I just saw a 1-hour long documentary about climate change, one of the extra materials of the movie "The day after tomorrow". Last week I attended the conferance "Sustainable Solutions - focus on Africa". How can these two be related you ask? Well, sustainable solutions need to be climate oriented. We will not help the Third world if we introduce solutions which clearly only helped us if you look at it from a short term perspective. But we must also keep in mind that it is a human basic right to attain the same living standards as we in the Western world have become used to, a human right we do not have the right to deny anyone. So for others to be able to use the natural resources in the same tempo as we have, we have to go first and develop sustainable, environmental-friendly technology which enables EVERYONE on this planet to obtain a worthy living standard and still keep our planet intact. This technology must be developed by those with resources and knowledge to do so, and then later be spread to users all over the world. This was part of the theme of last weeks conference, which btw was opened by the Prime Minister of Holland!!! Some of the other major players at the conference were for instance the Director of the Royal Dutch Shell Company, as well as the director of the largest banking firm in Holland - Rabo Bank. We also had the director of the European division of the World Energy Council, which has the power to influence countries in what kind of energy they choose to use, and a guy named Mo Ibrahim who showed us a video advertising his foundation which in this video was thanked personally by among others Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan and Bill Clinton.... It was a grateful feeling to be at a conference which involved so many people with actual power all agreeing on the same problem and discussing actual realistic solutions for it. It makes you think about what you yourself are going to do and what your future may look like. Doesn't it?
3 comments:
Hi dear!
Har du fått mailen min ang. julen? Hadde vært supert å få vite litt om planene dine:-)Vet det meste sikkert ikke er spikret enda men kan jo i alle fall forsøke å unngå de verste dagene!
Kjempeglad i deg helten min:-)
Stooor klem fra Silje!
That’s an interesting topic you brought up and it’s always good to hear that there is much concern about the environment, but… I’m a bit pessimist on this topic, at least while things don’t really change…
We know about the existence of “sustainable solutions”, but how many are being applied so far? I can pick a random area and see how it is going in terms of sustainable solutions… for example, in the car industry there are only few successful models being sold from many existing models, the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic and one or two Lexus models. And how many of these cars exist all over the world? Probably they are only a few percent of the total number of cars being sold. What about motorcycles? To be honest I can’t remember any successful model being commerce in Europe. What about the percentage of houses who are built in order to be energetically economic? It’s rare to see a house with solar panels, just to mention one point where a house can save resources…
To be brief, I just conclude with the following… how many of the people talking on those conferences use regularly public transportations? How many have a “green” house. If they don’t give the example, it’s no point telling others to be worried about environment. It’s sad but it’s the truth…
Well, apart the concerns over the world, I hope you are getting better from your cold ;)Take care ***
I really hope that these kind of thoughts become reality... but, as mario, I still see many people just talking and many others not respecting these kind of issues, making these projects impossible to be carried out!
they just don't see (or don't wanna see) the huge importance of these environmental concerns and possible solutions =( it's sad but it's true! =(
However, I also see a different generation arising... a generation with a much more positive attitude =) so... I am still hoping that you are right! =)
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