaa found that the right to share global natural resources and dispose of waste depends on one’s contribution to the global technological progress. It means that the consumed amount of natural resource should be less than the total resource saving through the development of a more efficient production technology. High consumption level assumes a high rate of technology progress. As to the principle of global equity, everyone should have an equal access to the natural resources on the Earth, but no one has the right to use them as one may like. Limits and constraints should be put on both absolute consumption and the technology to be used. 

  Ming Lei discussed the method of maintenance cost in principle will compute the imputed environmental costs, which enables the measurement of qualitative and quantitative changes in the environment by estimating the required cost of maintaining the quality and quantity of the environment at a certain level. It will be necessary to assume a specific activity to keep the quality and quantity of the environment at a certain level for each of the natural assets considered.

 Dr. Igor N. Malakhov describes the integral index of quality of life (QL): 1. Processes of transforming industrial society to post-industrial has a transition state, which is called "Sustainable Development". This transition state needs new measurement indicators. It is necessary to reflect in this new system of indicators the priority of human rights both as economic and resource limits of civilisation. 

 Prof. Dr. Marin R. Mehandjiev and Krassimira R. Mehandjieva explained that there are too many definitions about the notion "sustainable development" (SD), but almost all of them, including those of Brundtland Commission and of Agenda 21 can not pretend to have clear and universally applicable practical sense; they are just mottos and slogans. According to the notion of the Thermodynamics of Accumulation Processes (TAP) a stationary or developing system could be stationary one, in a most general sense, on condition that the quantitative alterations of its free thermodynamic potential and of its bound energy remain internally balanced. They propose the six Quantitative Sustainable Development Criteria.

  have selected six categories of indicators of sustainability – productivity, efficiency, durability, stability, compatibility, and equity – that can be taken together in describing each system. 

Professor William M. Zadorsky  discussed about the ecological influence criterion (e.i.c.) allowing to evaluate degree of production technology perfection from view-point of interaction with environment is proposed V.Anikeev with co-autors . They suppose that " the most representative and useful ecological criterion is the ecological influence criterion k (e.i.c.)", which defines by formula: k = Wt /Wr = Wt /(Wt +Wc)


Dr. Katalin K. Zaim describes the IPPS method developed by the PRDEI in the World Bank allowed us to compute the yearly pollution intensities, toxic and metal pollution emissions to air, water and land for the industrial activities. The computations are performed for the years 1985 and 1992. The results indicate that the most relevant pollutants produced by industries are TSS, SO2, and CO. Toxic and metal pollution effected land mostly.

Hundreds of indicators were suggested for the evaluation of sustainable development. Criteria were defined for evaluating indicators.

An indicator may have one or several of the following properties:

  • Comprehensive and easily understood

  • Meaningful for the public and decision makers

  • Measurable in some ways

  • Related to an issue or concern and responsive to change

  • Integrate one or several components of the four major quality systems (social, environment, resources, economy)

  • Measure progress towards the Vision of Year in year 2024

  • May be of value locally, regionally, nationally and/or globally

An evaluation of sustainable development consists of ranking risks relative to each other and to help deciding which practice is better than another. In 1988, the author has developed a scale of values, and has designed and tested indicators to represent quality of development. Hundreds of indicators were measured and integrated into an overall expression called the Gross Environmental Sustainable Development Index (GESDI). GESDI was developed to measure sustainable development locally and globally. It expresses the quality of our growth or development, and it describes environmental quality rather than merely measuring different environmental variables.

An other indicator was developed to measure the costs of development: the Gross Sustainable Development Product (GSDP).

The GSDP is defined as the total value of production within a region over a specified period of time. It is measured using market prices for goods and services transactions in the economy. The GSDP is designed to replace the Gross Development product (GDP) as the primary indicator of the economic performance of a nation. 


Overall Assessment Scoring in a home and the community it belongs to


Total of I(normalized)     =    7.114 x 100     =    711.4

Maximum scoring     =    711.4

Total percentage assessment scoring     =    2134.05

Average percentage assessment scoring    =    2134.05/28    =    76.22 %

Total measurement scoring    =    533.480

GESDI is expressed a percentage of the maximum scoring to obtain the GESDI for the home and the community it belongs to:
GESDI     =    (533.480/711.4) x 100     =    74.99 %

The GESDI obtained with respect to the PEOPLE aspects is:

GESDI    =    74.99%



Results show that the GESDI as calculated using the I(normalized) values, 74.99%, is very close to the average value of 76.22% obtained without using I(normalized) i.e. without using values based on judgement.


Calculations

People Aspects
Impact assessment
I(normalized) Percentage assessment scoring Measurement scoring
The Site 0.0900 84.34 7.501
Criteria for home environmental designs to build a healthy home 0.2000 81.26 16.25
Management of pollutants in the home 0.2100 77.22 16.22
Waste management in the home 0.2200 77.59 16.62
Water management in the home 0.1500 86.18 12.93
The home transportation system 0.2400 52.09 12.50
Shopping habits 0.1800 49.91 8.984
Home maintenance 0.0800 84.67 6.774
Environmental behavior when you are outdoors 0.0300 67.44 2.023
Environmental behavior at work 0.0500 91.09 4.554
Environmental behavior in your yard 0.0400 72.88 2.915
Environmental sustainable community development 0.1500 69.99 10.498
Energy auditing and management of the home 0.2500 66.01 16.502
Energy management and conservation programs in the community 0.2380 76.76 18.269
Air quality in building 0.7250 60.73 44.029
Lighting system in building 0.1690 80.88 13.669
Heating,ventilation, and air conditioning system 0.4120 80.31 33.088
WHMIS 0.3500 77.83 27.240
Health and safety hazards 0.4100 79.09 32.427
Occupational Health and safety committee 0.2800 82.07 22.979
Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) 0.4650 90.05 41.873
National Building Code 0.2900 84.12 24.394
Environmental hazards 0.4920 71.72 35.286
Building systems management,operating and maintenance programs 0.3970 86.71 34.424
Buiding custodial services and minor repairs 0.1980 77.54 15.353
Project management 0.0980 90.36 8.855
Evaluation of social indicators and indices 0.3500 66.19 23.166
Evaluation of social issues and concerns 0.3500 69.02 24.157
TOTAL 7.114 2134.05 533.48


Economic Development Aspects

Impact assessment I (normalized) Percentage assessment scoring Scoring
Evaluation of economic development indicators and indices 0.4100 82.71 33.911
Evaluation of economic development issues and concerns 0.4100 85.08 34.883
TOTAL 0.8200 167.79 68.794


The Availability of Resources Aspects

Impact assessment I (normalized) Percentage assessment scoring Scoring
Evaluation of the availability of resources indicators and indices 0.5500 75.44 41.492
Evaluation of the availability of resources issues and concerns 0.5500 79.37 43.653
TOTAL 1.1000 154.81 85.145


Environment Aspects

Impact assessment I (normalized) Percentage assessment scoring Scoring
Evaluation of environment indicators and indices 0.7000 72.19 50.533
Evaluation of environment issues and concerns 0.7000 69.53 48.671
TOTAL 1.4000 141.72 99.204







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37. Population pressure

The world population is becoming more urban. It is the quality of the urban environment and its well-being that constitutes a challenge to any society. Cities are the centres of economic and cultural life of a nation's population. The public wants government expenditures to be directed to areas such as urban development, health, housing, education, crime prevention, recreation, environmental pollution control, waste management, aesthetic satisfaction, and many others. It is important to have social indicators that can tell us about the quality and costs of  essential elements such as: educational and cultural facilities, suitable community facilities and services, proper shelter, family life, security from crime, efficient and environmentally conscious transportation, social justice, aesthetic satisfaction and minority status. 

An indicator measures the population growth based on natural birth and mortality rates of people in a region, and absolute growth based on natural increase and movement of migrants. The size of a region's population has implications for both the environment and the economy of a region. People consume resources and exert pressure on the environment and also create markets for products and services. A region's natural increase in population reflects personal health and individual choice. Movement of migrants into and out of a region reflects the relative attractiveness of our society and the ability of both our environment and our economy to support them.

 Shahidul Haque, Hasida Yasmin and Md. Hasibur Rahman explained that the environmental pollution causing adverse impacts on human beings all over the world that are also causing global warming and climate change. Environmental problem are facing in different ways in different countries, depend on pollution criteria and geographical location. But adverse impact of environmental pollution cannot be kept in a certain geographic boundary it will create global concern. Unsustainable use of natural resources, unplanned urbanization and industrialization’s deforestation is threatening global environmental pollution. Destruction of ecological balance would enhance natural disastrous, such as cyclone, tidal-surge, earthquake, desertification, drought, flood etc. Mitigation measures of the environmental pollution can be taken by locally, nationally or globally that would be ultimate as globally. It is fact that one country, one organization or one society cannot solve the problem of environmental pollution. Awareness programme on adverse impact of environmental pollution is need to disseminate among the mass people would help to minimize pollution level effectively. A great step needs to initiate by the human beings to minimize environmental pollution from ever corner of the world as global village.


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1. Ecological protection and management

Abramia explained that currently Georgia participates in a number of international multilateral and bilateral environmental programs. Negotiations on bilateral agreements in the field of environment are going on with Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Greece and Turkey. Republic is actively participates in the Black Sea Environmental Program (BSEP of GEF), established in September, 1993 by 6 littoral countries.

 Collapse of the Central Asia - a beginning of the end of the world (Slav Akimov and Ozod Mukhamedjanov) ? Dynamic degradation of ecological systems of the Central Asia and incapability of the local governments generates a number of serious threats, as global security of the world community, so and national security of developing countries of Western Europe and America . Bentivegna  mentioned that the 1995 New Land Planning Act of Tuscany is one of the most advanced act in Europe. According to this new law all choices in Tuscany land planning activity must pursuit these goals: sustainable development, transparency in decision process, citizens participation, integration among space organizations and time in life and job. Sustainable development is intended as the development which assures equal possibilities of welfare increasing for all citizens and safeguard the next generations right in the use of land resources. Bogolyubov explained that "Ecosystem" was founded by a group of young biologists and educators, the former participants of the biological school group of the state Darwin Museum in Moscow. They had been filled with the ideas of the young naturalist movement and had worked out a unique experience of the traditional Russian environmental field education. The main activity of "Ecosystem" is an introduction of outdoor ideology and approach into the environmental education, emphasizing children's involvement with concrete research work and nature conservation through different types of outdoor activities. 

 Vilinovic,  Chrenko,  Hudek,  Toma and  Miklos discussed about the overall aim of a project  to contribute to creating an understanding of sustainable development as an ongoing, cumulative process owned by the society as a whole. This component will assist the Slovak Republic in enhancing public participation in activities promoting sustainable development at the national, regional and local level. 

 Victoria Churikova, L. Ignatenko, Vera Koveinik, A. Nikitin and S. Nikitina, Alexey Drouziaka and Valery Drouziaka described several projects concerning:

  • Sustainable Development of national communities in the South of Kamchatka

  • New aspects for environmental education: a step into the 3d Millennium

  • Rebirth of Itelmen Traditions on the Example of School Pimchahk, Kamchatka

  • Ethnoculture as the basis of harmonik interrelations between human beings and environment

  • Study of Bird Population in Kamchatka and Siberia and their Interconnections with the Environment and Human Beings for 10 years

  • Biogeocenosis of the Kronotskoye Lake, Kamchatka

  • Ethno-and Biodiversity in Human Dimensions as an Object for Historical Development in Kamchatka Aboriginal Life

 Danielyan explained that the Human Development Index, used by UNDP, should be supplemented by the "social indicator" (e.g. the population poverty index, which has been developed by UNDP and presented in the Human Development Report for 1997), and the "integral environmental indicator". The obtained variant will be the most appropriate one among the existing quantitative evaluations of the situation in a country from the point of view of Sustainable Development.   Djanaeva believes that it is desirable that we, people on the Earth can implement a three part platform for actions: - in the area of intra-social relations, changes in the society. Economic programs, political restructuring, reorientation in public consciousness, changes in value system, legal norms, etc. are one step. - In the area of natural environment, conservation and making it healthier, etc. - In the area of relations between society and nature or ecological relations of society.  Heydendael described how to establish a programme of work that promotes the development and implementation of social, economic and legal incentive measures for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, in synergy with specific programmes of work. Grynyuk found that in order to improve ecological situation and to increase forest raw material potential of the Ukraine it is necessary to increase wooded area by 1.5—2 times by afforestation waste lands and I with low productivity unfit for agriculture, to create a system of shelter belts in the fields and along the banks of rivers, to timely and qualitatively carry out reforestation measures and improve feelings in the forests of the national significance. 

 GUTINA described a Project of Ecological, Aesthetic and Civil Education in Primary schools in Russia. The Project aims at the inculcation in secondary school students of ecological thinking, aesthetic and humane attitude to nature and society their adaptation to the environment, their involvement in cooperation and action aimed to the protection of the environment.  Shahidul Haque, Hasida Yasmin and Md. Hasibur Rahman explained that to mitigate environmental pollution, population control, sustainable development is needs to introduce in every sector of development including industrial and agricultural sector. Environmental pollution, such as soil degradation, water pollution and air pollution which is increasing green house gas emission will enhance global warming, sea level rise and climate change. Sea level rises would be most worsening situation for the low-lying countries like Bangladesh.  Kun H. JOHN,Yeo C. Youn and Jae W. Park discussed about the difficulty in changing landholder's behavior is that the rewards of a bio-reserve program are, although lucrative in the long-run, might be negligible compared to the more immediate attractive profit potential of resource-consuming development projects.  In this way, powerful and wilful forces  will naturally, out of their own self-interest, work to preserve the rich and unique ecosystem of the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Dr. Mikhail Krasnyanski described the problem of ecology and technological safety become more and more important for the mankind. But the majority of countries of East Europe, South America, Asia and Africa have not enough finances either for environment protection (keeping air and water clean) or for utilization of the accumulated industrial and domestic wastes, or for preventing fires and explosions in industry, woods, etc.   Lagutov Vladimir Victorovich described the existing situation in the former Soviet Union and presented a new concept to resolve the problem. The concept is aimed at the stabilization of the environment under conditions of limited resources and authority degradation. The main idea behind the realization of this goal is the dislocation of the most active social part of the local population in the key areas of river basins.

Dr. Ross Mallick explained that when environmentalists deal with indigenous peoples it will help determine the success of conservationist programs, and therefore an understanding of how this relationship can be managed is critical to the success of environmentalism and the survival of indigenous peoples.  JAMES MWAMI believes that soil and water conservation activities are  under various agro-ecological and socio-economic circumstances, in different parts of the World. However, for a multitude of reasons farmers do not generally engage on their own in investment in soil and water conservation. In the more advanced economies farmers may sometimes take initiative, but in most cases they are stimulated to do so as a result of specific government policies, direct incentives on participation in specific projects. When the seriousness of the erosion problem was realised in Uganda, in the 1950's, government took the initiative and for along time they followed a top-down approach in the design and implementation of soil conservation projects and programmes. Many of these failed. Usually the priorities and capabilities of the land users were insufficiently considered in the preparation and execution of such projects or programmes. Uganda government has now come to realise that proper implementation of such activities depend on the acceptance by and full participation of the population, so that soil conservation and reforestation activities become less dominated by regulations. 

 Alfredo Quarto explained that  local population growth and associated increasing resource demands are signaled out as main contributors to mangrove forest loss. Whereby such practices as clearing of forest cover for small-scale agriculture and harvesting for local fuel wood collection are important factors to consider in any analysis, these are by no means the only factors contributing to mangrove loss.  Md. Hasibur Rahman described that in Bangladesh where development and conservation of natural resources is under pressure from rapid increasing of population, unplanned urbanization and industrialization, illiteracy, poverty, etc., all are leading to degradation of environment and ecosystem.  Alexander Wegosky and his organization have developed the system for reclamation and restoring of waste – lands by means of creating Social System for Nature Reviving (SSNR). By creating SSNR we are trying to mark the beginning of a special activity in Russia to compensate the destroying affects of Urban Civilization upon nature. Shahidul Haque, Hasida Yasmin and Md. Hasibur Rahman explained that  environmental pollution causing adverse impacts on human beings all over the world (more in developing country like Bangladesh )that are also causing global warming and climate change. Environmental problem are facing in different ways in different countries, depend on pollution criteria and geographical location. 

 

Understanding of the global ecological questions needed unprecedent joint efforts of scientific and high level political circles of the different countries (Knijnikova). The strategy «sustainable development» as environmental development variant has become property of the global community. By a most urgent question, which must to reflect indicators, what parity of economy and ecology today. The locomotive of economy parameters - for reflection ecology and economy integration (Moya). The area of holistic ecosystem management is another approach discussed by Savard.

Biological indicators are often used to monitor environmental quality; they can respond to many different compounds and they show cumulative effects over a period of time. They can tell us directly if there is pollution in the air or water that is harmful to life.   Ecosystems on land vary largely from those found in waters. They have also similarities. Terrestrial communities as well as aquatic communities are made of organisms that decompose detritus entering the system; primary producers absorb the sun's energy; herbivores feed upon the primary producers; carnivores feed upon herbivores; and omnivores. The energy efficiency of either food web is about the same. About as much as 15% of the energy in protoplasm in primary producers is passed on to the herbivores and slightly less is passed on from herbivores to carnivores.

A change in temperature and various types of pollution will affect differently species in water and those on land. We may first observe a change in sizes of population, then kinds of species, and finally the disappearance of species and a reduction of biomass. It is an impossible task to describe and measure communities by one single index, such as a diversity index. Various models of communities must be used and as many different parameters as possible to properly describe a community. Changes in these various parameters will determine the effect of pollution. By measuring the effects of pollution on biological organisms one can monitor pollution and determine effects over time; the presence of pollution can be deduced by analyzing the structure of populations of organisms. Chemical analyses only identify pollutants at the point in time. Both approaches are necessary  to define pollution effects.



2. Sustainability of technological processes


J. Dewulf, J. Mulder, H. Van Langenhove, H.J. van der Kooi and J. de
Swaan Arons  described the development of a parameter which enables to quantify the sustainability of technological processes. Technology is one of the key processes in society: it delivers goods to people starting from resources out of the ecosphere; however simultaneously it emits waste products into the environment. The parameter quantifying the sustainability of technology proposed in this work is based on thermodynamics; energy carriers and materials (products, waste, …) are expressed in the same unit: exergy.  Dott. Giuseppe Di Vita  presented a model of endogenous growth with an exhaustible resource, in which waste recycling increases the growth rate of total input. We show that technological change plays a central role in increasing the quantity of secondary materials produced. Dr. A. Jagadeesh described the Wind Energy Development in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, India. The study has also looked into the financial, technical, transaction and institutional barriers which inhibit the diffusion of wind energy in the states. Creation of Wind Fund, establishment of co-operative windfarms, setting up of wind estates, linking generation to incentives for optimum production, promotion of reliable water pumping windmills and wind battery chargers for small scale applications suggested in the paper for rapid growth of wind energy in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. 

New technologies and technological processes are creating new possibilities that challenge the moral judgements of different cultures in ways that The Global Community has the responsibility to examine. For instance in medicine technological advances have prolonged life. Society realizes that the quality of life of the prolonged life cannot now be ignored. 

Limited resources force difficult choices upon The Global Community in setting policies and priorities in all aspects of science and technology. There is a need to rethink what is right and what is wrong, and findings what are good practices. 

 



3. Marine area management

 

Min Guo explained that the Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM) has not been successfully adopted nationwide in China because of fierce inter-agency rivalries, especially between land management authorities and marine management authorities. Consequently, marine management authorities, which are most enthusiastic in ICAM, have promoted marine area use management (MSUM) instead.  

Dr. Islam Israfil oglu Mustafaev described the role of Caspian Sea in the Sustainable Development of the region. On the geographical location and resources of energy-carriers and rare kinds of fishes , and also opportunity of development of shipping the Caspian sea is occupied the important place in the sustainable development of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Iran.

Min Guo explained that the Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM) has not been successfully adopted nationwide in China because of fierce inter-agency rivalries, especially between land management authorities and marine management authorities. 



4. Land management

 

  In Ethiopia, as in most developing countries, small and resource poor farmers using traditional farming methods produce the bulk of food crops(Ayalneh Bogale). One of the most striking problem of the last few decades has been the coincidences between deepening poverty and accelerating land degradation leading to drought and famine. The major prerequisite for mitigating the problem and for attaining sustainable agricultural development is the formulation of appropriate resource management policy based on firm understanding of the farming community and their day-to-day practices in making decision of land use. Although land degradation is a result of human activities and something that threatens the base of human livelihood, the view that it is a result of the cultivator’s imputed negligence is unwarranted. Thorkil Casse and Fabiana Issler discussed about economic sustainability in the light of resource dependency, exemplified by a case study of Paragominas, a municipality in eastern Amazonia, Brazil, where the economy is highly dependent on logging and wood-processing. Timber resources in Paragominas are currently being rapidly exploited and high deforestation rates threaten the very basis of the local economy. 

 Dr. C. Ramachandraiah described estimations of desertification have been carried out worldwide since the United Nations Conference on Desrtification (1977). The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) was held in 1992. It has been estimated that about 80 per cent of productive lands in arid and semi-arid areas suffer from moderate to severe desertification. Most severely desertified areas are existing in the drylands of Africa, Asia, and South America. Professor A.S.R.A.S. Sastri described how  the time series data of rice productivity and its variability a sustainability ladder concept has been developed for each state in Eastern India. The different districts in each state which fall either below the sustainability ladder or above in rice productivity have been identified. In the districts below the sustainability ladder, there is a need to increase the productivity and for those districts above the sustainability ladder there is a need to stabilize the productivity. 

  Svetlana D.Schlotgauer and Maria V. Kryukova have  analyzed the catastrophic fire consequences has shown that in some areas there were irreversible changes of ecosystems. The negative tendencies in biodiversity dynamics, sharp drop of wild animal number (elk, boar, red deer), ichtyofauna (salmon) and ornithofauna (goose, duck), which play an important role in traditional food of indigenous peoples, can lead to ecological tragedy in the nearest future. Biological diversity of forest birds in recently burned-out forest drops by 80-90 %. Their species composition is reduced till 80-90 %, in comparison with native communities.   Professor Madireddi Venkata Subba Rao explained that India is one of the twelve megabiodiversity countries in the world and hence a rich flora and fauna. Many of them are endemic. Today Indian forests and wildlife are subjected to more biotic pressure.  It is necessary to concentrate our attention to ecorestoration, survivability of the ecosystem and sustainable development through management plane for success of the Biodiversity Conservation in Eastern Ghats of India.



5. Waste management

Dott. Giuseppe Di Vita  presented a model of endogenous growth with an exhaustible resource, in which waste recycling increases the growth rate of total input. We show that technological change plays a central role in increasing the quantity of secondary materials produced. In our model a double endogenous effect emerges: 

  • (i) a direct one through technological progress; 

  • (ii) an indirect one, by means of the discovery of the new techniques of waste recycling.

One of the main findings is that the policy maker can increase the growth rate of the economy by promoting research activity. Moreover, we demonstrate that total welfare increases, as a consequence of waste recycling, in industrialized countries and developing ones, but the production costs of secondary materials are lesser in the first. Finally, the principal results of our analytical framework are consistent with the empirical evidence.

 Dr. Mikhail Krasnyanski explained that the industrial wastes in  East Europe, South America, Asia and Africa countries (stored in dumps and settling tanks)can be of interest. In the Ukraine there had been accumulated not less than 25 billion tons of such wastes, and the estimates are that they are 2 - 3 trillion tons in the whole world. On the one side such wastes are the source of ecological disaster and on the other side they contain billions of tons of ready residual raw materials: coal, oil products, wood, iron, non-ferrous metals, rare metals, etc. 

Dr. Rajasundram Sathiendrakumar explained that waste reduction is consistent with the principle of sustainable development. The paper deals only with the disposal of non- hazardous solid waste. There are two basic problems with the disposal of non-hazardous solid waste or more commonly known as municipal solid waste. The first is the fact that the opportunity cost of land used as land fill is not very low and is rising. This will make land fillings more costly than other disposal options that may be available. The second problem is the NYMBY syndrome (not in my back yard). That is, the problem of 'not having the land fill in my backyard syndrome'.

 Alexander Wegosky explained that the process of degradation of Russian landscapes keeps its rate and even gets faster. It occurs at the expense of bedding of the plough-lands because of ass-arts, military actions, degradation of bottomlands, spontaneous creation of new dumps likely to appear by the sides or railroads and motor – ways, as well as at the places used by the urban population for recreation.  Valentin Yemelin explained that  The EcoHouse project  based on the EcoTeam approach of raising public environmental awareness and empowering sustainable change in people's behaviour in the direction of conscious lifestyle choices.



6. Energy management

 Xiaohui Hao described Chinese power industry since China implemented the policy of reform and opening to the outside world two decades ago. The total installed generating capacity reached 270 GW with an annual electricity generation over 1167Twh by the end of 1998. The rapid development has greatly supported national economic growth and improved people’s living standards. However, we are clearly aware that the per capita installed generating capacity and the annual per capita electricity consumption are only 0.2KW and 900Kwh respectively, ranking behind the 80th in the world. There are around 60 million people living in remote areas, who still have no access to electricity today. In addition, in some areas where people are alleviated from power shortage, they still suffer from power curtailments during peak hours due to lack of peaking capacity. As about 75% of installed generating capacity in China is based on coal, environmental problems resulted from coal combustion are becoming more serious along with the expansion of thermal power plants. The sulfur dioxide emission from Chinese industries, for instance, has increased from 15.71 million tons in 1990 to 19.46 million tons in 1996, causing acid rain covering one third of territory. Power sector is also a major contributor of carbon dioxide emission which is increasingly conceded as a global environment issue. The basic situation of Chinese power industry is as follows: rapid growth, large in total amount while low in terms of per capita consumption, heavy dependence on coal, relatively low energy efficiency(33% in average for thermal power), serious environmental problems( both local and global) to be dealt with.

Dr. A. Jagadeesh explained that Tamil Nadu state,India, has the distinction of 719 MW capacity windfarms at the end of September 1998 out of the country’s total figure of 992 MW. Andhra Pradesh has 59 MW installed windfarms in the state. 1995-96 saw a boom when 282 MW windfarms were set up in Tamil Nadu and 39 MW capacity in Andhra Pradesh. Subsequently there was a steady decline in the windfarm development in both the states. This case study attempted in detail to trace the reasons for the boom and the factors that contributed to the slump in windfarm activity in the states.  Light Pollution in the simplest terms is the result of too much wasted light. It has been estimated to cost the United States alone well over a billion dollars per year for the electricity generated to send light into the sky and across property lines where it serves no benefit (Haas,  Gent and Crawford).


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7. Ozone layer protection

Md. Hasibur Rahman explained that 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.

Dufour explained that 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.
 
 

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8. Global warming

Augustin, Katima, Klawe and Lyimo proposed that tropical tree plantations may be an important component of the global carbon cycle because they represent a carbon sink that can be manipulated by humans and they ca mitigate the effects of tropical deforestation, which is the main biotic source of atmospheric carbon. The model is designed to assess the above ground-biomass for two even-aged, single species plantations with the same site class (Pinus patula and Eucalyptus saligna) as an attempt to quantify the carbon storage potential of the two species and their possible roles in carbon sequestration and atmospheric carbon dynamics.

S. Augustin, J. Katima, E. Klawe & B. Lyimo have shown that tropical tree plantations may be an important component of the global carbon cycle because they represent a carbon sink that can be manipulated by humans and they ca mitigate the effects of tropical deforestation, which is the main biotic source of atmospheric carbon (Houghton et al., 1983). Most forest plantations in the tropics are planted with fast growing trees that culminate in volume and biomass production earlier than natural forests. These high biomass production forests have a high capacity to sequester atmospheric CO2 and hence assist in mitigating global warming. Sequestration of CO2 in plantations occurs in tree biomass (stems, branch, foliage and roots), forest floor and as storage in the soil. Young growing forests are one of the best means to removing CO2 (the gas partially responsible for the greenhouse effect) from the air. Thus planting forests help to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air (by the action of sunlight on the green chlorophyll organic compound, CO2 is absorbed by trees through the small fissures in the leaves or needless, these gases are fixed as biomass).
Therefore the model is designed to assess the above ground-biomass for two even-aged, single species plantations with the same site class (Pinus patula and Eucalyptus saligna) as an attempt to quantify the carbon storage potential of the two species and their possible roles in carbon sequestration and atmospheric carbon dynamics.
The study shows that establishment of Pines and Eucalyptus plantations is seen as an efficient way to create carbon sinks due to rapid increment rate soon after establishment. Brown et al. (1985) predict that the sink function to become more significant in the future, attributed to the increase in the rate of establishment and the large areas of young plantations, which will sequester more carbon as they develop and grow into older age classes.

Greenhouse Effect (Dufour)

Ever-increasing anthropogenic releases of greenhouse gases are driving the United Nations Climate Change effort. As the atmosphere's concentrations of "greenhouse gases" increase, so too does the atmosphere's ability to retain heat radiated from the earth's surface. This phenomenon, known as the greenhouse effect, is linked by many scientists to a long-term rise in global temperatures.

The greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, are critical to the atmosphere's ability to retain heat and thereby maintain the global temperatures necessary to maintain life as we currently know it.

The increases in concentrations of these gases are produced primarily through the burning of fossil fuels, but also by such activities as deforestation and land clearing, which release the carbon naturally contained in vegetation. Over the past 100 years, humans have caused the release of these gases faster than natural processes can remove them from the atmosphere.

Some scientists predict that average global temperatures will increase 2 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit over the next 100 years if global emissions of greenhouse gases continue unabated. In addition to an increase in ambient temperatures, the other possible consequences of global warming include a speeding of the global water cycle. It is predicted that faster evaporation caused by higher temperatures would lead to drying of soils, exacerbating drought in some areas while increasing precipitation and flooding in others.

Warmer temperatures could melt polar ice caps, leading to what some predict as a rise in sea levels of between 6 to 37 inches over the next century. This, in turn, would endanger coastal populations and island nations and cause the degradation of coastal ecosystems. If these predictions prove true, human health will be affected directly as warmer temperatures increase the chances of heat waves, exacerbate air quality problems and lead to an increase in both allergic disorders and warm weather diseases. Agriculture, forests, natural ecosystems and vegetation patterns would also be adversely affected by both increases in temperatures and changes in the water cycle.

U.N. Efforts

The Kyoto Protocol is the latest step in the ongoing United Nations' effort to address global warming. The effort began with the United Nations' Framework Convention on Climate Change (Convention) signed during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. (The Convention entered into force in 1994 upon the ratification by 50 nations) Despite the continuing scientific debate on the likely occurrence of global warming, the nations took action under the "precautionary principle" of international law.

The Convention is intended to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that will prevent dangerous interference with the global climate system. The time frame is to be "sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner."

To further that objective, the Convention sought to commit all parties to it to develop and implement programs to mitigate climate change by addressing emissions of greenhouse gases.

The Convention places the first level of commitment to reduce emissions on nations that have developed, prospered and established strong economies through the consumption of fossil fuels since the industrial revolution began. These developed countries are the 38 countries listed in Annex I to the Convention.

Kyoto Protocol

The Convention recognises the importance of preserving and enhancing the earth's natural ability to remove certain greenhouse gases from the atmosphere by FORESTS and other carbon stocks, referred to as "sinks". The removal by sinks is also a key component of the Protocol, which allows countries to meet their commitments by considering the effects of afforestation, reforestation and deforestation since 1990, a provision that is expected to promote cost-effective solutions to climate change and good forestry practices.

Flexibility Mechanisms

The Kyoto Protocol put forward three mechanisms for achieving the targets. These include mechanisms such as emissions trading, joint implementation and the so-called "Clean Development Mechanism" (or CDM), to allow flexibility in achieving the required reductions.

Carbon Offset Verification

Assuming that development and maintenance of sinks will be accepted under CDM, knowledge on the calculation of the amount of Carbon dioxide that can be sequestered by a given project needs to be known. At times this will involve establishing the carbon offset potential of a given forest venture, before the project is in place. Use of mathematical models to predicted the carbon sequestration potential will be important. Our paper is discussing the results of study done in Tanzania.



9. Climate changes assessment and management

 Dr. Brad Bass, Roger Hansell and Glenda Poole have shown that by increasing vegetation in urban areas will reduce the urban heat island, and the impacts of other urban environmental problems, which will be exacerbated under climate change. Reducing the urban heat island will also reduce the energy demand for space conditioning, and hence greenhouse gas emissions. Plants directly reduce the urban heat island through evaporative cooling but further reduce energy consumption through shading. The most common strategy to increase urban vegetation is to plant trees at ground level. However, where space is not available for trees, vegetation can be grown on building roofs, but walls offer far more space, hence vertical gardening is a viable alternative. 

Joy Hyvarinen contributes to the debate about the EU's role, in particular the EU's aspirations for a leadership role, in the international climate negotiations. This has been the subject of interesting projects, including the recent 'EU leadership initiative' launched by IEEP's partner office ECOLOGIC in cooperation with the Wuppertal Institute. 

 Isabelle Lambiel has shown that all people have noticed that the climate has changed over the last few years. In some countries the temperature has increased by one or two degrees and natural catastrophes are becoming more and more frequent. Flooding or freshwater scarcity as well as water pollution are harming the environment of the Third World and developing countries and air pollution characterizes the industrialized regions. Therefore, poor and rich regions are facing a common problem which is linked to climate change, that's why they should negotiate and find a compromise as quickly as possible. If no solution is suggested, developing countries like China will repeat the same mistakes as the developed world. In fact, the latter can expect a higher salary, which will close the gap between rich and poor regions. 

World industrial activity is now profoundly affecting the atmospheric environment(Dufour). It is now the number of humans and industrialization that makes the major impacts on the atmosphere. The most important changes affecting the atmosphere are due to the growth in the burning of fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels increases carbon dioxide concentrations and air pollutants. The clearing of forested lands for agriculture and other purposes has reduced the amount of carbon absorbed by the forests and contributed to the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide. We have disturbed a fragile balance by causing chemical changes in the global atmosphere.

The most devastating effects of contamination of the atmosphere on a global scale include:

  • An increase in greenhouse gas concentrations brought the warming of the climate;

  • Depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer;

  • Acidification of lakes and forests; and

  • Toxic chemicals have contaminated our food chain on the land and in the waters.

The most sophisticated climate models take into account factors such as:

  • The changes in the radiation balance of the Earth;

  • Contamination of the atmosphere;

  • Greenhouse gas concentrations;

  • Absorption of heat by the oceans;

  • The ice and snow fields;

  • The hydrological cycle of precipitation; and

  • The melting of glaciers and the Greenland ice cap.

A consequence of a warmer climate is a rise in global mean sea-level. Several countries will be more susceptible to inundations. We will see hundreds of millions of environmental refugees searching for land.

The mid-latitude wheat belts of the planet will dry; forest fires will wipe out most of the forests; world food markets will have to adjust to help a starving population. 

Tourism and wildlife in the tropics will be seriously affected by a temperature that is just too hot.

Tropical diseases will cause epidemics.

Major changes in evaporation and precipitation patterns will not adjust quickly enough to supply the population with water it needs to survive; agriculture will become a dying industry either because of too much water or not enough of it.

Sub-Arctic communities will disappear because of the melting of the permafrost.

It is well known that biological communities of the waters and of the land absorb and bio-accumulate toxic contaminants through the food webs. Trace concentrations deposited by the atmosphere have become harmful. They are chemicals carried through the atmosphere to seas, rivers, lakes and other streams, and subsequently into sediments and soils. Metals and chemical contaminants can be absorbed for a long time, and are in fact chemical 'time bombs'.  World industrial activity is now profoundly affecting the atmospheric environment. It is now the number of humans and industrialization that makes the major impacts on the atmosphere. The most important changes affecting the atmosphere are due to the growth in the burning of fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels increases carbon dioxide concentrations and air pollutants. The clearing of forested lands for agriculture and other purposes has reduced the amount of carbon absorbed by the forests and contributed to the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide. We have disturbed a fragile balance by causing chemical changes in the global atmosphere.

The most devastating effects of contamination of the atmosphere on a global scale include:

  • An increase in greenhouse gas concentrations brought the warming of the climate;

  • Depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer;

  • Acidification of lakes and forests; and

  • Toxic chemicals have contaminated our food chain on the land and in the waters.

The most sophisticated climate models take into account factors such as:

  • The changes in the radiation balance of the Earth;

  • Contamination of the atmosphere;

  • Greenhouse gas concentrations;

  • Absorption of heat by the oceans;

  • The ice and snow fields;

  • The hydrological cycle of precipitation; and

  • The melting of glaciers and the Greenland ice cap.

A consequence of a warmer climate is a rise in global mean sea-level. Several countries will be more susceptible to inundations. We will see hundreds of millions of environmental refugees searching for land.

The mid-latitude wheat belts of the planet will dry; forest fires will wipe out most of the forests; world food markets will have to adjust to help a starving population. 

Tourism and wildlife in the tropics will be seriously affected by a temperature that is just too hot.

Tropical diseases will cause epidemics.

Major changes in evaporation and precipitation patterns will not adjust quickly enough to supply the population with water it needs to survive; agriculture will become a dying industry either because of too much water or not enough of it.

Sub-Arctic communities will disappear because of the melting of the permafrost.

It is well known that biological communities of the waters and of the land absorb and bio-accumulate toxic contaminants through the food webs. Trace concentrations deposited by the atmosphere have become harmful. They are chemicals carried through the atmosphere to seas, rivers, lakes and other streams, and subsequently into sediments and soils. Metals and chemical contaminants can be absorbed for a long time, and are in fact chemical 'time bombs'. 

 

 




10. Air pollution

Anastassios Gentzoglanis  argued that the estimated costs and benefits, although valid in a strict economic sense, neglect some important facets that can make an important difference in the outcome. The benefits arising from the reduction of CO2 emissions are calculated as the environmental damages that are avoided by preventing rising concentrations of gases. Shahidul Haque, Hasida Yasmin and Md. Hasibur Rahman have shown that the World’s population is increasing at an alarming rate in every year, more in developing country like Bangladesh and it is impacting on demographic pressure. They recommended: 

  • 1. Introduction of appropriate sustainable agricultural system with balanced use of chemical fertilizers incorporated organic minerals and green manure's. 

  • 2. Phase wise replacement of chemical fertilizer by organic fertilizer. Similarly biodegradable insecticide should be replace by the non-biodegradable insecticides. 

  • 3. The entrepreneur should take proper mitigation measures of industrial pollution by set-up of industrial waste treatment plant. 

  • 4. Control of insect, pests through biological, natural process, alternatives of using harmful insecticides or fungicides is important to introduce. 

  • 5. Promotion of research activities in the field of industrial waste utilization and waste recovery process. 

  • 6. Reutilization of agricultural residues through bio-conservation to industrial products. 

  • 7. Need proper implementation of Environmental Policy, Environment Conservation Act’s and Legislation. 

  • 8. Enhancement of the capacity of NGOs, Govt. agencies to successfully implement poverty alleviation program including non-formal education on environmental pollution awareness.

Dr. Katalin K. Zaim explained that industrial pollution plays a major role in the deterioration of nature when the level of pollution is above the carrying capacity of the ecosystem. There are approaches to limit and regulate the pollution emissions of industrial activities. These are standards, taxes and pollution permits. The choice among these alternatives depends on the administrative structure of a nation. The Turkish Ministry of Environment, which is established in 1993 sets standards for the polluting activities. International standards are taken as a point of reference while choosing these standards. 

In an urban community site, air usually contains materials such as nitric oxide, sulfur oxide, carbon monoxide, aldehydes, dust and many others (Dufour). A city would have a department measuring indicators and indices in order to:

  • Provide a daily report to the public

  • Define air quality in all parts of the city

  • Measure progress toward air quality goals

  • Propose abatement steps 

  • Alarm the public in case of danger

  • Provide data to researchers

  • Provide information for compliance

  • Make intelligent decisions with regard to priorities of programs toward environmental improvement


Urban air pollution is a mixture of several pollutants emitted from different energy and industrial processes, and of secondary pollutants in the atmosphere. Some air pollutants are more important than others. At a given concentration some pollutants are more toxic or more unpleasant. Pollutants have different effects related to health, ecosystems,  economics and aesthetic:

  • Particulates affects visibility, aesthetic and safety

  • Oxidant irritate eyes and kill plants

  • Sulphur oxides and dioxides affect the human respiratory system, are corrosive, and have an unpleasant odor

  • Nitrogen dioxide

  • Carbon monoxide

  • Ground level ozone

In an urban community site, air usually contains materials such as nitric oxide, sulfur oxide, carbon monoxide, aldehydes, dust and many others. A city would have a department measuring indicators and indices in order to:

  • Provide a daily report to the public

  • Define air quality in all parts of the city

  • Measure progress toward air quality goals

  • Propose abatement steps 

  • Alarm the public in case of danger

  • Provide data to researchers

  • Provide information for compliance

  • Make intelligent decisions with regard to priorities of programs toward environmental improvement


Urban air pollution is a mixture of several pollutants emitted from different energy and industrial processes, and of secondary pollutants in the atmosphere. Some air pollutants are more important than others. At a given concentration some pollutants are more toxic or more unpleasant. Pollutants have different effects related to health, economics and aesthetic:

  • Particulates affects visibility, aesthetic and safety

  • Oxidant irritate eyes and kill plants

  • Sulphur oxides affect the human respiratory system, are corrosive, and have an unpleasant odor

  • Nitrogen dioxide

  • Carbon monoxide

 

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11. Water pollution

Md. Hasibur Rahman explained that Arsenic contamination in groundwater is already creating alarming on social-health
problem in Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated country in the world. Preventive and mitigative measure is being implemented through research, coordination of work, dissemination of research activities, particularly in the grassroots level in the disaster areas. Scientific method and public awareness already been adopting in different areas, sectors and under consideration for future application to avoiding further serious health problems.

The existing and future uses of water are constantly challenged; balancing supply and demand is made even harder by the amounts of pollution found in the air, land and waters(Dufour). Pollution is widespread and people are dying because of it. As soon as more pollution is added into the fresh water systems than people and all life die. This is true even with the best system in the world. We live on the edge. Rainwater could carry pollution to the fresh water supply, and it is too late. 

Today there are a multitude of pollution sources and just to name a few:

  • Animal manure

  • Discharge from industrial processes

  • Drainage from mines and industrial wastes

  • Leaching of the residues of fertilisers and pesticides used in agriculture

  • Acid rain

  • Oil spills from ships

  • Storm water systems from cities carry pollution 

  • Gulf courses upstream or near a lake

  • Untreated sewage

  • Leakage from oil storage tanks

  • Many of the 100,000 or so commercial chemicals employed in the world today create difficulties as a lot of them are released into aquatic ecosystems

  • Wet and dry deposition of materials transported through the atmosphere and which originate from emissions made in industrial areas and from motor vehicles

Water pollution varies in severity from one region to the next depending of the density of urban development, agricultural and industrial practices and the presence or absence of systems for collecting and treating the waste waters.

It is necessary to measure the water's quality, quantity and biological characteristics in every country. A lot of the data in the global hydrological network dedicated to measuring these elements are missing. It is non-existent in most developing countries. Data on water use are also scarce.

Global demand for water is rising. The rise will accelerate into the future because the world population is expected to reach 8.2 billion by the year 2024. 


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12. Measurement and assessment of indicators

Thorkil Casse and Fabiana Issler have obtained results that after 26 years of intensive resource use, the wood industry, currently responsible for over 80 percent of the total income generated in the economic territory of Paragominas, is now experiencing the first signs of decline. Deforestation is reaching critical levels locally, and timber scarcity is definitely the major cause of Paragominas’ current crisis. Karine Danielyan has obtained results about the scale of countries, ranged according to SHDI, will undergo considerable changes in comparison with the one, based on the rating according to HDI, depending on the degree of rational use of natural resources. This technique has been successfully approved by us basing on the statistical material of Armenia (Pe = - 0,427, SHDI = 0,404) and Georgia (Pe = - 0,237, SHDI = 0,592). The evaluation has been carried out on the base of the data of 1990 (the year was chosen as the most stable and provided with statistics within the last period of time). Thus, Armenia outstripped Georgia in the scale elaborated by UNDP on the base of HDI, while taking into consideration the environmental indicator the countries exchange their places. 

J. Dewulf, J. Mulder, H. Van Langenhove, H.J. van der Kooi and J. de Swaan Arons have obtained results for the electricity generation via solar cells scores better on the use of renewable resources (*=0.9676 vs. *=0.0007), since the only input of renewables in the natural gas fueled system is water for the production of steam. Just because of the extensive use of non-renewables, the gas fueled system requires a higher input of exergy for abatement of emissions resulting in a lower *1-coefficient (*1=0.9932 vs. *1=0.9617). On the other hand, the conversion of inputs into useful outputs is much higher for the gas based power system, showing an overall exergetic efficiency of *2=0.5033. In this sense, the solar cell system is inferior (*2=0.1247). Taking into account all these contributions in order to assess the overall sustainability, it is demonstrated by the sustainability coefficient S that the solar cell driven electricity generation is more sustainable than the gas powered generation (S=0.55 vs. S=0.24). Louise Dunne and Frank Convery have obtained results with the issue of economies of scale. Doing 10 urban areas is not much more expensive than doing one, especially where national statistics are being sourced. Some key data were developed at a very low cost due to good census and transport data. A coherent and disaggregated national information strategy improves comparability and credibility in a small country. Kun H. JOHN,Yeo C. Youn and Jae W. Park have shown that according to the annual statistic book of the Choelwon local government, the average number of the visitors to the Choelwon area is 369,500 per year. Assuming that the total number of visitors in 1997 is the same as the annual average and also 84.1% of them show preference for keeping the current status of the FFER, the total use value of the ecological resources is 1.05 billion won (US$840,000). The estimated use value is 2.7 times greater than the average annual revenue of the entrance fee. Use value of ecological resources represents only a part of the total benefits of the FFER. 

 S. Augustin, J. Katima, E. Klawe & B. Lyimo have demonstrated that establishment of Pines and Eucalyptus plantations is seen as an efficient way to create carbon sinks due to rapid increment rate soon after establishment.   S.G. Patil, L.B. Hugar, M.S. Veerapur, J. Yerriswamy, T. Cross, A.C. vanLoon, and G.W. vanLoon have obtained  data in the Tungabhadra Project (TBP) area of Karnataka State in South India to show  that biodiversity of the indicator species is much reduced in areas where there is a high input of synthetic chemicals.  Dr. Katalin K. Zaim has obtained results about the IPPS method developed by the PRDEI in the World Bank allowed us to compute the yearly pollution intensities, toxic and metal pollution emissions to air, water and land for the industrial activities. The computations are performed for the years 1985 and 1992. The results indicate that the most relevant pollutants produced by industries are TSS, SO2, and CO. Toxic and metal pollution effected land mostly. 

The environment is our life-support system, and is certainly the most important quality system(Dufour). It is hoped that the evaluation of GESDI was helpful  in bringing us closer to sustaining Earth. GESDI is the global indicator that includes all others but it should be made clear that all other indicators and indices proposed in this World Congress are standing by themselves as well and their values are not diminished. There are hundreds of indicators and indices in GESDI and they all make GESDI what it is: a meaningful global indicator. To make our evaluation successful we need first to understand the effects of man's activities on the environment and second, find what things we should do to ameliorate the adverse effects. Every country has different ways of evaluating environmental quality. For instance in the United states the National Wildlife Federation has developed the Environmental Quality Index to evaluate several natural resources including air, water, soil, wildlife, forests, minerals and living space. As in the evaluation of GESDI, a number of value judgments are made during measurements. But when one focus on sustaining the Earth and its biosphere these judgments are usually fair. Trends are often used to eliminate gross errors. The costs of pollution versus the cost of pollution control  or abatement is also included in an evaluation. In the evaluation of GESDI the costs of pollution with respect to the components of the four interacting systems (environment, social, resources, and economic) are addressed head on. For instance in an urban community site, the costs of pollution with respect to property values, health, materials, vegetation, quality of life, land use, recreational activities, and aesthetics are important, and are highlighted.

Again in the United States, the most important bodies of data and standards are developed, regulated, monitored, managed and made available to the public by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality. In the evaluation of GESDI for this country, data and statistics from these agencies are mainly used along with information obtained from other sources such as the National Wildlife Federation. Not every country has a government agency as developed as the EPA, and it can be very costly to actually make our own measurements in other countries. Permission has to be obtained. We usually rely on whatever we can obtained from government officials and groups from those countries. Satellite observations are another source of data. If we are to achieve effective management of Earth and its environment we need comprehensive data about the status and changes in the air, land, water and in other natural resources; the issue of the effects of  potentially hazardous chemicals on the natural resources. 

Other requirements are for making the evaluation of GESDI meaningful with respect to each of the four quality systems: environment, social, resources, economics; evaluating those aspects or impacts which are directly representative and those which are not; correlating the data; interpreting the data for the purpose of determining whether trends are interfering; predicting the environmental impact of proposed public and private actions; determining the effectiveness of programs of protecting and enhancing environmental quality; developing environmental policies; and processing the useful data into the GESDI.

The scientific community contributes enormously to the evaluation of GESDI. Our professional members are certainly and by large the most important leading representatives of the scientific community. Beyond their own university training and life experience, the World Congress on Managing and Measuring Sustainable Development has been the training grounds that have sharpened their judgment on all issues. All of our members together are certainly ready for an effective Earth Management.

An evaluation of sustainable development consists of ranking risks relative to each other and to help deciding which practice is better than another. In 1988, the author has developed a scale of values, and has designed and tested indicators to represent quality of development. Hundreds of indicators were measured and integrated into an overall expression called the Gross Environmental Sustainable Development Index (GESDI). GESDI was developed to measure sustainable development locally and globally. It expresses the quality of our growth or development, and it describes environmental quality rather than merely measuring different environmental variables.

An other indicator was developed to measure the costs of development: the Gross Sustainable Development Product (GSDP).

The GSDP is defined as the total value of production within a region over a specified period of time. It is measured using market prices for goods and services transactions in the economy. The GSDP is designed to replace the Gross Development product (GDP) as the primary indicator of the economic performance of a nation. The GSDP takes into accounts:

  •  the economic impacts of environmental and health degradation or improvement, resource depletion or findings of new stocks, and depreciation or appreciation of stocks;
  •  the impact of people activity on the environment, the availability of resources, and economic development;

  •  the "quality" of the four major quality systems and the impacts of changes in these systems on national income and wealth;

  •  global concerns and their impacts on the economy;

  •  the welfare, economic development and quality of life of future generations;

  •  expenditures on pollution abatement and clean-ups, people health, floods, vehicle accidents, and on any negative impact costs;

  •  the status of each resource and the stocks and productive capacities of exploited populations and ecosystems, and make sure that those capacities are sustained and replenished after use; and

  •  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 of GSDP shows that consumption levels can be maintained without depleting and depreciating the quality and quantity of services. It indicates the solutions to the problems as well as the directions to take, such as:

  •  invest in technology, R & D, to increase the end-use efficiency;
  •  increase productivity;

  •  modify social, educational programs and services;

  •  slow down or increase economic growth;

  •  remediate components of the four major quality systems; and

  •  rectify present shortcomings of income and wealth accounts.

 


The measurement of GSDP 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.


 Evaluation of Indicators

A.    Indicators of environmental quality
        A.1    Biological indicators: pollutants in human
        A.2    Biological and biochemical indicators
        A.3    Sense of smell
B.    Facts about the state of the environment
C.    Global indicators and indices
        C.1    The threat of global warming
        C.2    Destruction of the ozone layer
        C.3    Other environmental stresses
D.    Noise pollution indicators
E.    Environmental indices for radioactivity releases
F.    Land, plants and animals indicators and indices
        F.1    Land indicators
        F.2    Preserving natural areas and protecting plants indicators
        F.3    Wildlife indicators
        F.4    National park indicators
        F.5    Forest indicators
        F.6    Sustainable forest management
        F.7    Sustainable forestry development
        F.8    Logging and pulp mills issues
        F.9    A sustainable agricultural development,land strategy and organic food production
        F.10    Soil quality index
        F.11    Getting information on land use and resource issues
G.    Air indicators and indices
        G.1    Acid and toxic rain
        G.2    Air pollution indicators
        G.3    Air quality indices and indicators
        G.4    Plants as indicators of air quality
        G.5    Air pollutants from mobile and stationary sources
        G.6    Emission of air pollutants from energy facilities
        G.7    Environmental pathways and impacts of air pollutants
        G.8    Economic consequences of air pollution from combustion facilities
        G.9    Methods of abatement of air pollution from stationary sources
        G.10    Costs of reducing emissions from mobile sources
H.    Water indicators and indices
        H.1    Water management indicators
        H.2    Water quality objective
        H.3    Protection of fresh water resources indicators
        H.4    River water quality
        H.5    Sustainability in fishery
        H.6    Water pollution issues
I.    Pollution indicators and indices
        I.1    Management of pollutant indicators
        I.2    Waste management indicators
        I.3    Toxic substances indicators
        I.4    Costs of pollution and abatement indicators 

Evaluation of Environment Issues and Concerns


1. Arctic
2. The role of the Environment as a source of natural capital
3. Biological Diversity
4. Protected natural Areas
5. Ecological Protection
6. Endangered Species
7. Protection of Wild Fauna
8. Protection of Wild Flora
9. Migratory wild species
10. Marines mammals and birds
11. Legal mechanisms to ensure coverage of damage to renewable natural resources
12. Heritage Sites
13. Regulations related to the transport, use, and disposal of hazardous wastes/dangerous goods
14. Toxic Product and Waste
15. Hazardous Materials
16. Solid Wastes
17. Radioactive Wastes
18. Pesticides
19. Industrial Pollution
20. The Pacific Salmon
21. Oceans
22. Coastal Areas
23. Mountains
24. Desertification
25. Drought
26. Land
27. Wetlands
28. Soils
29. Wildlife
30. Physical values
31. Forestry
32. Water Pollution
33. Marine Issues
34. Air Issues
35. Air Pollution
36. Protected Areas
37. Atmosphere
38. Global Warming
39. Ozone Layer
40. Ozone Depleting Substances
41. Climate Change:
i) The Global Climate Observing System
ii) International Council of Scientific Unions
iii) Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
iv) World Meteorological Organization
v) United Nations Environment Programme
vi) Earthwatch
vii) Agenda 21
42. Measurement of Indicators
43. Monitoring
44. Making results of measurements available on the Internet
45. Ecosystems
46. Acid rain damage
47. Water quality
48. Recreational areas
49. Soil productivity
50. Watersheds
51. Forest soil erosion
52. Vegetation
53. Soil carrying capacity
54. Old-growth trees
55. Air quality
56. Fresh water
57. Ozone depletion substances

Environment Aspects

Impact assessment I (normalized) Percentage assessment scoring Scoring
Evaluation of environment indicators and indices 0.7000 72.19 50.533
Evaluation of environment issues and concerns 0.7000 69.53 48.671
TOTAL 1.4000 141.72 99.204

 

 

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13. Land Degradation

Louise Dunne and Frank Convery have obtained results that show an increasing recognition of unsustainable pressures on the earth's carrying capacity, including intensive exploitation and depletion of natural resources and the growth in consumption and production. Society's ecological footprint, an indicator developed to illustrate human impact on a finite planet, underlines the dilemma now facing Ireland as part of the global community. A footprint represents the corresponding area of productive land and aquatic ecosystems required to produce the resources used and to assimilate the wastes produced by a defined population at a specified material living standard.


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14. Environmental films to stimulate the emotional perception of ecological problems and motivate people

Larisa Khomik has produced video film demonstrations promote keen emotional perception and understanding of the present ecological problems, encourage interesting discussions and, most important, the wish to solve problems.

"Catastrophe of the year 2030: The problem of garbage ranges from simple to complex"


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15. Ecological Education

Dr. Alexander S. Bogolyubov has described the "Ecosystem", all-Russian Environmental Educational Association, started its work in 1995. Its Educational Center helps to reach the goals of environmental education through field ecology. "Ecosystem" was founded by a group of young biologists and educators, the former participants of the biological school group of the state Darwin Museum in Moscow. They had been filled with the ideas of the young naturalist movement and had worked out a unique experience of the traditional Russian environmental field education. The main activity of "Ecosystem" is an introduction of outdoor ideology and approach into the environmental education, emphasizing children's involvement with concrete research work and nature conservation through different types of outdoor activities. 


Dr. GALINA GUTINA researched and developed the Project of Ecological, Aesthetic and Civil Education in Primary schools in Russia. The Project aims at the inculcation in secondary school students of ecological thinking, aesthetic and humane attitude to nature and society their adaptation to the environment, their involvement in cooperation and action aimed to the protection of the environment.  Elizabeth Lange found that by asking citizens to change their daily habits "to save the environment," "to reduce the exploitation of other people" or even "to save money" were not effective motivators for change. Participants only became interested in the concept of sustainability and transforming their patterns of living and working when the learning process held the promise of enabling them to return to their sense of life purpose, raising their quality of life, and mobilizing their moral and ethical autonomy. 

 Dr.Vyacheslav Sharov has developed an ecological lesson for children from radiation contaminated territories we used to teach while they are undergoing rehabilitation at the local sanatoria.  Yuri Skochilov has developed ecological training seminars conducted by Youth EcoCenter. Topics of these seminars include: "Ecological System"; "Global Ecological Problems", "Ecology of Tajikistan".



16. Warershed Management


Soil and water conservation activities are under taken under various agro-ecological and socio-economic circumstances, in different parts of the World (James Mwami). However, for a multitude of reasons farmers do not generally engage on their own in investment in soil and water conservation. In the more advanced economies farmers may sometimes take initiative, but in most cases they are stimulated to do so as a result of specific government policies, direct incentives on participation in specific projects. When the seriousness of the erosion problem was realised in Uganda, in the 1950's, government took the initiative and for along time they followed a top-down approach in the design and implementation of soil conservation projects and programmes. Many of these failed. Usually the priorities and capabilities of the land users were insufficiently considered in the preparation and execution of such projects or programmes.

Uganda government has now come to realise that proper implementation of such activities depend on the acceptance by and full participation of the population, so that soil conservation and reforestation activities become less dominated by regulations. There is a shift towards "protect and produce" including less direct soil conservation related activities (e.g. promoting tree crops) and the measures are accompanied incentives (e.g. subsidies) or by rural development "starter" activities (e.g. drinking water supply) to incite farmers to participate. In other words conservation has gradually evolved into regional development activities using "watershed activities"

This paper depicts a case study taken from Ankole Ranching Scheme of Mbarara District in South-West Uganda. In this area 900 families who are former nomads, were allocated land in 1995 and are being assisted to live sustainably on their pieces of land. Assistance is given by a project implemented by the District using above policies, with technical assistance from German Government through GTZ. The project has succeeded in its activities by use of "gender sensitive participatory extension approaching", clear ideas about self-help and extension philosophy, a lot of experiences with community mobilization, awareness creation and focusing self-help support extension needs, fairly well worked procedures ("action plans") and technical recommendations ("fact sheets") for priority self-help and extension activities.

It is generally acknowledged that the traditional soil and water conservation and/or watershed management projects, with their top-down orientation and emphasis on mechanical measures, have often failed. Farmers are not convinced about the usefulness of conservation measures and do not feel responsible for their maintenance.

Although farmer participation is of crucial importance, new soil conservation approaches should not focus too narrowly on the interests of present farmers, but also attention to other stakeholders e.g. future farmers and downstream communities. Sub-humid mountainous zones often offer good agro-ecological conditions for agriculture and a consequence have a high population density. This is very keen to participate in socio-forestry. These latter activities require much supervision and monitoring, without which reforestation efforts can easily lead to further deforestation.




1. Global Economic Development

CASSIMON explained that globalization of the world economic system is proceeding at a very rapid pace, and is generally promoted as being welfare-improving. This phenomenon is also present in the arena of international finance. In this area, however, the presumed virtues of globalization are far from being materialised.  Dr. Tee L. Guidotti discussed sustainable development as a widely-discussed alternative to currently unsustainable economic development patterns. It is all the more attractive because it may be cast in terms compatible with the market economy. However, there must be a social dimension to the concept, a vision, for it to become a viable alternative to unrestrained economic growth. The Earth is no longer a self-regulating planetary system. Its future will depend on human action and the continuation of natural ecosystems will be achieved because people want them to be preserved. Acceptance of sustainable development by society may depend on cultural values and even spiritual notions about the relationship of humankind to the Earth. 

 

This group provided a clear analysis of trends in the global economy with specific references to developing countries and the challenges they are facing to achieve a stable economic growth by a faster growth(Dufour). The global economy is unstable. Serious biases against the underprivileged exist.  It was found that in the world's poorest countries the interactions between trading and financial systems have had significant negative impacts on their growth. Global capital movements have kept poverty and unemployment on the rise in developing countries.  The gap between the rich and the poor is widening.  This shows a failure of The Global Community in building an equitable system of global economic governance. The effects of globalization have left behind most developing countries. Most developing countries show a trend of widening trade deficits and falling or stagnant  growth rates. Their efforts to close the payments gap through increased exports to developed countries have failed. An increase in exports required growth in world demand but world growth has been low. Export earnings were not sufficient in financing the debt. China and Chili are the only exception to this trend. They were able to succeed in managing a faster growth by increasing trade performance.

A new approach to development issues was suggested: business leaders are to conduct their affairs with responsibility, cooperation and compassion. A larger flow of private foreign investment would accelerate further growth and bring stability. Progress on access to markets in industrialized countries is the key to overcoming the payments facing developing countries. The international trading system needs to be fair to all global economies. Their are aspects leading to unfair competition. Protectionism is at its highest in developed countries.  For example, the heavy subsidization of agricultural output in the industrial countries cuts out imports from developing countries. Protectionism was also observed for industrial products such as clothing and textiles, low-tech and high-tech products. The industrialized countries were found to make use of antidumping procedures and health and safety standards against successful exporters in the developing countries.
 
 



2. Risk analysis to measure sustainable development for large construction projects

David S. Evans, C. Coulthard, I. Henderson, P. Jones made a presentation to describe how to measure social, environmental and political elements of sustainable development using risk analysis. They show the impact of these sustainable development elements on the construction, operation and closure of a large construction project. They have selected a large mining project to measure the impact and value of “social, environmental and political elements” on the total life cycle (30 years) of the project. They have tested the impact of the elements in three political jurisdictions.



3. Integrated system of economy-environment accounting

 Ming Lei discussed the integrated accounting for environment and economy under the framework of sustainable development has received increased attention by the international society, since the report of the World Commission on Environmental and Development was published in 1987. This heightening interest led to the proposal contained in Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environmental and Development (Rio de Janiero Earth Summit 1992) to encourage the development of integrated system environmental and economy accounting. In China, such proposal was also contained in the following Chinese Agenda 21 which was put forward in 1993.


Kon proposed that productive structuring and the level of labor qualification, which are regionally different in Brazil, are determinant factors of the level and speed of the observed spatial dispersions of economic development. 


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4. Financing sustainable development

  Anielski raises a fundamental challenge to both economics and business disciplines to explore not only the reform of national accounting systems but also the reform of traditional financial and management accounting systems to measure social, environmental and financial performance. Can the nature of money and monetary policy be restructured (Smith) so that it serves the desired outcome of citizens for the sustainable welfare of natural, human or social capital – in short, improved societal well-being? 

 Erkin Dzhamanbaev explained that in developing poverty alleviation interventions, the need for detailed poverty analyses within target areas cannot be underrated. Moving towards institutional sustainability is important for ensuring that financial services are available on a long-term basis for the poor.  

Anastassios Gentzoglanis has shown that the Kyoto accord has set the bases for a cleaner environment and the participating countries are currently trying to develop the necessary means for attaining the targets established. The most favoured approach is the use of trading permits. Dr. Yew-Kwang Ng explained that  the costs of public spending have been grossly overestimated. While it is desirable to do away with the inefficiencies in public spending if possible, it is increases in public spending, especially in research and environmental protection, that can really increase our welfare. 

Carbon Tax(Dufour)

The tax system is a device for influencing behaviour so as to encourage socially and environmentally useful activities and to discourage those that are not. It can also increase social and economic well-being. The imposition of a carbon tax can result in a net increase in employment as well as reductions in greenhouses gas emissions. Although fossil fuel-incentive industries will decline as a result of such a tax, other sectors of the economy will grow much faster and generate new jobs. Failures to take these measures to protect the environment will have greater negative impacts on poorer households as poorer households suffer more from environmental degradation.

The Better Ecological Tax scenario

The Better Ecological Tax scenario is the resulting package obtained after comparing it to the business-as-usual scenario. It includes:

Policy measures on a range of environmental, economic and social equity indicators

Policy measures in the areas of atmospheric emissions, water use, solid and industrial wastes, forests and natural amenities

In the atmospheric emission area, these measures will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity, industrial and transportation sectors; they will also reduce urban air pollution and result in significant job creation. These measures are:

  • A carbon tax levied at a rate of $20 per tonne of CO2

  • Mandatory fuel efficiency standards for vehicles

  • Reduction of sale tax on the most fuel efficient vehicles

  • Abolition of payroll taxes

In the water use area, measures will reduce urban water consumption and diminish pollution. These measures are:

  • A 25% increase in urban water prices and a nation-wide shift to user charges

  • A long-term investment program in water conservation and recycling projects

  • Rebates on rates for low-income households adversely affected by price rises

  • Full-scale system of tradeable water permits

In the solid and industrial waste area, measures will reduce resource use and wastes from both industry and households. The measures are:

  • Comprehensive system of load-based licensing for industrial polluters

  • Full cost-recovery charges for landfill

  • Demonstration program for cleaner production technologies

  • Investment in renovating tips

  • No sales taxes on recycling materials

In the native forests area, measures will protect high conservation value native forests. The measures are:

  • Ban on logging in high conservation value native forests

  • Increase in royalties levied on native forest logs

In the natural amenities area, measures will protect valuable natural amenities from inadequate funding for protection and repair. The measures are:

  • Increase the charges to tourists using facilities

  • Increase the charges to enter facilities

Evaluation of indicators show that the Better Ecological Tax scenario shows that in the long-term there will be definite improvements in all aspects including the economy.

 
DANNY CASSIMON has shown that Globalisation of the world economic system is proceeding at a very rapid pace, and is generally promoted as being welfare-improving. This phenomenon is also present in the arena of international finance. In this area, however, the presumed virtues of globalisation are far from being materialised. Until now, no orderly or stable financial system has been implemented, as recent currency crises, such as the Mexican peso crisis in 1994-95, and, more recently, the currency crises in a number of South-east Asian countries, Brazil and Russia, painfully demonstrate. Furthermore, the current financial system does not succeed in channelling sufficient funds to finance crucial world problems such as adequate social development in poor countries.

The line of thought proposed here to cure these shortcomings is to use a tax instrument; a straightforward mechanism designed to tax the currently undertaxed (international) financial flows. More specifically, this proposal calls for the implementation of a tax that is levied on international currency transactions, i.e. a 'Currency Transaction Tax' (CTT). Over the past two decades, several proposals have been put forward on this subject. The most well-known of these, although not the most feasible, is the original proposal which was launched in 1972 by Nobel Prize for Economics winner, James Tobin, which called for an internationally uniform tax to be payable every time a currency was converted. Since then, most proposals of this nature have generally been described as "Tobin(-type)" tax proposals. From the viewpoint of sustainable development, a very strong case in favour of introducing a Tobin tax on financial transactions can be made, especially from a sustainable development viewpoint, because of two main reasons:

1. It offers a just mechanism to discourage excessive financial speculation in general, and, in particular, one specific type of highly-undesirable financial speculation, namely that of massive currency speculation that can trigger a currency crisis, with all its negative social effects. As such, it indirectly promotes development to be sustainable.

2. Such a tax instrument would generate revenue that could be used as one possible source of finance to help meet some of the world's global economic and political challenges, such as the promotion of adequate social development in poor countries, in other words, promote sustainable development directly. Therefore, it would secure not only the financing of necessary investment in safety nets to cure current negative social effects, but would also, and more importantly, reduce the vulnerability of the poor to the detrimental effects of possible future crises. Moreover, the successful implementation of an international financial transaction tax could act as a precedent in favour of intervention (including international taxation) with respect to other global public goods.

Lack of available finance to meet global challenges

Many critical problems of today's world have global consequences: solving problems such as environmental degradation, poverty, migration, terrorism, organised crime, and the spread of diseases such as aids, need the global, concerted action of sovereign states, including the will to bear the necessary financial costs of it.

Further consequences of a CTT for sustainable development

So far, our analysis has led to a proposal that can generate, in a sustainable way, an additional source of revenue of roughly $ 30 billion, to be spent globally for sustainable development purposes, next to the funds generated and used domestically. This would go already a long way in providing the necessary funding to reach sustainable development purposes.



5. Measurement and assessment of indicators


Anastassios Gentzoglanis estimated that the Kyoto accord has set the bases for a cleaner environment and the participating countries are currently trying to develop the necessary means for attaining the targets established. The most favoured approach is the use of trading permits.

S. Augustin, J. Katima, E. Klawe & B. Lyimo have demonstrated that tropical tree plantations may be an important component of the global carbon cycle because they represent a carbon sink that can be manipulated by humans and they can mitigate the effects of tropical deforestation, which is the main biotic source of atmospheric carbon.
Dr. Maria V. Kryukova and Svetlana D.Schlotgauer have shown that traditional nature use, ethnobotany, food and medicinal plant, impact of the timber industry, forest ecosystems. It is possible to single out 90 food and 94 medicinal species of plants, the most valuable as for their biological and economic potential, availability and traditional use. Dr. Yew-Kwang Ng has shown that public spending, especially on research and environmental protection, is likely well below optimal due to the long-term and global public-good nature and the overestimation of the costs of raising public revenue. 

Evaluation of indicators


A.   Economic indicators and indices
B.   Sustainable economic development indicators and indices
C.   Debt and deficit indicators
           C.1   Federal debt and deficit
           C.2   Provincial debt and deficit
           C.3   Budgets
           C.4   Auditor General's reports
D.   Export development indicator
E.   International Monetary Fund (IMF)
F.   General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
G.   North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
H.   Pacific Rim Nations
I.   Urban development indicators and indices
           I.1   Sustainable community development
           I.2   Essential elements of an adequate urban environment
           I.3   A sustainable community development code
           I.4   Costs of subdivision development
           I.5   Development impacts
           I.6   Urban park indicators
J.   Rural development indicators and indices
           J.1   Costs of living
           J.2   Lifestyle
           J.3   Costs of services
           J.4   Community development
           J.5   Farming indicators
K.   Recreational development indicators and indices
L.   Business development indicators and indices
           L.1   Sustainable development means cleaner and leaner businesses
           L.2   Environmental performance indicators and indices
           L.3   Profitable solutions to environmental management
           L.4   Training offered by companies vs skills needing enhancement
M.   Better business, better science and better decision-making
N.   Research and development
O.   Developing countries indicators
           O.1  Environmentally oriented strategies in helping developing countries
           O.2   Sustainable third world development
P.   Building materials indicators, building design indicator and building code
Q.   Investments indicators and indices
R.   Profitability indicators and indices
S.   Consumer products indicators and indices
T.   National and global trade indicators and indices
U.   Gross Domestic Product (GSDP) vs GSDP
V.   Imports indicators and indices
W.   Money value indicator
X.   Stock exchange indicators
Y.   Property value indicators and indices
Z.   European Community Market indicators and indices


Evaluation of Economic Development Issues and Concerns


1.    Manufacturing
2.    Power
3.   Labour Force
4.   Sustainable economic development requires healthy families, able workers and informed, responsible citizens
5.    Markets
6.    Competitiveness of the economies in the world and ensuring a sound sustainable development
7.   Economic value of natural resources and ecosystems
8.    Impact of the depletion and degradation of natural resources and ecosystems on human welfare
9.    Deforestation
10.   International Institutions
11.    Integration of environmental and economic institutions
12.    Economic cost of resource and environment degradation (in terms of production and health)
13.    Industry
14.    Business
15.    Construction
16.    Rural Development
17.   Urban Development
18.   Stock Markets
19.    Exports
20.   Imports
21.   Growth
22.    Goods and Services
23.    Incorporation of production-related environmental costs in the price of goods traded in national and international markets
24.    Demand
25.   International Cooperation
26.    Make economic accounting relevant to sustainable development objectives
27.   Trade
28.   Investment
           i)    Regulation
           ii)    Risk
29.    Credit
30.   Aid
31.    Distribution of Income
32.    Consumption
33.    Expenditures
34.   Transport
35.   Communications
36.    Prices
37.    Exchange Rates
38.    World Bank
39.   IMF
40.   Banks
41.   Government
           i)    Finances
           ii)    Revenues
           iii)    Expenditures
           iv)   Debt and Deficit
           v)    Defense Expenditures
           vi)    Budget
           vii)    Taxes
42.    Balance of Payments
43.   Information Age
44.    Science and Technology
45.   Training
46.    Regional Trade Blocs
47.   Tariff Barriers
48.   OECD Trade
49.   Travel
50.   Tourism
51.   Measurement of Indicators
           i)    Economic: growth, production, demand
           ii)    Macroeconomic
           iii)   National Account: GDP per Capita
           iv)   Gross Sustainable Development Product (GSDP)
52.   Profitability
53.    Insurance premiums
54.   NAFTA
55.    Competitiveness
56.    Property value
57.    Tax system
58.   Building materials
59.    Building and community design and codes
60.    Employment
61.   Training programs
62.    R & D
63.   Transportation
64.    Urban development
65.   G-7
66.    GATT
67.   World monetary institutions
68.   Sock Exchange
69.   Monitoring
70.    Making results of measurements available on the Internet
71.   Economic well-being
72.   Globalization
73.    Rural development
74.   Global development

Economic Development Aspects

Impact assessment I (normalized) Percentage assessment scoring Scoring
Evaluation of economic development indicators and indices 0.4100 82.71 33.911
Evaluation of economic development issues and concerns 0.4100 85.08 34.883
TOTAL 0.8200 167.79 68.794


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6. Sustainability and Global Consumption

Oil demand by transportation accounts for 39 per cent of world commercial energy needs. Consumption in developing countries has risen much faster over decade than in the industrialized countries due to their high rate of population growth, fast urban developement, increased motorization and industrialization.

In the OECD countries, a decline in world prices does not usually stimulate consumption because taxes on oil products account for most of the price to end-users.

In multilateral trade, developing countries have three major concerns:

  1. The Uruguay Round has not done much to improve market access for their exports of goods and services.

  2. World Trade Organization(WTO) rules were found unbalanced in many important development related areas including the protection of intellectual property rights and use of industrial subsidies.

  3. Inadequate or inexistant human and financial resources have rendered impossible the use of opportunities offered by WTO to developing countries.

Developing countries find no interest to enter into negotiations with wealthier trading partners. The increasing gap between rich and poor nations will make it even unlikely of successful multilateral trade negotiations. Perceiving and understanding the human population in its role as a consumer is very important because consumers collectively spend two thirds of a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). They buy and influence the purchase of an increasingly wide array of products. Despite the fact that we are making consumer decisions in an emerging global community, people are still being taught how to be "good consumers", when actually the word consume means, "to destroy, use or expend". The enormous productive capacities and market forces of the planet have been committed to satisfying human needs and desires with little overall regard to the short-term or long-term future of life on the planet, or life in other nations or in future generations(Dufour).There are many different types of consumers and they all need to be taken into account separately: teen, young adult, elderly, low income, disabled, illiterate, and ethnic. Each type of consumers need to be understood from the point of view of a global perspective; a global perspective that challenges materialism and promotes ecological responsibility, humanitarianism, well-being, consumer ethics and The Global Community concepts. These concepts were developed to sustain Earth and they include world conditions, global problems and issues, global citizenship, stewardship, a moral and a spiritual community, universal values, and global interconnections. Consuming within The Global Community means: Being concerned with the impact of consumption and production on the environment Awareness of global dynamics, the state of the planet, and the differences of other cultures Acceptance of notions of voluntary simplicity and conservation Knowing the consequences of resource management decisions Living a sustainable life style Be aware of the impacts of new and different technologies Be aware of the impacts of economic development on the integrity of both developed and developing local indigenous communities, infrastructures and natural environments Be aware of the impacts on human rights, political stability, societal well-being, cultural sustainability, familial well-being, quality of life and standards of living of other nations Be aware of the impacts of a decision made by a family living in developed country to consume a particular good on the household subsistence, production and community activity of a family living in a developing country; and be aware if that decision would affect poverty, potable water, food diversity, arable land, security from war, education, communications Consumers operate in an impersonal market economy where they make choices unburdened by guilt or social obligations; they just have to be able to pay. But a typical global community consumer see himself/herself as part of a larger whole that is affected by a collectivity of individual consumption decisions and has to question the global integrity of purchasing a product, and will decide not to purchase at all if the integrity is being challenged. Oil demand by transportation accounts for 39 per cent of world commercial energy needs. Consumption in developing countries has risen much faster over decade than in the industrialized countries due to their high rate of population growth, fast urban development, increased motorization and industrialization. In the OECD countries, a decline in world prices does not usually stimulate consumption because taxes on oil products account for most of the price to end-users. In multilateral trade, developing countries have three major concerns: The Uruguay Round has not done much to improve market access for their exports of goods and services. World Trade Organization(WTO) rules were found unbalanced in many important development related areas including the protection of intellectual property rights and use of industrial subsidies. Inadequate or inexistent human and financial resources have rendered impossible the use of opportunities offered by WTO to developing countries. Developing countries find no interest to enter into negotiations with wealthier trading partners. The increasing gap between rich and poor nations will make it even unlikely of successful multilateral trade negotiations. Dr. Tee L. Guidotti explained that sustainable development is a widely-discussed alternative to currently unsustainable economic development patterns. It is all the more attractive because it may be cast in terms compatible with the market economy. However, there must be a social dimension to the concept, a vision, for it to become a viable alternative to unrestrained economic growth. The Earth is no longer a self-regulating planetary system. Its future will depend on human action and the continuation of natural ecosystems will be achieved because people want them to be preserved. Acceptance of sustainable development by society may depend on cultural values and even spiritual notions about the relationship of humankind to the Earth. There is no doubt that the issue of global ecological changes is one of the most potent in the movement toward ecological sustainability and economic reconstruction. It may even represent the next great challenge to the adaptability of the market economy. However, sustainable development needs to be thought through beyond its ecological and economic dimensions. It needs, in short, a vision.



7. Sustainability, lifestyle and global consumption

This is a very difficult subject(Dufour) because of its intricate ramifications into societal and consumer values, and how these values may affect sustainability with respect to the interactions between the four major quality systems:

* environment
* economic development
* availability of resources
* social

There is a need to find sustainability in all of this. Is there a scale of values we could draw for prosperity? Are there universal values to sustain Earth? By focusing on our goal, to sustain Earth, we can find sound solutions and make this subject less dificult and more friendly.

People will change their lifestyle if they are made to understand how easily they can do so. They need a direction for the better. They need to be shown "the easy way-out" (which will be the correct way) of this mess we got ourselves into.


Isabelle Lambiel has explained that getting as much money as possible seems to reflect today's society very well. People don't care about ecology, social matters and positive economic development and so negative impacts result from this dramatic situation. Many cities in the world are very polluted and the forests are dying back. Besides, a lot of individuals live in terrible conditions because of inflation and lack of social help, violence as well as begging are increasing at the same time and education is neglected.

This conference is about managing and measuring sustainable development. Sustainable development has two fronts - sustainable production and sustainable consumption (McGregor). Sustainable consumption addresses the demand side while sustainable development addresses the supply side. The demand side focuses on consumers'choice of goods and services to fulfil basic needs and improve quality of life while the supply side focuses on the economic, social, and environmental impact of production processes. Production is concerned with making sure that resources used to make goods and services consumed by families can be replenished in such a way that reduces the burden on the Earth's carrying capacity and does not impact negatively on intra and inter-generational equity. Sustainable consumption is concerned with decisions made by citizens in their consumption role. It is the fulfilment of basic human needs without undermining the capacity of the environment to fulfill the needs of present and future generations. Sustainable consumption encompasses sustainable management of resources, considerations for the natural environment and societal processes of change, the promotion of human dignity, quality of life and the perspective of interdependence referring to the interplay between people and environment and the relationships between economies, nationally and internationally.


The importance of all sustainability dimensions (environmental, economic, social, and cultural) in the policy decision making process is evident (Ira). Through the use of subjective (perceptual, behavioural) indicators we can identify the dimension of sustainable/unsustainable living (development) and better understand "geographical reality". Specific studies of elements of the reality through the perception of environmental quality, consumption patterns, evaluation of social infrastructure, expectations and ideas of developmental programmes can be brought together constructively in order to promote better development and sustainable living conditions (Nikitin and Nikitina). Subjective indicators are an important component in identifying reality as perceived by individuals or groups within the population and in selecting information for decision making to affect that reality (Soskolne).


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8. Sustainable Agriculture and World Trade

Even if all Uruguay Round concessions are implemented by the industrialized countries, there are still significant trade barriers in the form of high tariff peaks (from 12 per cent to 300 per cent or more) and tariff escalation affecting exports from developing countries(Dufour). Especially in agriculture, exports from developing countries are made impossible by domestic support and subsidy programmes in industrialized countries. Future negotiations would have to include significant reductions in:

  •     Tariffs
  •     Domestic support
  •     Export subsidies

The reform of agricultural trade also has to take into account issues such as food security, particular problems of food-importing developing countries and social impacts of agricultural trade liberalization.  

Dr. A.S.R.A.S. Sastri, V.P. Singh and R.K. Singh have shown that development of agriculture in a sustainable manner is the primary mandate of agricultural scientists of the globe. With the increasing use of chemical fertilisers, insecticides and herbicides, there is an international consciousness for environmental protection. Heinrich Wohlmeyer and Hermann Dissemond have found that the analysis of the effects of world trade in general and on agricultural markets in particular is put into a comprehensive context, in order to gain the scientific coordinates for a balanced judgement. S.G. Patil, L.B. Hugar, M.S. Veerapur, J. Yerriswamy, T. Cross, A.C. vanLoon, and G.W. vanLoon have investigated "Measures of agricultural sustainability – a study in South India". They have undertaken a study of factors affecting sustainability of agricultural systems in four agro-ecosystems in the Tungabhadra Project (TBP) area of Karnataka State in South India. The four areas chosen for the study include villages in the head end of the command area (highly irrigated system, HIS), the tail end of the command area (semi-irrigated system, SIS), outside the command area (dry land system, DLS), and in the area supplied with irrigation for the past approximately 500 years by the Vijayanagar Canals (ancient irrigated system, AIS). The aim of the project was to survey a variety of factors related to cropping patterns, water use, physical properties and socio-economic indicators related to the agricultural practices in these areas. Through a holistic approach, They aim to identify and compare factors that relate to sustainability of food production in these areas. In particular They were looking for examples of highly sustainable processes that could be more widely applied. They have selected six categories of indicators of sustainability – productivity, efficiency, durability, stability, compatibility, and equity – that can be taken together in describing each system.




1. Resources management

  Ayalneh Bogale has investigated the rationale of resource-poor farmers to exercise resource degrading practices. A total of 180 rural households have been selected for the study. Inadequate market and institutional development in rural areas coupled by improper incentive structures can discourage conservation pathways of resource utilization. Rural capital markets which are usually dominated by informal sources characterized by segmentation, rationing, and high rate of interest on small sums offered for short duration, by no means are able to support conservation interventions. The lack of effective rural credit markets may distort the farming household’s decision as to whether it is worthwhile investing in protecting the soil because of its future productivity and income potential, as opposed to exploiting it for immediate gains today.  Ramkumar Bendapudi and Gerard D'Souza have investigated U.S. Conservation Policies and Sustainable Development Principles and found that over the past decade or so, the underlying emphasis of U.S. farm policy has changed dramatically. The earlier emphasis was on price supports and a commodity orientation More recently, the emphasis has shifted to broader societal goals including resource conservation and environmental protection. Simultaneously, worldwide, there is increasing emphasis on decision-making consistent with sustainable development principles. This paper analyzes the extent to which U.S. farm policy is consistent with the growing emphasis on sustainable development. The paper draws attention to some of the long term implications of various conservation programs. It was observed that most of the programs have overlapping objectives. In addition, selection of a target area is often based on a single criterion like soil erosion (in case of the CRP, for instance), and is not tailored to meet unique location-specific characteristics. An inter-disciplinary approach is needed to identify the target areas based on the specific location problem. Hence, program implementation should be flexible in terms of targeted objectives along with priority areas identified (consistent with the Bellagio principles). Another issue is whether the benefits accrued from present conservation programs under the contractual method of land retirement are sustainable over the long run. Consolidation of the achieved objectives in the post-program period should also be considered. This would necessitate that the time horizon for program assessment be expanded to include the post-program period. The various conservation programs reflect the awareness of sustainability concepts, that natural resources are finite, that there are limits to the carrying capacity of the earth’s ecosystem and that economic, environmental and societal goals need to be pursued within these limits. However, the incorporation of intergenerational equity into the program objectives seems to be inadequate. Thus, while current conservation policies are consistent with sustainable development principles in the short run, they appear to be contradictory in the long run.



2. Farming


Valentin Ciubotaru has shown that farming is rarely a profitable occupation from the economic viewpoint. It is professed mainly due to lack of other income generating sources or due to a tradition in the family or through inheritance of a farming company. This circumstance affects, to a great extent, the way the farming is performed today. The farmer, being in need of an income, will pick the crop for cultivation not according to his/her preferences or according to their usefulness for mankind, but taking into account the demand for the respective crop in local or regional markets, the price for products based on it, the expenses incurred for its production. As a result, the farmer confronts either fierce competition in case of a widely used crop, or the need for big promotion investment in case of an unknown or rarely used crop. Ayalneh Bogale investigated "Land Degradation: Does it Constitute a Rational Path for Survival of Resource-poor Farmers in Merhabete District of Ethiopa". Despite sever investment constraints, most LDCs has given official recognition to the fact that land degradation has a great effect on their economies to which Ethiopa is not an exception. This is mainly owing to the fact that most of these countries depend heavily on agriculture, which is dominated by subsistence production and widespread poverty. Bogale mainly aimed at investigating the rationale of resource-poor farmers to exercise resource degrading practices. A total of 180 rural households have been selected for the study.
 

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3. Water resources protection and management

JAMES MWAMI investigated the need for public participation in watershed development. Soil and water conservation activities are under various agro-ecological and socio-economic circumstances in different parts of the World. However, for a multitude of reasons farmers do not generally engage on their own in investment in soil and water conservation. In the more advanced economies farmers may sometimes take initiative, but in most cases they are stimulated to do so as a result of specific government policies, direct incentives on participation in specific projects. Uganda government has now come to realise that proper implementation of such activities depend on the acceptance by and full participation of the population, so that soil conservation and reforestation activities become less dominated by regulations. There is a shift towards "protect and produce" including less direct soil conservation related activities (e.g. promoting tree crops) and the measures are accompanied incentives (e.g. subsidies) or by rural development "starter" activities (e.g. drinking water supply) to incite farmers to participate. In other words conservation has gradually evolved into regional development activities using "watershed activities"


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4. Measurement and assessment of indicators

An indicator measures the accumulated depreciation of natural resources through environmental degradation and resource depletion (Dufour). Proper resource accounting provides a way of monitoring our progress towards sustainable development and this indicator shows the quantity and quality of our natural resources that we leave to future generations and reflects our stewardship of these resources. 

Evaluation of indicators

A.    Sustainable resources management indicators and indices
B.    Indicators and indices of recreational resources
C.    Land use shifts indicators and indices
D.    Natural resources indicators and indices
E.    Energy indicators and indices

        E.1    Availability of energy resources
        E.2    Energy and the environment
        E.3    Sustainable mining and energy development
        E.4    Environmental demands faced by the energy and mineral industries
        E.5    Government interventions to strengthen the energy industry
        E.6    Mining sector indicators and indices
        E.7    Energy security indicators and indices
        E.8    Sustainable energy development
        E.9    Oil industry indicators and indices
        E.10    Coal industry indicators and indices
        E.11    Natural gas industry indicators and indices
        E.12    Energy and oil and gas consumption
        E.13    Petroleum resources and economic of transport fuel options
        E.14    Economic interaction between pollution control measures and consequential development in the energy market
        E.15    Fuel cycle review of environmental control
        E.16    Energy exploration, production, transportation, transformation and end-use
        E.17    Environmental impacts of the coal energy cycle
        E.18    Future emissions in the energy sector
        E.19    Emission control technologies for coal and other fossil fuels energy facilities
        E.20    Emission and amelioration techniques for fossil fuel power plants
        E.21    Emission standards for SO2, NOx and particulates for energy facilities
        E.22    Policy measures to enforce before 2005 in order to accomplish energy activities in the least environmentally damaging and at the least cost
        E.23    Environmental characteristics of substitute fuels
        E.24    Advanced generation technologies
F.    Electricity generation indicators and indices
        F.1    The role of electricity in the energy sector
        F.2    Electricity generation, GDP and energy consumption
        F.3    Assessment of health effects of electricity generation
        F.4    Environmental impacts of electricity generation
        F.5    Environmental pathways and impacts of pollutants produced by electricity generation
        F.6    Energy and environmental performance of small plants: combined heat and power, district heating and industrial facilities
        F.7    Nuclear energy
        F.8    Environmental impacts associated with electricity generation from Uranium fuel cycle
G.    Renewable sources of energy indicators and indices
        G.1    Fossil fuels vs renewable energy
        G.2    Contribution of renewable energy technologies to energy supplies
        G.3    Hydroelectricity and the environment
        G.4    Overview of the environmental impacts of renewable energy technologies
H.    Environmental considerations and impacts for:
        H.1    Active solar heating and cooling technologies
        H.2    Passive solar technologies
        H.3    Solar thermal technologies
        H.4    Biomass energy conversion technologies
        H.5    Wind energy conversion systems
        H.6    Hydrogen technologies
        H.7    Water energy technologies
        H.8    Geothermal energy technologies
        H.9    Photovoltaic technologies
I.    Energy efficiency and conservation indicators and indices
J.    'Clean' energy technologies indicators and indices
K.    Agriculture indicators and indices
L.    Food products indicators and indices
M.    Livestock indicators and indices
N.    Fishery indicators and indices
O.    Forest products indicators and indices
P.    High-tech products indicators and indices
Q.    Secondary sources of health:

        Q.1    Properties and assets
        Q.2    Tourism
        Q.3    Arts
        Q.4    Sports
        Q.5    Land use
        Q.6    Entertainment
        Q.7    Buildings, equipment and other materials
        Q.8    Automaking industry
        Q.9    Recreational (outdoor and indoor)
R.    Sustainable resources development


  Evaluation of the Availability of Resources Issues and Concerns


1. Sources of Electricity Generation
2. Agriculture
3. Forests, wood products
4. Mineral, raw materials
5. Food products, livestock, meat products, dairy products
6. Fisheries
7. Mining
8. Water: freshwater
9. Fishing
10. Energy
  i) Production
  ii) Development
  iii) Use
  iv) Sources
  v) Energy Efficiency
  vi) Renewable Energy
  vii) Energy Conservation
  viii) Energy Trade and Markets
  ix) Clean Energy Technologies
  x) Nuclear Power
  xi) Fossil Fuels: Oil and Natural Gas
  xii) Hydroelectric Power
11. Secondary sources of wealth:

a. Assets b. Buildings c. Equipment d. Properties e. Tourism f. Land use g. Entertainment h. Arts i. Sports j. Recreational (indoor and outdoor) k. Auto and plane l. Pharmaceutical products m. High tech products n. Gambling o. Lotteries p. Communications products

12. Decline in the creation of real wealth
13. Measurement of Indicators
14. Monitoring
15. Making results of measurements available on the Internet
16. Per capita export of timber volume of forest products
17. Per capita consumption of timber and forest products
18. Old-growth trees
19. Wilderness and protected areas
20. Recreational sites
21. Vegetation

The Availability of Resources Aspects

Impact assessment I (normalized) Percentage assessment scoring Scoring
Evaluation of the availability of resources indicators and indices 0.5500 75.44 41.492
Evaluation of the availability of resources issues and concerns 0.5500 79.37 43.653
TOTAL 1.1000 154.81 85.145


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5. Energy


Light Pollution in the simplest terms is the result of too much wasted light. It has been estimated to cost the United States alone well over a billion dollars per year for the electricity generated to send light into the sky and across property lines where it serves no benefit (Haas,  Gent and Crawford). Dr. A. Jagadeesh investigated the use of "Wind Energy Development in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, India". Tamil Nadu state has the distinction of 719 MW capacity windfarms at the end of September 1998 out of the country’s total figure of 992 MW. Andhra Pradesh has 59 MW installed windfarms in the state. 1995-96 saw a boom when 282 MW windfarms were set up in Tamil Nadu and 39 MW capacity in Andhra Pradesh. Subsequently there was a steady decline in the windfarm development in both the states. The case study of wind energy developments in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh reveals that incentives like depreciation, tax holiday, customs and excise duty reliefs should continue for some more years until the wind projects sustain on their own. 



6. Mining

Dr. Keith G. Brown explained the Role of Universities in Innovation and Economic Diversification. Cape Breton, Canada, and indeed the world economy, is in the midst of one of the greatest transformations since the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century. Globalization and the birth of supranational trading blocs has rewritten the rules of international commerce and the creation of economic wealth. These rules continue to be rewritten at astonishing speed.



7. Tourism



Alexander Heydendael investigated tourism and found that: 

  • Recognized the increasing importance of tourism for social and economic development at local, national and regional levels

  • Recognized also that sustainable tourism depends on community involvement and participation, recognizing further that communities should benefit from sustainable tourism

  • Recognized also that tourism is closely linked to the preservation of a healthy environment, which in turn is an essential element of tourism development and helps to raise public awareness on some biodiversity issues.






8. Forest Issues and Sustainable Forestry



Svetlana D.Schlotgauer and Maria V. Kryukova explained that in 1998 the frontal fires were catastrophic in the Khabarovsk territory. The fire covered the area of 2,5 million hectares. Priamurye has lost enormous timber resources. But this territory is life environment and center of origin for ethnic cultures of a number of indigenous peoples. The analysis of catastrophic fire consequences has shown that in some areas there were irreversible changes of ecosystems. The negative tendencies in biodiversity dynamics, sharp drop of wild animal number (elk, boar, red deer), ichtyofauna (salmon) and ornithofauna (goose, duck), which play an important role in traditional food of indigenous peoples, can lead to ecological tragedy in the nearest future. Biological diversity of forest birds in recently burned-out forest drops by 80-90 %. Their species composition is reduced till 80-90 %, in comparison with native communities.  Dr. Yuriy Grynyuk has investigated "The Forest Wealth as a One of the Basis of Sustainable Development in Ukraine". Following to recommendations and to principles of the UNCDE Rio de Janeiro Conference (Earth Summit 1992) in Ukraine, as in other countries conduct active debates and work up plans of successive transition to sustainable development, which provided a permanent balanced decision of socio-economic tasks and preservation of environmental and natural resources. 

Thorkil Casse and Fabiana Issler  have investigated "Methods of assessing the long-term economic sustainability of a resource dependent economy: Lessons from Paragominas, eastern Amazonia, Brazil". They discussed economic sustainability in the light of resource dependency, exemplified by a case study of Paragominas, a municipality in eastern Amazonia, Brazil, where the economy is highly dependent on logging and wood-processing. Timber resources in Paragominas are currently being rapidly exploited and high deforestation rates threaten the very basis of the local economy. After 26 years of intensive resource use, the wood industry, currently responsible for over 80 percent of the total income generated in the economic territory of Paragominas, is now experiencing the first signs of decline. Deforestation is reaching critical levels locally, and timber scarcity is definitely the major cause of Paragominas’ current crisis. Mills are shutting down, others are moving closer to extraction areas, and the per capita income has been falling since 1992 (Figure 6). Both from an economic and an environmental perspective, the path pursued by Paragominas is clearly unsustainable. Forest resources in Paragominas will only last for another fifteen to nineteen years. The only other option left is to substitute the forestry economy with a cattle-based economy, and there are signs that this is taking place.

Sustainable Forestry Development(Dufour)


The natural stock of forest yields the end-use or consumption of cut timber. A sustained yield of timber must be reached to satisfy the principles of sustainable development. To maintain the productive capacity of the stock and sustain the income or benefits, people are asked to replenish the stock once used. Consumption levels of the stock must be maintained without depleting the quality and quantity of services the stock brings in creating wealth. Sufficient investments must be made to replenish timber stocks. For instance, an investment in reforestation is necessary.

A forest has both:

1) A market value for the resource of timber harvested for forest products; and


2) Nonmarket values for resources such as: wilderness and protected areas, water quality, vegetation, recreational areas, ecosystem biodiversity, forest soils, peat, watersheds, old-growth trees, air quality, aesthetic, forest soil productivity and carrying capacity, and spiritual values.

Timber resources have monetary values which are derived from the conversion of timber into marketable forest products. The economic value and monetary account of the forest as a resource is determined as follows:

(opening and net closing balance of the physical stock measurement of timber)     x     ((average price      -     costs     +      business profit and risk) for all forest products and production per cubic meter of timber, or per unit of forest land area)

This way the net balance of timber or the value of the net effect of both growth and depletion is accounted for, and is used in the Gross Sustainable Development Product (GSDP) accounts either as a depreciated or appreciated value.

Depletion or depreciation might be due to fire, harvesting, insect and disease damage, and land use changes. Appreciation might be due to reforestation, land use changes, growth, and productive gains.

The physical stock, end-use and consumption accounts show the net balance of timber volumes and productive forest land area. The end-use and consumption accounts show both

       appreciation      depreciation or depletion

Ir oder to evaluate a Sustainable Forestry Development, the market value for the resource of timber must be evaluated as well as the impact on nonmarket values of the other forest resources. All forest quality indicators mus be taken into account:

*ecosystem biodiversity     * peat    * acid rain damage    * water quality    * recreational areas    * per capita consumption of timber and forest products    * per capita export of timber volume of forest products    * soil productivity    * watersheds    * forest soil erosion    * vegetation    * aesthetic    * soil carrying capacity    * old-growth trees    * wilderness and protected areas    * air quality    * spiritual values

What is the impact of a stress such as a forest fire on the four major quality systems?

Setting:    Alberta in Canada

U    =    10 the problem must be resolved now
G   =   2 the extent of the fire is the size of an average city
P   =   9 the fire may last only a few days but the effects will persist for decades

(WC)i,E     =     0.2 (global warming)     +     0.1 (soil quality)     +     0.4 (air quality)    +     1.0 (costs of extinguishing the fire and repairing damage done by fire is estimated at $20 million)     +     0.4 (water quality damage to lake at the site)     +    0.9 (vegetation)    +   0.6 (wilderness)     +     1.0 (ecosystem destroyed)     +    1.0 (old-growth trees)   =     5.6

(WC)i,AR     =     0.2 (diminishing the stock of forest has cost $15 million)    +    1.0 (a recreational area was destroyed at a cost of $1 million)    +    0.6 (residential and commercial properties were destroyed at a cost of $15 million)     +     1.0 (tourism industry is affected at a cost of $2 million)     =     2.8

(WC)i,PA    =    0.5 (aesthetic    +    0.4 (psychological effect on people)     +    0.8 (quality of life is diminished)    +     0.5 (health costs were $3 million)     =    2.2

(WC)i,ED     =     1.0 (profitability is affected at a cost of $4 million)    +     0.5 (property value is diminished at a cost of $2 million)     +    0.1 (GSDP is diminished by $20 + 15 + 1 + 15 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 2    =     $62 million)     =    1.6

I    =    UGP(WC)i     =    10 x 2 x 9 x (5.6 + 2.8 + 2.2 + 1.6)    =     2196

or    I     =    2196/307000     =     0.000715

The results show that the forest fire has a significant impact on sustainable development, and therefore on GESDI in the province of Alberta, especially in the community where it has occurred. The GSDP calculated has decreased by $62 million.


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9. Fresh Water Resources, Clean Air and Human Rights


Fresh water or drinking water is vital to life on Earth. Only 2.5 per cent of all water on Earth is fresh water most of which  lies deep and frozen in Antarctica and Greenland(Dufour). What we drink comes mostly from  groundwater, rivers and lakes. Precipitation, melt water from glaciers, dew and fog drip constantly replenish  our fresh water resources. They are also constantly depleted by evaporation and transpiration. These water resources are changing due to the the variations in the hydrological cycle from place to place and from day to day. They are all what we have got. Nothing else!  They are very precious to all humankind, and to all life as well. 

Human actions constantly modify the hydrological cycle and also constantly pollute available water. The hydrological balance is changed by:

  • Irrigation

  • Drainage

  • Land use change

  • Removal of trees

  • Removal of vegetative cover

  • Expansion of paved areas

  • Building of dams

  • Building of channels

  • Building of inter-basin transfers

A Water Resources Assessment  is a prerequisite for sustainable development and management of a country's water resources. It provides the basis for a vast range of activities:

  • Domestic and industrial water supply

  • Hydropower production

  • Irrigation and drainage

  • Maintenance of human health

  • Mitigation of flood losses

  • Navigation

  • Preservation of the aquatic ecosystem

  • Tourism

  • New legislation and regulations

  • Strategies and policies that deal with priority of uses and resolution of conflicts

The existing and future uses of water are constantly challenged; balancing supply and demand is made even harder by the amounts of pollution found in the air, land and waters. Pollution is widespread and people are dying because of it. As soon as more pollution is added into the fresh water systems than people and all life die. This is true even with the best system in the world. We live on the edge. Rainwater could carry pollution to the fresh water supply, and it is too late. 

Today there are a multitude of pollution sources and just to name a few:

  • Animal manure

  • Discharge from industrial processes

  • Drainage from mines and industrial wastes

  • Leaching of the residues of fertilisers and pesticides used in agriculture

  • Acid rain

  • Oil spills from ships

  • Storm water systems from cities carry pollution 

  • Gulf courses upstream or near a lake

  • Untreated sewage

  • Leakage from oil storage tanks

  • Many of the 100,000 or so commercial chemicals employed in the world today create difficulties as a lot of them are released into aquatic ecosystems

  • Wet and dry deposition of materials transported through the atmosphere and which originate from emissions made in industrial areas and from motor vehicles

Water pollution varies in severity from one region to the next depending of the density of urban development, agricultural and industrial practices and the presence or absence of systems for collecting and treating the waste waters.

It is necessary to measure the water's quality, quantity and biological characteristics in every country. A lot of the data in the global hydrological network dedicated to measuring these elements are missing. It is non-existent in most developing countries. Data on water use are also scarce.

Global demand for water is rising. The rise will accelerate into the future because the world population is expected to reach 8.2 billion by the year 2024. 

Despite the efforts of worldwide organizations to improve the water services of the developing countries, in 1995 some 20 per cent of the globe's population of 5.7 billion people still lacked a safe and reliable water supply, and 50 per cent were without adequate sanitation. Lack of these services is the basic reason why more than a billion people live in poverty.

Even though regulations have been imposed by governments in the industrialized countries to protect their nations' water resources, people are still dying. This is due to the fact that regulations are not enforced as well as they should, regulations are not tough enough, and people dont care and often challenge them their own ways. We basically live on the edge. No safety net! 

Human health is dependent on a wholesome and reliable supply of water and safe sanitation. It has been estimated that at any given time about half the people living in developing countries are suffering from water-related diseases caused directly by infection, or indirectly by disease-carrying organisms that breed in water. Diarrhoea. infections by parasitic worms, river blindness and malaria are among the most widespread of these diseases. More than five million people are estimated to die each year from diseases related to inadequate sanitation and hygiene practices, and drinking  polluted water. 

In the developed world there is concern about the health effects of exposure to various chemicals in drinking water. Pollutants can build up in shellfish to the point that they harm the people who eat them. 

The effects of pollution on wildlife are better observed: death, population decline, reduced success of hatching, birth defects for the birds, fish and other forms of life in rivers, lakes, wetlands and deltas.

The Water Scarcity Index is the water use as a percentage of the available water resource.   It can be shown that the margin between the global available resource and the volume of water used is going to diminish in the future. Population growth is the major factor. By the year 2024, the regions of stress will include two thirds of the world's population. By 2050, they will cover most of the globe. As the crisis approaches and as water resources become scarcer, the risk of conflict over them will become greater. After 2024, climate change will make conditions worse if precipitation amounts decrease in the major food producing regions and evaporation rates increase. With 50 per cent more people to feed than in 1999, the volume of water needed for food production is expected to increase by 50 to 100 per cent. The bulk of the increase in food production will come from irrigation which, in turn, will require more money to be spent on long distance water transfers and dams. There will be greater competition for these waters. The cost of water will certainly rise. 

In order to avoid conflicts and wars over water, The Global Community organization is proposing to make water at the top of its agenda. Better understanding and much more data are needed. All nations need to assess their water resources and make projections for the future. Water resources must be managed. We propose here to make fresh water a human right.


Opening Remark by Leader

For centuries we have found it necessary to control water so as to have it where we wanted it.

 Despite our efforts, some areas still suffer from drought, and some from flood, due partly to the nature variability of climate to change fast than it used to, and this is now impacting on the availability and distribution of water. Our fresh water sources are already being used and yet, the world population is increasing rapidly. This increase in population and the increase of pollutants in our drinking water sources have created conflicts which will only become more and more serious in the near future. The policy of privatization and full-cost pricing of water in a city such as in Canada or the U.S.A. sound appropriate as there is plenty of help to the poor who has a need to drink water. Is this policy appropriate in other countries where drinking water sources are rare, sometimes non-existant, and sometimes were polluted by transnational corporations from our industrialized world and which companies became rich by mining or manufacturing products in those countries. Should anyone be allowed to control our freshwater resources? Is freshwater a 'human right' or is it a 'human need'? Should water resources be privatized and commodified for profit? Should privatization be under the condition that there is plenty of help to the poor in a community? Or should water be declared a 'human right' in the Earth Charter of The Global Community organization? Is it no true that water is just as important to an individual as the air we breathe?

This World Congress is about finding universal values that are very important to the survival of life on Earth. Should people in a Third World Country have different Human Rights than others? One of the very important Global Community concepts of this World Congress is about asking everyone to be a responsible human being. If we are all responsible in the management of Earth than everyone should have the right to breathe clean air and drink fresh water. Noone individual (an 'individual' was defined in the Vision of earth in Year  2024 as being either a person, a corporation, a NGO, a local community, businesses, a nation or a government) should be allowed to control and profit from a basic Human Right such as drinking water. Noone individual should be allowed to pollute Earth. Even tough this may look like an impossible task we still have to find in our heart and mind what is right and show the direction to take and propose the concepts to The Global Community.

 Water in the home comes from either spring water, a deep well, a river or a city reservoir, and is never 'pure'. If water was untreated, it would contain man-made contaminants, minerals, gases, salts, and microorganisms, which would cause unacceptable taste or health risks. Hazardous compounds present in water are mercury, lead, agricultural chemicals, arsenic, organochlorine compounds formed by the chlorine added to municipal water to destroy microorganisms, industrial pollutants, solvents, pesticide, fertilizer, and other contaminants. Our body absorbs equally these contaminants through drinking water or while bathing. City water is regulated for health hazards and does not contain dangerous bacterial contamination. It may contain chemical contaminants from industrial discharge or hazardous waste disposal, vinyl chloride from P.V.C. plastic pipe.

 Most people take for granted the water we use to wash the car, to water the lawn, cook and flush our wastes away, to shower, do half-loads of laundry, run the water while brushing our teeth, and ignore a dripping tap, and dump down the drain motor oil, solvents, paints, cleaners. We treat oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams more like parts of our sewer system them our life-support system. We are being made use to this behavior from childhood while watching television. We often see commercials on TV showing a person washing an automobile or spraying a lawn wastefully and without care. There is also too much violence shown on television and in cinemas. We think it is right, our right to be as we are. The entire television networks and film makers and producers over the world should be re-educated in what is right and what is not. They should be responsible and be made accountable for the counter-educating commercials and products they are advertising on their networks. What the school system is doing in educating children is being negated by the television networks. It is counter-productive and, at the end, the costs hit the taxpayers at home, one way or the other. The Polluter-pays Principle should apply to television networks and film making industry. They may use Human Rights for their defence but they should pay all the costs of the impacts of their advertisings and mindless production. They create behavioral patterns in the general population from childhood and they should be billed big time.

 As individuals, we can make changes in our ways of using water and dispose of wastes, both inside our homes and outdoors, and find ways to conserve and protect our water supplies. Water conservation is a means to ensure that there will be enough water for future generations.

 Good quality of water supplies to satisfy our lifestyle carries a price tag defined here:

 P(water)    =   P(storing)    +   P(distributing)    +   P(treatment)    +

P(maintaining and operating)    +    P(e,h)

 where P(e,h) is the term representing the associated environmental and health price tags i.e. the impacts on the environment and our health.

 The costs of obtaining, storing, heating, distributing water are steadily increasing, and so are the environmental and health impacts associated with those costs. The costs for treating wastewater to make it suitable to return to river systems are equally increasing and many communities now charge residents an extra fee for treating wastewater. Consumption rates vary largely from one community to another, and between urban and rural areas. Some communities have been forced to restrict water consumption for short periods of time.
 
Fresh water resources and clean air are at least if not more important to every human being than any other human rights ever listed in any charter of any society. If there was a scale of values to be drawn where would you insert these two human rights?

Human rights are those that individuals have by virtue of their very existence as human beings: to live, eat, drink fresh water, breath fresh air, have shelter. Just as human beings have human rights, they also have moral, legal responsibilities and related obligations and accountabilities. Every person needs Oxygen to live so clean air is certainly a primordial human right by our very nature. A large part of our body is made of water and we could not live without water; therefore water is also a primordial human rights by our very nature.

Fresh water resources and clean air are therefore proposed to be categorized as human rights.



10. Oil and Gas Industry

E.Mohan Reddy explained that oil is by far the most important primary commodity to both industrialized and developing countries. Whenever members of OPEC increased oil prices the effect usually means a lower demand  and an increased output by non-OPEC suppliers. Since OPEC cannot stop the gradual erosion of its market share it has to abandon its policy of restricting supplies. They contribute to oversupply because they have to produce more in order to stop erosion of revenues. A downward trend in prices is established which can be reversed only if all OPEC members together cut output.

The lowering of trade and investment barriers, security of supply, deregulation, privatization and advances in petroleum technologies have been the very important aspects that have shaped the industry over the past decade. Large mergers have also shaped the industry significantly by reducing the cost of doing business.



11. Manufacturing Industry, Consumption and Sustainability

Evgeny Zagorsky investigated the use of "Cleaner Production as a base of Sustainable Product Development". There was already a standard definition of sustainable development - " it is a coordination process of productive forces, maintenance of satisfaction of necessary requirements of all members of a community under condition of preservation and reconstruction of integrity of environmental natural environment, creation of opportunities for balance between its potential and requirements of the people of all generations ".

As is known, the concept of sustainable development includes three aspects: ecological, economic and social. The underestimation results any of these three components in a skew in equal sides system triangle and infringement in strategy of sustainable development.



12. Power Industry

Dr. Xiaohui Hao has investigated "Policies and Measures for Mitigating GHGs in Chinese Power Sector"


Present Situation of Power Industry in China

Chinese power industry has developed rapidly since China implemented the policy of reform and opening to the outside world two decades ago. The total installed generating capacity reached 270 GW with an annual electricity generation over 1167Twh by the end of 1998. The rapid development has greatly supported national economic growth and improved people’s living standards. However, we are clearly aware that the per capita installed generating capacity and the annual per capita electricity consumption are only 0.2KW and 900Kwh respectively, ranking behind the 80th in the world. There are around 60 million people living in remote areas, who still have no access to electricity today. In addition, in some areas where people are alleviated from power shortage, they still suffer from power curtailments during peak hours due to lack of peaking capacity. As about 75% of installed generating capacity in China is based on coal, environmental problems resulted from coal combustion are becoming more serious along with the expansion of thermal power plants. The sulfur dioxide emission from Chinese industries, for instance, has increased from 15.71 million tons in 1990 to 19.46 million tons in 1996, causing acid rain covering one third of territory. Power sector is also a major contributor of carbon dioxide emission which is increasingly conceded as a global environment issue.vThe basic situation of Chinese power industry is as follows: rapid growth, large in total amount while low in terms of per capita consumption, heavy dependence on coal, relatively low energy efficiency(33% in average for thermal power), serious environmental problems( both local and global) to be dealt with.

2.Major environment Issues

As coal plays the dominant role in the energy structure in China, the atmospheric pollution is one of the coal-smoke type. Focusing this type of pollution, the power sector has made great effort in dealing with the smoke dust discharge and considerable achievement has been obtained in reducing the total smoke dust discharge to 3.70 million tons in 1996 from 3.99 million tons in 1980 while the installed capacity of thermal power plants almost tripled in the same period, thus putting smoke dust under effective control. However, sulfur dioxide emission has been increasing along with the expansion of installed generating capacity, basically out of control. Of the total SO2 emission 19.46 million tons from all industries in 1996, more than 35% came from thermal power plants.

As sulfur dioxide emission has already caused acid rain covering one third of total territory and other adverse effects to people, it is an urgent need for power industry to strictly control this emission in the country, in particular, in those areas which are listed as " acid rain control area and sulfur dioxide pollution control area"(simplified as "two Areas under Control"). It is for this reason that we are very much concern with the development and application of clear coal technology for power generation.

Carbon dioxide emission from burning fossil fuel has been increasingly concerned by international community due to its green house effect which is said to be causing global climate change. China emitted 3 billion tons CO2 in 1996, accounting for 13.6% of the world. Despite the fact that per capita CO2 emission from china is only one seventh of that from the US, China has already been the second largest contributor next to the US.


 

 

 


 

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