Environment and Climate Change
Dmitry Mendeleev: The teachings of a prophet
1 March 1869 is the date of a discovery that changed the course of science in the world. On that day, Dmitry Mendeleev completed his work on the periodic table of elements, which would play a fundamental role in the future of chemistry – but also in physics, biology, astronomy and geochemistry. Even more interesting is that he revolutionized the ideas of what is now termed sustainable development.
The Conventions
GEF-7 will cover the last stretch of the global Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the first years of a successor framework. It is thus coming at a critical point in time and a strong replenishment is necessary in order to maximize efforts for achieving the global biodiversity targets (Aichi Targets) by 2020. A significant GEF replenishment for biodiversity will also provide a strong political signal and lay solid financial groundwork for a comprehensive and impactful successor agreement post-2020 and its enhanced national implementation.
The environmental dimension of peace
It is not by coincidence that Colombia is placing the protection and sustainable use of our biodiversity at the centre of our long-term development plans. Our natural endowment is among the most diverse in the world: with only 1 per cent of the planet’s surface, our territory harbours 10 per cent of all known species and a forest area comparable to the size of Kenya.
Refashioning the future
2015 marked a remarkable moment in governance for sustainable development. The world gained a set of universally agreed goals, an agreement on how they would be paid for, and another agreement, again universal, that we would manage the global economy so as to limit warming to well below 2°C.
الأحداث: جنوب أفريقيا كما أرادها مانديلا: حقيقة أم ضرب من الخيال؟
امدقت ايقيرفأ بونج تققح ،ةيطارقميدلا لولح لىع اًماع نيشرعو ةسمخ ضيم دعب دلب سيسأت في لايدنام نوسلين ةيؤر قيقحت نكلو .ةدحوم ةلود ةماقإ وحن لائاه .نبلاوك يدوج ضياقلا بسح ،دهجلا نم يريثكلا بلطتي لاز لا هينطاوم عيمج هكلتمي يذلاو يصرنعلا زييمتلاب قلعتت اياضق في مكح يذلا ناسنلإا قوقح نع عفادلما اذه مغر ىقبي ،)!رعش ةصق هل تضفُر ،2003 ربوتكأ في ( ةيصرنعلا نم هسفن وه ىناع.لائافتم كلذ
Clima y justicia social
La tendencia en los debates públicos actuales a presentar como una panacea el uso de tecnologías verdes nos hace olvidar a menudo que estas deben ir acompañadas de medidas en pro de la justicia social. Esto es esencial según el especialista indio en políticas climáticas Thiagarajan Jayaraman, quien señala que “todavía no hemos cobrado conciencia de que nos hallamos no solo ante un calentamiento general del clima, sino también ante el hecho de que este se produce en un mundo desigual e injusto”. En su opinión, si no tenemos en cuenta los imperativos de igualdad y equidad –o de paz y seguridad, que vienen a ser lo mismo– no podremos luchar eficazmente contra el cambio climático.
Transformación de la vida rural en Kenya gracias a la energía solar
Las bombas de agua y las lámparas solares aportan a las aldeas de Kenya el agua potable y la luz de las que carecían, mejorando así la vida diaria de sus habitantes gracias a la consiguiente erradicación de enfermedades, la supresión de faenas penosas y la eliminación de prácticas ancestrales nocivas para el clima. La decisión del gobierno de invertir en las energías limpias ha recibido el apoyo del sector privado y contribuye a hacer mucho más llevaderas las condiciones de vida de las poblaciones rurales más necesitadas.
Changement climatique et éducation
Éduquer au changement climatique et au développement durable est une nécessité. En Amérique latine, on mène des expériences qui méritent d’être prises comme exemples tant à travers la région que sur les autres continents. Mais certains aspects sont négligés.
La educación para el cambio climático
Es indispensable educar sobre el cambio climático, cómo atenuar y remediar sus efectos, y sensibilizar a las personas sobre las cuestiones relativas al desarrollo sostenible. En América Latina se llevan a cabo experiencias que merecen ser imitadas tanto en la región como en otros continentes. No obstante, se han descuidado ciertos aspectos.
Natural cure
This amazing, spinning ball of rock and water, hurtling through space at more than 100,000 kilometres an hour, provides us with everything we need to live and be healthy. It’s a delicate balance, with various interconnected natural systems — hydrologic and carbon cycles, ocean and atmospheric currents among them — creating ideal conditions for human life.
If you eat, you’re in!
What wouldn't we do for our kids? We play in the park, cut down on sugar, walk them home from school, talk around that all-important dinner table - the stuff of everyday life that shows we care.
Le Pakistan retrouve sa parure verte
La province de Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, située à une cinquantaine de kilomètres de la capitale pakistanaise Islamabad, se couvre d’arbres ces dernières années. Le paysage en est transformé, mais aussi la société. La lutte contre le réchauffement climatique et celle contre la pauvreté ne font qu’un.
La solidaridad internacional en tela de juicio
Para adaptarse al aumento de las temperaturas las naciones en desarrollo tienen que afrontar problemas mucho más drásticos que los países ricos, los cuales “pueden adaptarse fácilmente a temperaturas extremas sólo con subir o bajar el termostato”, como dice metafóricamente el exarzobispo sudafricano Desmond Tutu, Premio Nobel de la Paz. A continuación una reflexión sobre la solidaridad internacional como conciencia ética.
El clima, nuevo sujeto de derecho
En el mundo entero, son cada vez más numerosos los ciudadanos y las ONG que acuden a los tribunales en busca de justicia climática. La amplitud sin precedentes que han adquirido recientemente esos litigios merece especial atención. Estos pleitos ayudan a forjar la opinión pública y constituyen una forma de presión que saca de la inercia a los Estados y las empresas.
Connecting in nature
Canada has 46 national parks and reserves, 171 national historic sites and four national marine conservation areas, adding up to 300,000 square kilometres of protected areas. They represent the country's massive, yet varied, landscapes from the towering mountains of Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, to the sparkling sands of Sable Island National Park Reserve off Nova Scotia, to the lush rain forest of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve on the coast of British Columbia. All these places tell Canada's ecological and cultural story. As its population becomes increasingly urban – and with the average park over two hours from a city – the need is to make more visiting opportunities available.
Zoom: La juventud rabe, arquitecta de su futuro
The rights of rivers
History was made recently when a court recognized the rivers Ganges and Yamuna as a living entity. This affords opportunities to tackle problems related to water and climate change sustainably amid the rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers, the depletion of groundwater resources, pollution of ground and surface water resources, erratic rainfall patterns that wreak havoc with human lives and property, and calamities like flash floods, landslides, avalanches and famines.
Nature of risk
Conditions are conducive to human life in most inhabited areas much of the time, but nature can strike at almost any moment. When severe natural catastrophes hit densely populated and economically developed areas, these rare events bring large economic costs. They can also hurt a sovereign credit rating, a reflection of a national government’s ability and willingness to honor its financial obligations on time and in full.
Attention! That’s a precious resource
There was no need to implore our forebears to get outdoors and be in nature. Presumably these ancestors also rarely experienced any gap between what was interesting in their environment and what was important to attend. But the times are ever-changing. Today these two vectors – the important and the interesting – are often at odds as inordinate amounts of information, and the ease of accessing it, dominate our swirling world.
UN environment at work. Cutting poverty by fostering environmental sustainability
Forests, lakes, rivers and fertile land provide income and employment for many men and women living in Africa. But unsustainable use of these resources can trap them in poverty. One way to reduce poverty and catalyse change is by producing and using evidence that brings together the environmental, economic and social dimensions of development. This is the so-called integrated approach to sustainable development.