To contribute significantly to climate stabilization trees would have to be planted on 10% of the Earth's land surface, the amount now
used for agriculture.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide has fluctuated between 180 and 280 parts per million (ppm) for 400,000 years. Today it is 350 ppm. Human
activities are blamed for the rise. There may be a global warming as high as 1.4 - 5.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. The entire
Earth ecosystem is being threatened.
Several actions should be taken to protect the global life-support systems:
a) establish an environment crimes global intelligence and police unit
b) label environmentally friendly products
c) find a way to take governments, such as the United States government, to the Earth Court of Justice for not ratifying the
Kyoto Protocol, the greatest crime against humanity and all life on Earth
d) just as inspectors are required to enter a nation's territory such as Irak to inspect facilities for the existence or not
of a nuclear arsenal, then environmental inspectors with the same authority and power should be sent tp the United States
to verify for compliance against environmental crime including that of not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol; all countries of the world must
comply with the minimum standards of security and protection of the global life-support systems.
e) abolish environmentally inefficient subsidies
f) declare key habitats off-limits for human development
g) add the environmental costs in the pricing of natural resources and products
h) develop ecologically based agriculture to reduce the large consumption of water, energy, and other material inputs
per crop
i) give to the Global Environment Ministry same power as the WTO for trade
j) make clean air and freshwater primordial human rights as defined by the Scale of Human and Earth Rights
k) research should be initiated to convert carbon emissions into solids such as sugars, proteins, and starches
l) invest in socially responsible businesses, publishing indicators of progress
In the light of the U.S.A., Japan and Russia refusal of taking actions to avert certain global calamity in regard to global warming, the
Earth Community has decided to pleade the people of these countries to reason and good sense. We are asking them to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Greenhouse
gases are accumulating in the Earth's atmosphere as a result of human activities, and temperatures are rising globally due to these activities.
It is not clear how far Canada is willing to go to reach the Kyoto target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 6 per cent below the 1990 level during
the period 2008-12. The Canadian Action Plan 2000 on Climate Change includes no calculations, and it is not shown how the Action Plan will
work.
The European Union leaders have agreed to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol by the end of this year. Let us hope that the action plan they will
offer to the world will be real and honest. The Earth Community Organization has created the Climate Change Ministry and offer
national governments to coordinate efforts in implementing the Earth Community Action Plan with regard to climate change. There are thousands of actions everyone in Earth Community could take right now.
Several more of these actions were listed in the Proceedings of the World Congress on Managing and Measuring Sustainable
Development - Global Community Action 1 held on August 1-22, 2000.
Positive actions:
A) By increasing vegetation in urban areas will reduce the urban heat, and the impacts of other urban environmental problems, which
will be exacerbated under climate change. Reducing the urban heat will also reduce the energy demand for space conditioning,
and hence greenhouse gas emissions. Plants directly reduce the urban heat 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.
B) Aboriginal Peoples as well as everyone else in the world have noticed that the climate has changed over the past years.
They came forward (actions) and said that they too had observed climate changes over the past years and generations. 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 water 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
we should negotiate honestly 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. It is now the population number 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'.
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.
C) 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.
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).
D) 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.
E) 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.
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.
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.
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.
The Earth Community makes the following recommendations to alleviate the effects of climate change in the world:
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.
9. 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.
10. 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:
a) Provide a daily report to the public
b) Define air pollution in terms of the amount of pollution created by polluters
c) Define air quality in all parts of the city
d) Measure progress toward air quality goals
e) Propose abatement steps
f) Alarm the public in case of danger
g) Provide data to researchers
h) Provide information for compliance
i) Make intelligent decisions with regard to priorities of programs toward environmental improvement
11. Immediate and honest actions by the USA, Russia, Japan and Canada, and all countries in resolving the problems creating
the greenhouse gases. The ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and the implementation of measurable positive actions
to resolve the problems of global warming.
12. The support of the Climate Change Ministry of Earth Government in coordinating efforts.
The Global Community Overall Picture
North America
America has to make major changes. The United States are the world's largest consumer, largest producer of greenhouse gases, and role model for
much of the developing world. By not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, the United States are losing credibility as a leader nation.
Without major changes, by 2020 the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions will increase by 40%, raising temperatures by 3.5 degrees Celsius during the century.
Countries in Latin America & the Caribbean
There is too much political instability, guerrillas, paramilitaries, and drug dealers. Farmers are constantly being displaced and thus the land is not
being used efficiently. Brazil is the world's leadingnation for biodiversity and rainforest conservation.
Africa
Strategies in Africa for the protection of the global life-support systems must include poverty, biodiversity loss, low investment rate,
AIDS and social equity. These strategies must have funding from external organizations and must also obtain immediate economic benefits.
Europe
Western Europe is making real progress toward a sustainable development, yet its consumerism, bureaucracy, unemployment, and social intolerances are
unsustainable. In Central and Eastern Europe ethnic conflicts and widespread crime make it hard to achieve sustainability. The European Union (EU) carbon
dioxide output dropped 0.5% between 1990 and 2000. All six main gases believed to be responsible for climate change were down 3.5%.
Asia & Oceania
Eventually China will surpass the U.S. in greenhouse gas emissions. It must create new approaches to sustainable development. India loses 10%
of its GDP per annum because of natural resource degradation.
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Global energy consumption will triple by 2050 and most of the increase in energy production will come from fossil fuels. Carbon emissions will
rise to 100 billion metric tons by that time, 30 times more than the figure over the past 20 years. Global warming will have become global
cooking of all life like on some other planets in the solar system. Developing countries will pass the industrial countries in total carbon
emissions by 2015.
By 2050, the world will need new sources of energy not only for increased demand and decreases greenhouse gas emissions, but also to make
up for the loss of electricity from 450 decommissioned nuclear power plants. Only a few nuclear power plants are under construction, and no one
has found a safe and secure way to dispose of the nuclear waste. Besides, there is only enough nuclear fuel available to last about 20 years.
Research on the use of fusion has not yet made its case as a marketable way of producing energy for electricity.
Alternative sources of energy are: electricity from wind power, photovoltaic cells, geothermal energy, solar thermal energy, hydrogen, hydro
power, space solar power, microwave from solar cells in orbit or on the moon to electric grid on Earth, biomass, fusion, tidal energy, ocean
thermal differential, solar power satellites. Research, development and production are not progressing fast enough to fill the gap and meet
future demand. Fuel cells for vehicles will offer some hope of a gradual phaseout of the use of petroleum.
New agreements on energy pricing policies must reflect the environmental impacts of energy production and use.
This global energy ministry or World Ministry of Energy will coordinate energy research, development, and assistance in implementing
policies. It will have the authority globally to do away with the energy subsidies and tax incentives that perpetuate the status quo
and increase the development of clean alternatives.
The rapid development of generating electricity has greatly supported national economic growth and improved people’s living standards. Because of price changes in energy, generating electricity
has become cheaper by using coal, and environmental problems resulted from coal combustion are becoming more serious along with the expansion of thermal power
plants.
The sulfur dioxide emission from industries, for instance, will increase enormously, causing acid rain. Power sector is also a major contributor of carbon dioxide emission which is
increasingly conceded as a global environment issue.
The basic situation of the 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, serious environmental
problems( both local and global) to be dealt with.
The Earth Ministry of Energy is a very important ministry of Earth Government. For now it provides educational information to the public in the form of a home audit on energy.
Energy efficiency of a home is dependent and will be limited by the
interaction of four elements: people, equipment, available
resources and home environment. Energy efficiency is dependent
on the performance of the weakest elements of this interaction.
You save money by using less electricity and you save the environment
too as 90% of the electricity generated in Alberta, Canada, comes from
coal. Using less electricity has the effect of producing fewer emissions
and less mining and, therefore, decreasing the need to build more power
plants which in turn has the effect of keeping the future cost of electricity
down. Building less power plants (or using less electricity) rates as a
positive aspects on our assessment of environmental impacts.
An Energy Auditing of your home will help you recognize where
and how energy is being used in your home and identify saving opportunities;
establish an effective energy management program and control energy consumption;
start energy conservation measures and save on your energy costs.
One approach in applying a sound behavior towards energy is to consider
the interaction of four elements: people, equipment, available resources,
and the home environment. This means energy efficiency of a home is dependent
and will be limited by the performance of its weakest element. The excess
capacity of any of the elements beyond that of the weakest element is wasted
capacity. The most cost-effective way to improve performance is to identify
and improve the weakest element. Most often when energy efficiency drops
the weak element is people. Either energy conservation has not been
made a priority or members of the household are not aware, concerned and
motivated about energy conservation.
For energy efficiency to be successful there must be support of all
household members, realistic goals, designated responsibility, account
of all household meters, auditing energy use, establishing priorities,
developing the program and evaluation and monitoring.
An energy audit provides information about how to identify energy use,
reorganize sources of energy loss, reduce energy consumption and save both
energy and dollars. To control our energy consumption means to conserve
our energy resources and can also contribute to substantial dollars savings
in the home.
Everyone is responsible in helping to the Management of the Earth. Energy use is a very important aspect in many different ways,
and it must understood by every person in the home. The first step in the mamangement of your energy in the home is for you to conduct and energy audit. Then
find ways related to energy efficiency and energy conservation in the home.
A. Conducting an Energy Audit requires information
on:
* electric power costs; consumption readings
for the past 12 months (as obtained from your utility bills);
* natural gas costs; amount purchased monthly;
* home design and design features; location of windows
and doors, and type of materials and design; levels of insulation; temperature
settings during occupied and unoccupied hours;
* lighting information; total wattage and hours of
use; type of lights;
* heating and cooling processes; appliances used;
other equipment used; and
* ventilation.
Collecting data and conducting a walkthrough audit is followed by a
cost-benefit analysis to determine whether changes are worthwhile. Substantial
dollar savings can be made from small changes in the home. Energy wasting
practices and inefficiencies can be eliminated with little capital investment.
Analyzing your electrical usage can help you control both energy use and
peak demand and therefore will help you save energy dollars.
Your energy meter registers consumption. Consumption is the amount of
electrical energy used during each billing period and is measured in kilowatt
hour (kW.h). In addition to paying for the amount of electrical energy
consumed the homeowner also pays a charge based on the maximum or 'peak'
load, which you are paying so as to allow the electric utility to maintain
the capacity to supply the maximum power you may need based on your highest
requirement.
An energy audit is a systematic energy analysis of the house which identifies
where energy is being used and how it can be used more efficiently. Energy
auditors visit the site and collect all relevant technical data through
observations and interviews. It is intended to provide general suggestions
on ways to save energy in the house. Energy efficiency measures are suggested
to the homeowner.
An Energy Audit will provide to the homeowner:
* Using energy balance calculations
(which make use of the average cost of natural gas and electricity);
* Electricity kW.h savings calculations
for all electrical energy efficiency measures; and
* All present energy use and potential
savings calculations must have dollars, kW.h or GJ.
The energy audit report includes total annual energy costs and consumption,
potential kw.h and dollar savings, separate dollar savings listed for temperature
setback and weatherstripping, building skin insualtion, ventilation natural
gas savings, ventilation electric motor savings, lighting, electric motors,
pipe insulation, water heater insulation, hot water use, fuel consumption,
etc.
B. Energy efficiency and energy conservation in
the home
The prodution and use of energy affects the environment. Burning coal,
oil and natural gas release emissions into the air that are believed to
be changing the earth's atmosphere: CO2, NOx, SOx, CH4, CFC's and VOCs.
Using energy efficiently plays an important role in our lives. Energy efficiency
has economic and environmental benefits. Using less energy saves money.
Environmental benefits include a decrease in fossil fuel pollttants. Energy
conservation achieved through efficiencies and demand reduction can cut
emissions significantly. With increased awareness about energy and for
importance of using energy efficiently individuals will be able to make
informed decisions about their own lifestyles.
There are many ways to reduce energy use and its impact on the environment.
Reductions are simple to achieve and they apply throughout your house or
your apartment. Energy use at home can be reduced without discomfort or
major expenses. In fact, most expenses are recovered through savings in
fuel bills and in a very short period of time. A typical homeowner
(parts of this also apply to people living in apartments) could reduce
its gas, electricity and water bills by thousands of dollars with only
a small input of time and money. Besides giving you long-term financial
benefits, reducing heat loss and being more energy-efficient, makes your
house more comfortable to live in. By eliminating drafts and cold areas,
you may also increase your home's resale value. A homeowner can reduce
the use of energy in four basic ways by:
* ensuring that mechanical and
electrical equipment is operated properly;
* ensuring that appropriate maintenance
procedures are carried out on a regular schedule;
* upgrading the house envelope
with additionalinsulation, recaulking, and weather stripping of windows
and doors; and
* adapting or replacing inefficient
equipment.
Appliances and lighting can consume 25% of the total energy used in
the home. By avoiding models and products that waste energy, and by choosing
efficient alternatives, you can save yourself thousands of dollars in energy
costs. Other benefits are specific to particular appliances. For example,
energy-efficient dishwashers use less hot water which means there will
be more water left in the tank for other uses. The energy saving features
on a dryer can actually prolong the life of your clothes, and certain energy-efficient
features available on your kitchen range will improve its cooking performance.
The price tag of our lifestyle is not just what we pay at the cash register
but also there are two more costs that must be added: the costs of maintaining
and using what we got, and the associated environmental price tag, i.e.
the impacts on the environment and our health.
Price Tag =
Price of the item +
Price of using item through its lifetime and maintaining it
+ The
associated price tag on the environment and our health
This Price Tag applies to every appliance and lighting you buy
in the store.
Heat loss occurs from all parts of the house structure, including walls,
roofs, floors, windows and doors. The rate at which heat is lost
is proportional to the difference between the temperature of the heated
air inside the house and the temperature of the unheated air outside.
The larger the temperature difference the larger the rate of heat loss.
Reducing this difference will save on heating costs.
Energy conservation in the form of home insulation is one of the best
investments that a homeowner can make, paying large dividends immediately
in the form of decreased heating costs. Your initial cost will be recovered
in a few years.
The Global Community Overall Picture
North America
Canada is heavily subsidizing the oil and gas industry in the country, and is perpetuating the status quo on the use of fossil fuels. Canada is
willing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol but at the same time it is helping heavily the fossil fuel producers all over the country. The United States
have the highest per capita energy consumption in the world. The U.S. should show leadership by ratifying the Kyoto Protocol now. The developing
countries will follow into their steps. Otherwise global cooking not global warming will be just as in the U.S. than in the rest of the world. The
only options the U.S. Energy Department can think about to meet the projected tripling of energy demand by 2050 also include fossil fuels as a major
source. America is going to war in the Middle East to ensure and secure such energy need. America is willing to do away with values that built up America:
freedom, democracy, human rights, and has now become a nation predator on the other nations to obtain control of the oil from the Middle East.
In doing so America has lost credibility as a leader of other nations.
Countries in Latin America & the Caribbean
The region will become more economically sustainable with the proper infrastructure and avoiding the mistakes made by the United States. These
nations will need energy to meet public demands for a better quality of life.
Africa
In South Africa, more research is needed in nuclear power safety and disposal of nuclear waste. There are too many coal-based power stations.
Investment is needed in the non-fossil fuel sector. Other than the people of South Africa, most of the sub-Saharan African household
energy comes from trees and other forms of biomass, and that contributes to the encroachment of the desert and to climat change.
Europe
All through Europe the consumption of energy should be limited through taxes and higher prices. Renewable energy accounts for only 6% of the EU's
energy use. The EU should show leadership globally by doing away with fossil fuel use and becoming non-fossil-fuel nations.
Asia & Oceania
Energy efficiency is part of Japanese culture. Japan is researching the use of solar energy from space beamed to electric power grids. Japan and South Korea
import most of their energy. More than 1.3 billion tons of coal are mined and consumed in China and account for two-thirds of the total energy usage in the country.
China should increase the use of hydropower, compressed natural gas, solar energy, wind energy, and tidal energy. India's nuclear power
plants are rated as unsafe and could cause a major accident. The Middle and Far East are not showing responsibility as the major
oil producers in the world. There are more accountable than their buyers and consumers in the production of greenhouse gas emissions. They
produce the oil, their product, and they should be made accountable for global warming worldwide. All oil-producing nations in the world
are responsible and accountable for what happens to their product, from beginning to end. The price of oil should at least triple of what
it is now and the quantity should be controlled and gradually phase out for the benefits of alternative sources of energy.
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The Earth Community Organization, the Human Family, is calling for the immediate formation of the Earth Ministry of Health. The globalization of trade, the extensive
mouvement of people all over the world, the increase of poverty and diseases in developing countries and all over the world, have caused pathogens and
exotic diseases to migrate over enormous distances and now, are an increasing threat to local ecosystems and communities, economies and health of
every human being and all life. The Earth Community Organization, the Human Family, is calling this threat of the upmost importance and
must be dealt with immediately by every nation. We must manage health in the world. We are calling for the immediate creation of the Earth Ministry of Health.
Formation of a Global Ministry of Environmental Health
1. Must be non-profit, grassroots, and at community level.
2. Finances: drug companies and governments.
3. Global Declaration
a) very strict and mandatory
b) all nations participate
c) scientists and professionals in the fields who have dedicated their lives to environmental health
d) humanitarians
4. The functioning of the NGO is as per Manifesto.
Brain-storming exercise during Global Dialogue 2002 in Toronto
Participants: Mrs. Kuri Jayafure, Mrs. Alka Karir, Textile designer, Ms. Tamara Sanchez and Germain Dufour
Title: Formation of a Global Ministry of Environmental Health.
1. Must be non-profit, grassroots, and at community level.
2. Finances: drug companies and governments.
3. Global Declaration
a) very strict and mandatory
b) all nations participate
c) scientists and professionals in the fields who have dedicated their lives to environmental health
d) humanitarians
4. Manifesto
a) Self-sustainable society or NGO focusing on environment and health
b) Global market should not deplete natural resources
c) cut down in pollution
d) Reassessing American culture, consumerism in America
e) Consumer responsibilities and accountabilities
f) Environmental health costs
g) Cost on the environment
h) Prices should reflect environmental cost
i) Recycling whenever possible
j) Reducing
k) Each nation should see that they are sustainable communities before exporting
l) Taking on a nation's problem at the roots level (if a deisease exist there then the nation should address that issue)
m) ECO should help manage getting rid of that disease
n) Make use of traditional methods to solve problems
o) Use natural ways to put in the environment when solving problems
Recommendations:
The recommendations are now a part of http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/gdufour/Recommendations2002.htm
This is section in F1.
1. Must be non-profit, grassroots, and at community level.
2. Finances: drug companies and governments.
3. Global Declaration
a) very strict and mandatory
b) all nations participate
c) scientists and professionals in the fields who have dedicated their lives to environmental health
d) humanitarians
4. The functioning of the NGO is as per Manifesto.
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This Ministry is managed and administered by Dr. Sue L.T. McGregor.
A culture of violence in the world has to be dealt with. Intolerance against the other's culture, religion, ethnicity and civilization is at the
origin of it. The Earth Community is asking all nations to show tolerance and respect for the 'other'.
The event of the global civil society has been facilitated by the advances in communications. The global civil society include institutions,
volunteer associations, networks such as women's groups, trade unions, chambers of commerce, farming or housing co-operatives, NGOs, religious
organizations, business associations, environmental groups, etc. There are a multitude of groups of all aspects of life making the global
civil society, the human family, the Earth Community (different names to mean the same people). All of them are working for the welfare
of children, social and economical justice, environmental concerns, or a healthier planet.
Growing awareness of the need for popular participation in governance, combined with the dissatisfaction with the performance of
governments has contributed to the growth of NGOs.
The global civil society movement reflects a large increase in the capacity and will of people to take control and improve their lives.
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This Ministry is managed and administered by James Mwami.
More funding is needed for safe water supply projects. The world situation concerning freshwater is critical. Water tables are diminishing on every part
of the world. Water quality and availability affect environmental
quality for life support. Groundwater aquifers are more polluted. Water tables
are falling on all continents, while human demand for water increases.
Over 1 billion people lack
safe driking water. Almost half of the world population does not have adequate sanitation. Most diseases in the developing world are water-related. If current trends continue, half the
world could face water shortages by 2032. About 70% of freshwater withdrawals is for agriculture. The quality of the soil for agriculture is also decreasing worldwide.
Agricultural practices must be changed to get more crop per liter of water by:
* developing plants that are drought-hearty and more tolerant to a lesser quality of the soil
* practicing desalination and water efficiencies in agricultural and urban usage
The lack of potable water and availability of water for agriculture use will contribute to the cause of conflicts between nations.
In order to avoid conflicts over water, other actions have to be taken:
* investing in reforestation and in watershed management
* promoting the healthy effects of vegetarianism
* using animal stem cells to produce meat tissue without animals
* securing treaties and cooperatives agreements on water rights
* implementing integrated water management plans
The Global Community Overall Picture
North America
Government regulations of the water resource make everyone use water wastefully. Agricultural water subsidies encourage farmers to waste water.
The effect of this trend will make it harder for poor people to obtain water. Water quality is affected by contaminants such as hormones,
pesticides and drugs.
Countries in Latin America & the Caribbean
Water purification is a major problem in most urban areas. The laws are not effective and people are not educated to be efficient in the use of water.
Water conflicts are unavoidable in Mexico, Sao Paulo, Bogota, and Buenos Aires. Attempting to resolve water problems would require:
* moving population to middle-sized cities
* research and development in biotechnology and applied sciences focusing on problems related to food, health and environment
* educating the public on the efficient use of water and the protection of water resources
Africa
Almost half of the African population does not have access to freshwater. Many cities have no running water. Several factors affect
the water resource: siltation, desert encroachment, tribal wars, and high population growth. Water conflicts are unavoidable.
Europe
Western Europe has no major water problems. The EU manages water issues. Organic farming is becoming more popular because it costs less
than removing farm chemicals from water supplies. Most of the current water distribution infrastructure needs replacing. In Eastern Europe nations,
mining and timber industries affect water quality. Water mismagement is a major problems everywhere. Russia has even abolished its
environmental protection agency.
Asia & Oceania
Japan developed the technology to change seawater into drinking water. Nations of the Middle East are buying their technology. Israel and other nations produce
water through desalination. Water in the Middle and Near East has shrunked substantially and water conflicts are unavoidable. Australia and New Zealand have no
major problem with water. Rivers of Asia have 20 times the standard levels of suspended solids, and the region is responsible for over 60% of the world's
ocean-damaging, ecosystem-destroying sediment flows. Water problems in China are increasingly alarming. China has 22% of the world's population
and has to survive on only 7% of the world's total freshwater resources. Today, there are more than 300 major Chinese cities plus 50 million
people in rural areas facing water shortage. More education is needed to explain to the Chinese people that polluted water causes illness
which in turn increases health costs and hinders development.
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Establishing the Earth Resources Ministry that will be assessing, compiling, managing and protecting Earth resources, and the Earth Court of Justice prosecuting cases involving crimes related to the relentless misused of the Earth resources.
The actual overpopulation of the planet is linked to the issue of environmental security through the impact that people have on the Earth's life-supporting resources and climate change.
Evidence has multiplied of worldwide ecological degradation resulting from human activity: less forests, polluted air and water, less fisheries, soils losing
fertility or being eroded, desertification, overgrazed grasslands. Life is critically threatened from all sides. Industrialized countries
account for an astronomical and wasteful use of non-renewable resources and energy. Per capita consumption of fossil fuels in industrial countries is ten
times higher than in developing countries. The pattern for key metals shows even greater disparities.
In developing countries, the most important environmental pressure is linked to poverty. Poor people put pressure on the land and forests, over-exploiting
them to survive. These countries must be helped. They must accept the implementation of the Scale of Human and Earth Rights and the Charter of the Earth Community into
their way of life. We must give them access to technologies that use fewer resources, energy efficient technologies, 'clean' technologies.
The quality of life in Earth Community depends largely of factors such population, consumption, development, technology, and the environment.
A sound Earth management is only possible if it based on a sound sustainable development.
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The problem and solution to the world overpopulation was described in length in the October Newsletter (see Article H: Earth policies to reduce human population to 500 millions).
So there is a human solution. We propose a world population of 500 million. It would take a thousand years to
reach our goal of a population of 500 million. We would make all efforts to minimize infant mortality. We need to ensure that the women of the world who have shown an interest in the proposal of family planning
would have access to all the help needed to achieve their goal. Contraception for men is also desirable.
Today most major global problems stemmed from our overcrowded planet. Human activities of an overpopulation create major global problems.
Global warming is certainly an obvious example of such global problem caused by an overpopulation of the planet. Conflicts over freshwater usage are on the rise. It is only a matter of time
before a global war over water becomes a reality. We seem to rely on technology to resolve all these problems. But you cant. They are major
problems and each one of them take time to resolve. When all global problems are thrown at you at the same time there is no way humanity can
survive the 21st century. Even today too many nations have a nuclear arsenal that can easily destroyed and be the cause for the destruction of all life on Earth.
Doubling the world population would make the world situation a thousand fold worst than it is now.
More healthy civilizations could coexist together in peace if the global population was 500 million. The factors that could reduce world's population are:
* promoting one or two child per family
* increase income
* improve literacy
* insure protection of new born children
* educate men and women to family planning and let them be equal partners in all aspects of life
* make men and women use of inexpensive contraceptives with easy access to them
* promote a more healthy and rewarding lifestyle with just one child per family
* expanding women's opportunities
* access to high-quality reproductive health services
Most major global problems would disappear with a world population of 500 million. Today the urban population is increasing at the rate of 60 million
a year requiring the resources necessary for the equivalent of an additional six megacities every year; there are already 19 megacities in the world.
It is imperative that action be taken to control the overpopulation and human activities so that planetary security is not endangered. The current
world's population is 6.2 billion and is expected to grow to 9.3 billion by 2050. Nearly 98% of this growth will be in the poorer countries.
At that time, there will be more older people than children, and the number of people who 60 or older is expected to reach 2 billion,
putting stress on retirement and health care systems worldwide.
About half the world lives in cities on 2% of the land, consuming about 75% of the resources and producing roughly the same percentage of the pollution.
In one generation, 3 billion city dwellers will grow to 5 billion while, at the same time, natural resources to support this growth are
shrinking. Biodiversity feeds directly 40% of the economy of the developing countries, yet this natural resource is rapidly being destroyed.
About one out of every children under five years old in the developing countries is malnourished. Sufficient nutrition, shelter, water, and sanitation
will have to reach people in slums, or the world will see more migrations, disease and conflicts. Medical and social advances have allowed
to increase significantly life expectancy. Older people will be require to continue work few more years to help the younger generation.
This 21st century is very crucial for humanity as it will determine our survival or not for the next million year. The Earth Community Organization (ECO) and Earth Government are
proposing to the world a way to achieve our survival. The policies described in this article are by no means the only ones, and we do need the global community to
send suggestions and recommendations.
Perhaps the most important step towards achieving sustainability for the next million years is to control our population growth.
World overpopulation is now at the turning point and requires from each and every one of us a statement of rights and belonging to Earth Community, the human family:
a) I am not just a woman, I am a person, I am a global community
b) I am not just a man, I am a person, I am a global community
c) We are responsible, accountable and equal persons in every way, and we will manage wisely our population
We are not asking here a woman to have only one child like is done in China. No! First of all it does not work in China. Their population is
still increasing. We are asking here to give a woman the choice, the freedom to say no I dont want children, or yes I want to raise a family, and to make that socially acceptable.
For this to work, women must also be given equal rights to men in every way. The Chinese family policy does not work because women were not
given the freedom to choose for themselves and the equal rights to men. Women are 'persons' just like men.
Those men and women who choose to raise a family (one or more than one children, preferably more than one child) will be given all the help society can give them.
The effect of such change in behavior will imply a true acceptance of belonging to the global community and that humanity must step forward as a responsible body for the good of all. The heart, mind and human spirit of Earth Community will
want to be in the forefront of positive actions and human activities to ensure our survival.
This is not new. In many parts of the world a man is no longer seen as the 'head of the family', the 'provider'. Both men and women have taken that role depending of circumstances and social factors. Women are
no longer seen as subservient persons and breeding machines. Women are seen as equal to men. Women's rights protect the equality between a man and a woman.
Earth Government has long recognized that greater equality between men and women is an essential element of slowing down world population
growth. It was observed that fertility rates were falling everywhere women were allowed to determine when and whether they will have children.
Gender inequality also impacts on resource use and the prospects for sustainability and biodiversity protection. Training and education
along with their greater sense of nature ans shelter protection give women the tools they need to make resource use more equitable
and efficient within communities and to mobilize against environmental and health hazards.
Earth Government is dedicated to give women:
a) equal rights
b) access to and control of natural resources and land
c) stronger voices in decisions about sustainable resource use
d) education on impacts of consumerism and sustainable consumption
e) access to modern methods of contraception and reproductive health services
There are countless situations showing the need for a woman's perspective and solution to a problem, locally and globally.
For instance, historically a Peace Movement has always been associated with women. It was essentially thought as a feminist initiative. The method of decision making in such movement was
intended to expand leadership rather than to narrow it. Most women groups in the feminist movement worked by consensus, the relationship among themselves has always been
intimate and caring, and they often included a humanitarian concern for all people. The feminist peace movement has created a value system based on an ethic of caring, caring for each
other and caring for the world as well. Women groups have dealt with issues such as motherhood, violence against women, citizenship rights, and oppression. World peace has been
interpreted through women's eyes. Even the ecofeminist vision has peace rooted in nature, and the very essence of life and survival have been said as essentially female attributes. The
ecofeminist position is that the Earth is our mother, and she is being ravaged by militarism and male-created toxic substances.
Women help defined how we should see ourselves living as part of a community. A community is not about a piece of land you acquired by force or otherwise. A typical community of a million people does
not have to be bounded by a geographical or political border. It can be a million people living in many different locations all over the world. The Global Community is thus
more fluid and dynamic. We need to let go the archaic ways of seeing a community as the street where we live and contained by a border. Many conflicts and wars will
be avoided by seeing ourselves as people with a heart, a mind and a Soul, and as part of a community with the same.
We can no longer perceive ourselves as a People who could survive alone and a People who does not need anyone else. We belong and depend to this much larger
group, that of The Global Community. The 21st Century will see limitless links and interrelationships within The Global Community.
Every single human being must deal responsibly with the affairs going on in his (her) own 'global community' ~ when a person takes personal responsibility for his own
affairs ~ he becomes empowered as a person. He can then reach beyond his own property and family, and help to work with others living in and around, even a part of the
local community he lives in ~ the villages, the town community, the surrounding territory, and so on.
The key is personal responsibility. Therefore the individual is the important element, one who takes responsibility for his community. This individual cares about jobs,
homes, streets, the welfare and success of his community.
When a group of ordinary people realized they, personally, will make the changes they need in their fields, in their village. They can then find ways to bring these changes
for all. There is a wisdom in the ways of very humble people that needs to be used. Every humble person deserves to have ideas respected, the courage to develop his
own life for the better and for the good of all. Sound solutions to help manage and sustain Earth will very likely be found this way. Everyone can help assess the needs of
the planet now and propose sound solutions for its proper management, present and future.
Perhaps now we should introduce some important members of The Global Community: the global civil society, the Earth Community, the human family, Earth
Government, all different ways of expressing the same people. Most of the time many politicians representing their citizens at the United Nations have no knowledge,
experience, and understanding of global problems. They seek advise from others, and these 'others' are always memebers of the global civil society. Yet politicians make
global decisions or the lack of them during meetings. Politicians become actors on the world scene. Actors taken jobs they are not always qualified to take in reality.
They make decisions and they dont understand consequences. In effect, politicians are threatening the security of all people and all life on Earth.
The global civil society is made of people from all aspects of life who have a greater understanding of the problem whatever it may be. The global civil society is the mind,
heart and Soul of humanity, the human family. They maybe NGOs, businesses, agencies, scientists and professionals, religious groups, or other groups. They should
have a voting right during all meetings of the General Assembly and Security Council of the United Nations. They are given an important status in Earth Government.
Earth has existed for the past 4.5 billion years. Life on Earth has existed for almost 4 billion years.
Human activities are influencing the climate to change in many ways. We have transformed entire landscapes. Although our influence is huge our control
is minimal. Having initiated the breakdown of the Ozone layer and having set in motion the global warming of the planet it will be hard to reverse these events. History shows that the
beneficence of the planet cannot be taken for granted. It has always been hospitable to life of a kind, but not always of our kind. The kind of conditions that suit us are very narrow and our influence is
far greater than our control. We are creating global conditions that are threatening all life on Earth. Our manipulations of the Earth atmosphere may generate conditions
that could be suitable to only to bacteria in marshes. It is an enormous mistake to take our present good fortune as a given.
The humans species has to regulate its population by means that are voluntary and benign and has to take along with a fair proportion of
other lifeforms. Proper Earth management will certainly be a necessary tool to achieve our goal. If not there will be a collapse of humanity and of the environment. From now on every global
decision we do will have tremendous consequences on our future.
In general, populations of all lifeforms grow exponentially that is by a steady proportion of whatever was there before. When there is
no practical limit on resource then populations usually grow maximally and the only limit is that of the reproductive capacity of the female animal.
About 10,000 years ago, human beings were obliged to commit themselves more or less fully to agriculture and the human population was 5 to 10 million. By the time of Christ, after
only 8,000 years of large-scale agriculture, the human population was 100 to 300 million. After this time, the exponential growth of the population
entered its rapid phase. The billion mark was passed by 1800 A.D. By year 2000, the human population exceeded 6 billion. Thus agriculture allowed
a thousand-fold increase in numbers over a period of 10,000 years.
In practical sense, agriculture cannot feed a human population that has grown beyond the capacity limit. We must ask ourselves whether we can
stop the growth by means that are voluntary and benign, or whether the eventual environmental restraint will be out of our hands. At some questionable time in our future we will
find that our soil will no longer have the nutrients it needs to produce quality food. For some time we may counter this problem by fresh
weathering of rock. Not for long! The loss of lifeforms on Earth will be permanent.
Obviously something has to be done! Earth Government proposes a tight global policy, benignly implemented, or it will be very nasty indeed. In practice, a human
population of 10 to 12 billion would be too uncomfortably high and would add a high strain on world resources. What kind of world population would be reasonable? What goal should
we aim at? A population should be small enough to be sustainable indefinitely and still allow plenty of leeway for ourselves and other lifeforms. It should also be large
enough to allow the formation of healthy civilizations.
We propose a world population of 500 million. It would take a thousand years to
reach our goal of a population of 500 million. To achieve our goal will require from each and every one of us a statement of rights and belonging to Earth Community, the human family:
a) I am not just a woman, I am a person, I am a global community
b) I am not just a man, I am a person, I am a global community
c) We are responsible, accountable and equal persons in every way, and we will manage wisely our population
We are not asking here a woman to have only one child like is done in China. No! First of all it does not work in China. Their population is
still increasing. We are asking here to give a woman the choice, the freedom to say no I dont want children, or yes I want to raise a family, and to make that socially acceptable.
For this to work, women must also be given equal rights to men in every way. The Chinese family policy does not work because women were not
given the freedom to choose for themselves and the equal rights to men. Women are 'persons' just like men.
Those men and women who choose to raise a family (one or more than one children, preferably more than one child) will be given all the help society can give them.
If our population was to decrease as projected here then what other major global problems would be managed automatically?
This question is really saying that the overpopulation is the cause of several major global problems such as:
* lack of resources
* poverty
* wars
* climate change
* damage to the global life-support systems
* a lesser quality of life
* threat to security
* lack of good quality soils for agriculture
* polluted air, water and land
* overcrowed cities
* weapons and war products and equipment able to spark global wars
* widespread drug, human and Earth rights abuse, more old and new diseases out of control
There are many related aspects of the global life-support systems that is affected by an overpopulated planet:
* global warming
* Ozone layer
* wastes of all kind including nuclear and release of radiation
* climate change
* species of the fauna and flora becoming extinct
* losses of forest cover and of biological diversity
* the capacity for photosynthesis
* the water cycle
* food production systems
* genetic resources
* chemicals produced for human use and not found in nature and, eventually, reaching the environment with impacts on Earth's waters, soils,
air, and ecology
Some religious people will argue that to reduce human reproduction is to prevent the birth of possible babies, to deny life for the glory of God, and that
more babies means more glory. We understand this view as we have discussed the sanctity of all life during
Global 2000 and
Global Dialogue 2002. Proceedings are on our website. Read section 'Evolution, Creation and now, Guiding Souls'. God loves diversity in Nature and in Souls. Let
us discuss those legitimate concerns.
A short while ago God said:
1. Thou shall be One with humanity and thou shall have a higher purpose, and that is to propagate Life throughout the
Universe.
I shall provide you with means to travel the galaxies.
2. Thou shall have another higher purpose, and that is to manage Earth responsibly.
It was necessary for our species to reach today's population of 6.157 billions in order to leap to our next stage of evolution that will bring us closer to God and propel humanity to fulfill the Divine Plan.
What is the Divine Plan for humanity?
The Divine Plan is the greatest hope for humanity and is now being revealed. God could not have created a universe with billions of galaxies, each one with billions of stars such as our Sun, unless He had a plan for Life,
especially for an advanced species such as ours.
We have the responsibility of managing Earth. Everyone shares responsibility for the present and future well-being of life within Earth Community. When there is a need to find a solution to a problem or a concern, a sound solution would be to
choose a measure or conduct an action, if possible, which causes reversible damage as oppose to a measure or an action causing an
irreversible loss.
Life exists on millions of other planets in the universe, and our species got to be who we are today through the evolutionary process.
Other lifeforms in the universe may have evolved to be at least as advanced as our species. Their Souls may even be more
complicated than ours. They may have merged a trillion times more than our Souls. They may have evolved as well.
The Divine Plan for humanity is:
a) for everyone to manage Earth responsibly, and
b) about to reach the stars and spread Life throughout the universe and thus help other Souls to evolve and serve God in the best possible ways.
The higher purpose of humanity is to serve God by propagating Life throughout the universe. Humanity will evolve spiritually to fulfill God's
Plan. Soon God will show us the way to reach the galaxies.
Our proposal of a world population of 500 million does not in any way contradict God's Plan for humanity. On the contrary, it reinforces
the Will of God for the diversity of Life throoughout the universe. By accomplishing our higher purpose we will be able to propagate
trillions of liferforms and much more over the universe. Beside, with such a small population, there is no doubt that our species would last
at least a million years. That is
0.5 x billion x 1 million =
0.5 x 10 15 person-years
But if we let our population rise to about 20 billion then we may not survive more that 1,000 years or so. That is
20 billion x 1,000 thousand =
2 x 10 13 person-years
In order words, if we exercise restraint the total number of human beings who will be on the planet could be at least 25 times greater
than it would be if we allowed the population to increase to 20 billion.
Who, then, are those who deny life for the glory of God?
In practice, if our proposal of one or two children was accepted then the population would eventually fall. We would make all efforts to
minimize infant mortality. We need to ensure that the women of the world who have shown an interest in the proposal of family planning
would have access to all the help needed to achieve their goal. Contraception for men is also desirable.
If that is still possible, what are those other lifeforms we should take along with us?
The creatures we are most directly aware, the grand survivors of the overkill by the human species over the past several million years, are bears, beavers,
elephants, mooses, lions, rhinos, wolves, tigers, camels, kangaroos, deer, camels, antelope, cheetahs, coyotes, koalas, and others you may want to add. None
of them has a chance to survive in the wild, unless we take their cause seriously. Even then it will be difficult to keep them with us for a
long future. The Scale of Human and Earth Rights was designed to protect the ecosystem of the Earth and that certainly includes do what
we can to take along with us as many God's creatures as possible. The Scale of Human and Earth Rights takes first into account all reasonable
needs of the human species. On top of the scale are the protection of the global life-support systems without which no life could survive on the planet. Then the
primordial human rights are those basic human rights that have kept us going throughout the evolutionary stages of life on Earth.
Beside the global warming, the human activity that affects Earth most is that of food production. We need to form a global ministry dealing only about agriculture and the protection of our soils. All
nations will be part of the ministry. We have to design systems of food production that meet our own needs, and also leave room for these other
lifeforms we want to take along with us. Western agriculture is designed in the end to maximize profit. As a primordial human right, the prime concern of the
human species is to feed people. Therefore we have to do things differently. We will have to produce less livestock as we effectively double
the population we need to feed: ourselves, plus the livestock that is supposed to be feeding us. We also have to apportion the
land surface of the whole world more efficiently, using some for highhly intensive food production (which makes use of less land), some for extensive agriculture
(combining food production with wildlife conservation) and designing some specifically as wilderness areas with global corridors between them. Hopefully this will help
natives of British Columbia, Canada, to settle their land claims in their favor as they are the only people in Canada who can help
protecting wildlife, at least for now. There should be a definite and specific clause in any agreement with the natives that it is what they will do with the land and not turn it into a huge industrial site as would the white man do.
Global warming is certainly affecting the survival of these other lifeforms we want to take along with us over the next million years. Climate change has always been
a major factor throughout the entire evolutionary stages of life on Earth and will continue to be so in the future. We will have to make
sacrifices not only for our own survival but also for all life on Earth. Changes now are far too rapid for these other lifeforms to adapt. They will have
to tolerate us more to survive.
Obviously our survival on Earth and that of these other lifeforms are dependent on our behavior and attitude to the world. This point was largely discussed
during Global 2000 and Global Dialogue 2002. Earth Government has researched and developed sound solutions to humanity's problems and recommendations are made available on our website.
Our new ideas are part of life natural selection process and will be passed on from generation to generation. The human gene pool is changing naturally worldwide. We ourselves are in a position to
change our species and create a new one depending of natural circumstances. Because the human population is now so large, mutations are accumulating more rapidly than ever before over the entire
evolutionary stages of our species. This do not necessary means we are evolving to become smarter people. That is an unlikely option. It means we are adapting to new circumstances. Evolution will be active most likely
in circumstances occurring after an ecological crash or a world war involving nuclear weapons. Such catastrophic events might eliminate all life as we know it on Earth. But we cannot predict which particular lifeforms are liable to evolve and be dominant species. Our brain may be turned off by an
evolutionary step for survival, to adapt to the new circumstances. That is if we survive as a species after such huge ecological change. But then we dont really know of what life is capable of...! What life has
created so far on Earth may be a small sample of what it is capable of in the future.
Whatever happen in this 3rd Millennium, which we have called the New Age Civilization of the 3rd Millennium, will depend of us and to what extent we
are willing to make a difference to manage Earth wisely. Will our actions be geared to survive a decade, a hundred years, a thousand years, or a
million years? If our actions were geared to survive a million years, the chances are that we would learn to master great things including harnessing the sun flare energy, interstellar travels, genetic engineering, and reajusting the planetary position of another planet in our system to initiate a new life on its surface.
Is it no worth to make sacrifices now?
A sound governance of the Earth is needed for the long term survival of our species. This is 'la raison d'etre' of the Earth Government. Earth Government has proposed the creation of global
ministries to manage Earth and humanity's global problems. The higher purpose of humanity is to serve God by propagating Life throughout the universe.
So dont we have an obligation to do whatever we can to protect life on Earth?
The Global Community Overall Picture
North America
The United States are the only industrial nation with a fertility rate at or above the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. North
Americans need to be educated on the impacts of an aging population and immigration on the economy and resources. The average American consumes
about 50 times more resources than the average Indian. North American consumers obtain resources at a cost lower than the true value and
at the expenses of less economically fortunate regions.
Countries in Latin America & the Caribbean
There is a rapid urbanization of the region due to migration from rural areas and by high fertility among new arrivals in urban settings. About
54 million people are hungry in the region. Political unrest is caused by a disproportionate income gap.
Africa
Africa's population is expected to grow from 13% of the world's population in 2000 to 20% by 2050. Africa has major management problems in all areas.
In fact, much of the urban management class is being reduced by AIDS. AIDS orphans grow up in crime groups and join armed conflicts over
natural resources. Several major global problems can be resolved by:
* promoting one or two child per family
* increase income
* improve literacy
* insure protection of new born children
* educate men and women to family planning and let them be equal partners in all aspects of life
* make men and women use of inexpensive contraceptives with easy access to them
* promote a more healthy and rewarding lifestyle with just one child per family
* expanding women's opportunities
* access to high-quality reproductive health services
* community-based natural resource management practices and security of land tenure
Europe
Its population is expected to fall from 12% of world's population in 2000 to 7.1% by 2050. Future benefits for an aging population will therefore
be difficult to provide. The EU is enforcing the U.N. decisions on development in the region. More conflicts with immigrants are expected.
Asia & Oceania
Because of its low birth rates, by 2080 Japan's population will be half of what it is today. Low birth rates are also seen in Australia. About 60% of
all Arabs are under 25 years old with very little employment. In China, 7% of the population is older than 65. Its annual population growth rate is 1.07% and
its fertility rate is 1.82 %. When translated in absolute numbers, the increase causes major challenges to social and economic development.
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Women's rights programs, especially related to AIDS, should be expanded. Women entering the labour market continue to receive less reward than men
for equivalent work. Their unpaid work in the home and the field goes unrecognized, and cultural patterns place women behind men in the queues for
food and education in nations where these are scarce.
All forms of discrimination against women must be eliminated. Governments must implement action plans and policies to ensure the equality of
women. Participation of women and improvements of their status socially and economically can be made better by:
a) women's rights movements
b) improved female literacy
c) diminished infant mortality
d) easily available of improved contraceptives
e) effective family planning programs
f) encourage women to take entrepreneur programs
g) increasing women's involvement in politics
h) educate men to develop their intellectual respect for women
i) make sanctions against governments that do not guarantee the rights of women
The Global Community Overall Picture
North America
Single-mother households are raising one third of the children living in poverty in the United States. Corporations must allow women and men
equally to advance in the business.
Countries in Latin America & the Caribbean
These nations have the highest rates of maternal mortality. Governments must change laws about rape, sexual harassment, and equal pay for women.
Africa
Women are not considered for jobs outside the home. The situation can be improved by:
a) increasing enrollment of girls in all levels of education
b) help women entrepreneurs
c) give women access to credit
d) offering women better health care services
e) let women have equal job opportunities than men, equal pay for equal work
Europe
Few women are in top management positions in business. Stressful social and financial pressures force women to work very hard, and thus they
have no time to raise children.
Asia & Oceania
It is expected that the changing status of women will improve democracy and equality. Rural women in India are working more to stay in the
same place. In Japan women have a high economic and social status.
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The Earth Ministry of Health is needed to reduce the threat of new and reemerging diseases and immune micro-organisms. There are several factors indicating the need for new global changes in the area of health:
* larger populations of mal-nourished and undereducated people living in substandard housing, unhealthy environmental conditions and inadequate health
services, and poor water supply and sanitation
* rapid increase in international air travel
* globalization of trade
* lowering of standards in the production, handling, and processing of food have heightened the risk of food-borne diseases
* environmental factors and activities such as deforestation, conflict, tourism and migration into remote habitats have increased
exposure to disease
Nation governments are asked to give their support for the network of collaborating laboratories managed by the World Health Organization (WHO). We
are proposing to expand WHO's mandate to include:
* a global surveillance system
* an emergency section capable of responding to outbreaks of infectious disease anywhere in the world
* a more efficient vaccines program
* research into advanced-generations of antibiotics
* help governments put in place policies to improve the management of medical and public health resources, and to monitor these policies.
Tele-medicine and tele-health can bring the best medical and health knowledge to all areas of the world. Public-private partnerships have been
shown to reduce disease and health costs in developing countries. More research are needed to understand the relationship among disease, ecology
and genetics.
* AIDS awareness programs have to become far more aggressive. AIDS is the leading cause of death in the sub-Saharan Africa and is now
spreading rapidly in Central/Southern Asia and Eastern Europe. Local delivery of anti-retrovirus medicine to developing countries is very
difficult.
* bioterrorism is a threat just as important as a nuclear war and a section of this global ministry must be prepared to respond
quickly and efficiently.
* more research is needed to understand and respond to infectious diseases. Immunization rates are declining in low-income and
middle-income countries. There are more than 30 new and highly infectious diseases that have been identified, such as Ebola and AIDS, and there
are no treatment, cure, or vaccine.
* more research is needed in 20 known strains of diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) and malaria which have developed resistance to
antibiotics due to the widespread use and misuse of these drugs.
* more research is needed in old diseases such as cholera, plague, meningitis, diphtheria, dengue fever, hemorrhagic fever, and
yellow fever as they have reappeared as public health threats after years of decline.
The Global Community Overall Picture
North America
Global travel is a major factor affecting North America. Infectious diseases can be easily brought into the region. Food imports increase
vulnerability to infections from overseas. The widespread use of antibiotics is responsible for the growth of microbial resistance. Biotechnology has made
real progress but still need responsible use and a greater understanding of ethics. Multidrug therapies have reduced significantly AIDS deaths.
Countries in Latin America & the Caribbean
Underfunded public health systems are inadequate and with too much emphasis on bureaucracy and politics. Tuberculosis and HIV are growing and so
are many other communicable diseases.
Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for almost half of all deaths from the full range of infectious disease worldwide. Because of AIDS, life
expectancy is 47 years. Children made orphans by AIDS usually turn to crime to survive.
Europe
The health systems in Central and Eastern Europe are deteriorating. All of Europe is facing problems such as AIDS, mad cow disease and inflenza.
Migration is a factor in spreading diseases.
Asia & Oceania
Except for Japan and Australia, Asia and Oceania countries have communicable diseases increasingly widespread and out of control.
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Corporate boards of directors should be responsible to the community, not just to shareholders. There are several organizations which can affect global economic
governance. In the past, Bretton Woods institutions have had a major impact, the G7, the OECD, the World Trade Organization and a few other technical organizations
also had an impact on the global economy. None of them, however, provide real leadership in global economic affairs and in the welfare and survival
of humanity and all life on Earth. They do work for the good of all humanity. Their primary goal is profit to themselves and the self-interests of the wealthiest
The Earth Community Organization (ECO) is proposing the creation of the Global Trade Ministry (GTM), a new system of collective responsibility for trade as a way to
coordinate effectively global economic policy and to address global trade issues such as:
* the stability of exchange rates
* international capital flows
* taxation
* avoidance of fiscal competition and action on global programmes to reduce unemployment and stimulate economic recovery
* active participation with voting rights of the global civil society including a representative from the Women's Rights Organization
The GTM will present to the Earth Community an annual assessment of the overall state of the world economy and the interaction between major policy areas.
The GTM will provide the Earth Community with a long-term strategic policy framework in order to promote stable and balanced sustainable
development.
The GTM will assess and reform the policy goals of the major international organization such as those of Bretton Woods bodies, the EU,
the WTO, the FTAA.
The GTM will show leadership and promote consensus on global economic issues. A Global Co-operation Office will be set up to provide
oversight of national enforcement efforts and resolve problems between them.
Developed and developing countries should meet to create the GTM. The GTM would redefine the WTO, FTAA, World Bank and IMF institutions to
promote trade, investment, and employment.
The GTM would be governed by the Scale of Human and Earth Rights and the Charter of the Earth Community.
The effect of creating the GTM would give globalization its right long term focus for the good of all humanity and globalize regulation. Governance
and regulation have not yet been globalized. Trade and financial markets have already been globalized.
The Earth Community, the human family, the global civil society, is insisting that the debt of the developing countries be annulled.
The debt of the poor nations to the rich nations was in actuality a form of global tax and therefore the poor or 'developing' nations dont have to pay it back.
In fact poor nations should expect way more money as tax by the rich nations and not as loans.
The state of the world today is the result of a specific set of interlocking institutions: the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO. These institutions are
designed to generate massive wealth for the few and poverty for the rest. The same people who make the decisions in government and corporation make the profit.
They create a tight concentration of power. Together they are a form of anti-government whose only goal is profit. The IMF, through Structural Adjustment Programs, now directly runs the economies of over 70 countries.
That means that about 1000 economists and bureaucrats control the economic policies for 1.4 billion people in these countries. That is a form of anti-government. The people
that profit most from the global economy are white people. The people who are most oppressed by the global economy are people of colour. Racism and sexism have become the norm. The entire
planet is in a state of low intensity civil war. The ruling elite profit off of the exploitation of the rest of the world. The Earth Community Organization was
looking for a method of raising global taxes, of redistributing incomes to the poorest communities, of providing debt-free
technical assistance to non-industrial and developing countries to help them out of poverty and to meet environmental and social standards, but there it was all along right on our eyes. The Earth Court of Justice
will be asked to decide on the debt be changed into an actual tax to be paid by the rich nations to the poor nations, and to decide on the amount of tax to be paid. Developing nations will then be able to start
rebuilding their communities as per the Scale of Human and Earth Rights and the Charter of the Earth Community. They will not have to satisfy the economic needs and wishes of the rich nations. The Earth Court of Justice will also be asked to rule illegal the activities of the IMF, the World Bank and
the WTO unless they become a part of a greater whole such as the GTM, a part of the future Earth Government. These institutions will be controlled by the greater whole.
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Science and technology will change much more rapidly than they have in the pass and will be further accelerated by the global convergence
of communications and information technology. The risks of some new technologies and scientific developments are high and out of control
at present time. A global organization such as the Ministry of Sciences and Technology is required to:
* create data bases of science and technology risks
* identify those technologies and developments that improve the human condition
* make policies on Sciences and Technology
* create a global network linking laboratories through the Internet
* encourage interdisciplinary and transcultural research along with the use of software that prompts users to see potential synergies
of their work with research in other fields
* create a register of new and unconventional ideas for evaluation
* fund basic research
The Global Community Overall Picture
North America
North America has the capital to help research. Money is available through grants from governments, foundations and corporations. Research
related to the cloning of a child was stopped by the U.S. Congress but they allowed medical experiments with cloned human cells. The mapping
of the human genome is the greatest breakthrough of this generation and should be encouraged. Rigid control will drive research underground
or overseas.
Countries in Latin America & the Caribbean
People should be educated to understand biotechnology as it can feed people, cure disease, and eliminate malnutrition of children. Genetically
modified food is good.
Africa
The Earth Community should help Africa, and make it easy and inexpensive to obtain technologies. African nations should be integrated
to the global community.
Europe
The EU should be a major partner of this global ministry and seek a balance between social and natural sciences. Scientists and technologists
should be exposed to formal measures of public accountability, have foresight programs and communicate findings to the people.
Asia & Oceania
Genetic engineering will help China and India to feed their populations with less cost. A worldwide system should be created to link
government, university and private-sector systems to focus on Sciences and Technology breakthroughs.
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The humans species has to regulate its population by means that are voluntary and benign and has to take along with a fair proportion of
other lifeforms. Proper Earth management will certainly be a necessary tool to achieve our goal. If not there will be a collapse of humanity and of the environment. From now on every global
decision we do will have tremendous consequences on our future.
In general, populations of all lifeforms grow exponentially that is by a steady proportion of whatever was there before. When there is
no practical limit on resource then populations usually grow maximally and the only limit is that of the reproductive capacity of the female animal.
About 10,000 years ago, human beings were obliged to commit themselves more or less fully to agriculture and the human population was 5 to 10 million. By the time of Christ, after
only 8,000 years of large-scale agriculture, the human population was 100 to 300 million. After this time, the exponential growth of the population
entered its rapid phase. The billion mark was passed by 1800 A.D. By year 2000, the human population exceeded 6 billion. Thus agriculture allowed
a thousand-fold increase in numbers over a period of 10,000 years.
In practical sense, agriculture cannot feed a human population that has grown beyond the capacity limit. We must ask ourselves whether we can
stop the growth by means that are voluntary and benign, or whether the eventual environmental restraint will be out of our hands. At some questionable time in our future we will
find that our soil will no longer have the nutrients it needs to produce quality food. For some time we may counter this problem by fresh
weathering of rock. Not for long! The loss of lifeforms on Earth will be permanent.
Obviously something has to be done! ECO proposes a tight global policy, benignly implemented, or it will be very nasty indeed. In practice, a human
population of 10 to 12 billion would be too uncomfortably high and would add a high strain on world resources. What kind of world population would be reasonable? What goal should
we aim at? A population should be small enough to be sustainable indefinitely and still allow plenty of leeway for ourselves and other lifeforms. It should also be large
enough to allow the formation of healthy civilizations.
We propose a world population of 500 million. The policy to apply is for every family to have only one or two children. It would take a thousand years to
reach our goal of a population of 500 million.
In 30 years an additional 200 million hectares will be needed to feed the growing populations in the tropics and subtropics, but only 93 million
hectares are available in these nations for farms. Most of that land is forested and should be preserved. Other ways to feed this new population
include:
* improved agricultural practices
* make use of salt-tolerant crops obtained by genetic engineering or use domesticated wild plants that are already salt-tolerant
* make sure of stem cells for meat production, i.e. mass-producing of muscle tissue rather than animals
Rich nations have agricultural subsidies now $350 billion (American) a hear.
With one-fifth of the world's total population, China has only 7% of the world's arable land. Mountains or deserts cover two-thirds of
China, making only the balance of the land available to 1.3 billion people.
Beside the global warming, the human activity that affects Earth most is that of food production. We need to form a global ministry dealing only about agriculture and the protection of our soils. All
nations will be part of the ministry. We have to design systems of food production that meet our own needs, and also leave room for these other
lifeforms we want to take along with us. Western agriculture is designed in the end to maximize profit. As a primordial human right, the prime concern of the
human species is to feed people. Therefore we have to do things differently. We will have to produce less livestock as we effectively double
the population we need to feed: ourselves, plus the livestock that is supposed to be feeding us. We also have to apportion the
land surface of the whole world more efficiently, using some for highhly intensive food production (which makes use of less land), some for extensive agriculture
(combining food production with wildlife conservation) and designing some specifically as wilderness areas with global corridors between them. Hopefully this will help
natives of British Columbia, Canada, to settle their land claims in their favor as they are the only people in Canada who can help
protecting wildlife, at least for now. There should be a definite and specific clause in any agreement with the natives that it is what they will do with the land and not turn it into a huge industrial site as would the white man do.
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Earth Community has broadened the traditional focus of the security of states to include both the security of people as well as that of the
planet. Global security policies include:
* every person on Earth has a right to a secure existence, and all states have an obligation to protect those rights
* prevention of conflicts and wars; identification, anticipation, and resolving conflicts before they become armed confrontations. The Earth
Court of Justice will help here.
* military force is not a legitimate political instrument
* weapons of mass destruction are not legitimate instruments of national defence
* eliminate all weapons of mass destruction from all nations and have inspectors verifying progress to that effect
* all nations should sign and ratify the conventions to eliminate nuclear, chemical and biological weapons
* the production and trade in arms should be listed as a criminal act against humanity; this global ministry will introduce a
Convention on the curtailment of the arms trade, a provision for a mandatory Arms Register and the prohibition of the financing or
subsidy of arms exports by governments
* the development of military capabilities is a potential threat to the security of people and all life on Earth; the ministry
will make the demilitarization of global politics a high priority.
* anticipating and managing crises before they escalate into armed conflicts and wars
* maintaining the integrity of the environment and global life-support systems
* managing the environmental, economic, social, political and military conditions that threatened the security of people and the planet
* over the past decades and even now today, all Five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council (mostly the United States,
Russia and Britain) were responsible for selling weapons and war equipment. These three nations are required to give back to Earth Government
an amount of 8 trillion dollars (American) as a payment for the immense damage they have caused in the world. They have created a culture
of violence throughout the world. They are nation bullies, nation predators. They are responsible for economic mismanagement, ethnic tensions,
crimes, drug abuse, high unemployment, urban stress, worldwide poverty, and pressures on natural resources. Most conflicts in the world
are direct legacies of cold war power politics, senseless politics. Other conflicts were caused by the end of the cold war and the collapse
of old regimes. Other factors have combined to increase tension: religious, economical, political, and ethnic aspects.
In the past, security was thought as better accomplished through military means. Expanding the military capabilities and forming alliances
with other nations were the only way to 'win'. Today wars are unlikely to produce winners. The Earth Community is all over the planet. Ethnic
groups are everywhere. Some say there are more Italians in Montreal, Canada that there are in Italy. So we would fight our own people? Wars truly
make no sense! The world is too crowded and too small nowadays! And weapons too lethal! So security cannot be achieved through the military. The
only job the military should be asked to do today is to protect the global life-support systems. These systems have the highest priority
on the Scale of Human and Earth Rights and are certainly more important than any of the other rights on the Scale including security. Simply because without life there is
no other right possible. Without Oxygen there is no life! Without clean water there is no life! So protect life on Earth at all costs.
Wars are the biggest threat to life and the ecosystem of the planet. Primordial human rights come next on the Scale of Human and Earth Rights. Without a shelter life will still exist in some places but is not possible in cold place.
There are many related aspects of the global life-support systems:
* global warming
* Ozone layer
* wastes of all kind including nuclear and release of radiation
* climate change
* species of the fauna and flora becoming extinct
* losses of forest cover and of biological diversity
* the capacity for photosynthesis
* the water cycle
* food production systems
* genetic resources
* chemicals produced for human use and not found in nature and, eventually, reaching the environment with impacts on Earth's waters, soils,
air, and ecology
So security must be achieved by other means than wars. We might as well shelved the war industry from humanity right now and that means phasing
out all nuclear, biological, chemical weapons right now. No waiting! That also means having inspectors verifying the phasing out in
all nations of the world, and not just in some Middle East country. The nature of global security has changed since the rise of the Earth Community.
Security used to be about the protection of the state and its boundaries, people, institutions and values from an outside threat. Earth
Government will emphasize as a priority the prohibition of external interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. Today the security of
people within the Earth Community is just as important as the security of states. Citizens must be secure. Earth Community is just as important as the security
and life of citizens and states.
There are many threats to security other than the threats to the global life-support systems and threat caused by weapons of mass destruction and the threats to
the sovereignty of a state, and they include:
* the proliferation of conventional small arms
* the terrorizing of civilian populations by domestic groups
* gross violations of human and Earth rights
Global security can only be achieved if it can be shared by all peoples and through global co-operation, based on principles as explained
in the Charter of the Earth Community such as justice, human dignity, and equity for all and for the good of all. All people and states
are protected by Earth Government.
Human activities are the greatest threat to global security of both people and state. Action must be taken to control these activities. The world
is already overpopulated. It is the 6.1 billion people on Earth and their activities that threaten global security of all people and
state. More people cause more problems. We propose a world population of 500 million. The policy to apply is for every family to have only one or two children. It would take a thousand years to
reach our goal of a population of 500 million. We would make all efforts to minimize infant mortality. We need to ensure that the women of the world who have shown an interest in the proposal of family planning
would have access to all the help needed to achieve their goal. Contraception for men is also desirable.
Today most major global problems stemmed from our overcrowded planet. Human activities of an overpopulation create major global problems.
Global warming is certainly an obvious example of such global problem caused by an overpopulation of the planet. Conflicts over freshwater usage are on the rise. It is only a matter of time
before a global war over water becomes a reality. We seem to rely on technology to resolve all these problems. But you cant. They are major
problems and each one of them take time to resolve. When all global problems are thrown at you at the same time there is no way humanity can
survive the 21st century. Even today too many nations have a nuclear arsenal that can easily destroyed and be the cause for the destruction of all life on Earth.
Doubling the world population would make the world situation a thousand fold worst than it is now.
Most major global problems would disappear with a world population of 500 million. Today the urban population is increasing at the rate of 60 million
a year requiring the resources necessary for the equivalent of an additional six megacities every year; there are already 19 megacities in the world.
It is imperative that action be taken to control the overpopulation and human activities so that planetary security is not endangered. The current
world's population is expected to grow to 9.3 billion by 2050. Nearly 98% of this growth will be in the poorer countries.
At that time, there will be more older people than children, and the number of people of age 60 or older is expected to reach 2 billion,
putting stress on retirement and health care systems worldwide.
About half the world lives in cities on 2% of the land, consuming about 75% of the resources and producing roughly the same percentage of the pollution.
In one generation, 3 billion city dwellers will grow to 5 billion while, at the same time, natural resources to support this growth are
shrinking. Biodiversity feeds directly 40% of the economy of the developing countries, yet this natural resource is rapidly being destroyed.
About one out of every children under five years old in the developing countries is malnourished. Sufficient nutrition, shelter, water, and sanitation
will have to reach people in slums, or the world will see more migrations, disease and conflicts. Medical and social advances have allowed
to increase significantly life expectancy. Older people will be require to continue work few more years to help the younger generation.
Another major source of global unsecurity for people is the culture of violence in everyday life as it is shown on television screens and cinemas.
The American Way of Life is creating this culture of violence. An american child at age six year old has seen more violence on television
than any other child of the Middle East over a life span. This culture of violence infects both industrial and developing countries,
rich and poor. This trend of culture of violence must end.
The movie and TV industry is a threat to global security. The media is
responsible for the propagation of violence through communications. Why has government not done anyhting to regulate the media industry? Surely everyone understood that on the Scale of Human and Earth Rights security of the people of any
nation is more important than the human rights related to the freedom of expression of the media industry. Security of the people and the state is
on top of the Scale. It is part of the primordial human rights. While freedom of expression is a right found lower on the Scale and is classified partly as
* Community rights and the right that the greatest number of people has by virtue of its number (50% plus one) and after voting representatives democratically
(these rights can be and are usually a part of the constitution of a country)
and partly as
* Economic rights (business and consumer rights, and their responsibilities and accountabilities) and social rights (civil and political rights)
So the freedom of expression of a person is not as important as the security of that person and the security of the state.
By sharing security strategies we will reduce ethnic conflicts, terrorism, and the use of weapons of mass destruction. There were 24 (7 in Africa,
9 in Asia, 3 in America, 1 in Europe, 4 in the Middle East) major armed conflicts in 22 locations in 2001; 14 of these were over the question
of government and the remaining 10 over disputed territory. It is therefore imperative that the Earth Court of Justice be allowed to
rule on the creation of a new nation and resolving conflicts between nations. The military solution should never be allowed as a solution
to problems. The war industry of the West is responsible and accountable for the propagation of weapons and war products throughout the world for the
purpose of making a profit and self-interests.
There are increasingly more global dialogues being organized on issues such as transcultural ethics, religion, and security. Several
factors were found to promote peace and security:
* the growth of democracy and the respect for other successful political systems (communism in China is thought as a very successful political system because
it keeps security and stability over a large cross-section of the world population)
* a nation has no need to let go its sovereignty over trade; a nation should only trade with a few other nations on specific products and
services, no need to be caught in an agreement with the WTO. The WTO has members whose only goal is profit at the expense of the rest of the world and they
will use their military power to submit other nations to their needs and self-interests.
* the Scale of Human and Earth Rights and the Charter of the Earth Community
* easy communications by news media, Internet, satellite surveillance
* world travel
* governments are required to destroy their biological and chemical weapons, and nuclear arsenal
* creation of public education programs to promote respect for diversity and equal rights such as the establishment of the Scale of Human and Earth Rights and the Charter of the Earth Community
* living peacefully with your neighbors is the cost-effective way to prevent terrorism
The Global Community Overall Picture
North America
The September 11 event changed the concepts of security worldwide. The US government abrogated the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty.
Nuclear arms are now on the rise in the United States and hundreds of minority groups are at risk from political and economic discrimination. The United States
must support the United Nations, pay its arrears, stop undermining the U.N. mandates, and participate in U.N. revitalization and
restructuring including implementing:
a) a voting system representing the will of all people, one vote per million people
b) the annulment of the special voting privileges of the Five Permanent Members
c) global ministries in all important aspects
d) justice for everyone, everywhere is a universal constant
Countries in Latin America & the Caribbean
There is always potential for increasing conflicts between governments and indigenous peoples in the region. Several ethnic conflicts have been
observed in Colombia.
Africa
Internal conflicts between ethnic and religioous groups of poorer African countries are often in need of humanitarian assistance.
Environment degradation is often the cause of armed conflicts, but these conflicts are seen as ethnic disagreements or religious and
border clashes. A solution for security in the region will have to include mutual respect and a symbiotical relationship for common
development.
Europe
Global security is a necessary step toward world peace. The EU has to take steps to provide security in Europe. Economic crises of
Eastern Europe should be a high priority of the EU.
Asia & Oceania
This is the most volatile region in the world where political, religious and ethnic conflicts are common.
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The Global Ministry of Finance will provide proper economic governance and that is:
* a stable monetary system
* being able to deal quickly with systemic slumps and shocks
* a regulation of international financial markets
* the rule of law for trade, technology transfer, investment, dispute settlement
* infrastructure and institutions
* common standards, specifications, agreed systems to manage
* maintain commonly used networks by seas, aviation and telecommunications
* economic co-operation, development assistance and disaster relief
* protection of the global life-support systems
* promote a sustainable development as defined and described on our website based on the Scale of Human and Earth Rights and the
Charter of the Earth Community
A workable ministry of global economic governance should be based on global arrangements, global co-operation and the formation of sysmbiotical
relationships between state governments and the Global Ministry of Finance. Much governance already takes place informally through groups
of countries and organizations such as the G7, the OECD, the Commonwealth, GATT and the WTO, the Bank for International Settlement (BIS),
Paris Club, the International Telecommuncations Union (ITO), the International Maritime Organization, the global civil society, NGOs, Red Cross, etc.
As a positive action to resolve environmental concerns, governments should make use of environmental taxes and tradeable permits and adopt
the 'polluter pays principle' of charging. A global carbon tax would be a first step towards a system that taxes resource use rather than
employment and savings.
The Global Ministry of Finance will develop and implement methods of global financing consistent with the Scale of Human and Earth Rights and the Charter
of the Earth Community. There will be charges for the use of global resources such as ocean fishing areas, sea lanes, flight lanes, forest
products, mining products, fossil fuel products, and freshwater.
Taxes and charges will create global revenues for Earth Government to service the needs of the Earth Community, the human family.
Other taxes to be recommended are:
* an international tax on foreign currency transactions
* an international corporate tax to multinational corporations
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Advances in multimedia communications and information processing contribute to the shrinkage of distance and acceleration of change
in ways we conduct business and life-styles.
In developing countries, exposure through the media to foreign cultures and life-styles can be both stimulating and destabilizing, and it
can inspire both appreciation and envy. The dominance of transnational media has resulted in cultural homogenization and damaged indigenous
cultures. The wider access to information has been healthy for democracy, and scientific and professional collaboration. Media images of
human suffering have motivated people to express their concern and solidarity with those in distant places by contributing to relief
efforts and action from governments.
The Internet has grown to be one of the most powerful forces for change. Within a few years one billion people could be connected.
It stimulates economies, learning, and it allows creation of new organizational forms to improve the collective intelligence of humanity.
Applications of information technology in education will be an asset to poor countries joining the main stream of the world.
The Global Community Overall Picture
North America
The Internet has become the global brain of humanity. Communities now gather together around common interests thus creating new social
groupings. Most schools user cyberspace.
Countries in Latin America & the Caribbean
More consideration should be given to the value of the potential contributions of countries in scientific research, technological
innovations, and cultural and educational purposes via the Internet.
Africa
Most Internet users are in South Africa. Access to knowledge is rapidly becoming a requirement for power. It is expected that after implementing
communications people will stay at home instead of starting a new conflict or war.
Europe
For Eastern and Central Europe the Internet is:
a) source of independent information, and
b) way to close the technology and economic competitiveness gaps with the advanced world.
Asia & Oceania
China has 167 nillion users of mobile phones. Information technology is the major factor in economic development in developing countries.
It is also affecting life-styles and social institutions. The Internet is helping:
* education
* information access
* research
* technology access
* cultural development
* business growth
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Global symbiotical relationships for development are relationships between high-income countries with those less industrialized and entrepreneurial
cultures.
The continued economic growth in India and China is an important factor to reduce world poverty. The rich-poor gap is getting wider in
developing countries as well as within richer countries. Factors to help reduce the gap:
* increase trade
* annulment of world debt
* national economic policy reforms
* creation of symbiotical relationships between high-income countries with those less industrialized and entrepreneurial
cultures
* improved international financial governance
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Establishing the Earth Resources Ministry that will be assessing, compiling, managing and protecting Earth resources, and the Earth Court of Justice prosecuting cases involving crimes related to the relentless misused of the Earth resources.