Youth prepare for climate and development negotiations

The fifthteen session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-15) will meet at UN Headquarters in New York next week and youth will take the floor to lay out the future that we envision. As this implementation cycle, CSD-15 will review progress in the area of Energy for Sustainable Development; Industrial Development; Air pollution/ Atmosphere; and Climate Change.

In preparation, Youth climate leaders from around the world will converge on the Youth Energy Blast in New York on April 29, 2007 at Columbia University with the mission of sharing their skills and preparing for the 15th Session UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD-15).

Some humor

agua/water/eau

It has been almost a week since I arrived to Buenos Aires, and I am starting to realize that my trip is about to end. I have had an amazing time in Buenos Aires –good food, beautiful people, lots of time to reflect and dream of days to come.

The Youth Summit on water was extremely rewarding, and I have met some amazing people. It has been inspiring to learn of the work of committed people around the world to secure the right to water. It is always comforting to learn that other people are working on the same values and vision in different corners of the world, but that have never met each other. It gives hope to the dream that deep down, in the grassroots world, a revolution has started to secure a better world to future generations… a revolution that redefines progress with a vision of fair world.

Buenos Aires has given me hope. As I near the end of my current stage in life (ie life at COA), I have come full circled in my vision of a better world. The need of new energy, water, and food paradigm will shape my life and future work. As I prepare to depart Buenos Aires, I salute the silent soldiers doing everything they can to secure access to global commons

Tango, Water, and Me

After returning to Maine from Costa Rica last week, I had no choice but to keep my bags out. I arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina yesterday morning for the First youth summit on water. You can find out more here.
The meeting does not start until tomorrow, so I am mostly working on my senior project for now. However, This has been a daunting task—Buenos Aires is a truly beautiful city and there is a lot to do. I am trying to balance work and leisure, with glasses of red wine in the intervals! Last night I went for dinner to a beautiful care on 9 of July Avenue, and I am for now staying in a hostel a few steps away from the iconic Argentinean ‘Obelisco’
I promise I will have more news and photos sometime soon

Climate Change- A global security threat

The United Nations Security Council, the supreme global body on issues of security and peace, will debate climate change for the first time on April 17. The United Kingdom wants the issue to be considered a matter of global concern, and will have Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett preside over the debate. In March, when the UK announced their intention to bring the issue to the agenda,China and Russia expressed some opposition to the holding the debate.Meanwhile, the United States had no opposition to considering the issue at the Security Council.
In preparation for the debate, the UK has circulated a concept paper arguing that climate change could provoke new wars, change borders, disrupt energy supplies and force mass migration. The paper outlines six areas where climate change could affect global security: border disputes, migration, energy supplies, other resource shortages, societal stress and humanitarian crises--with some estimates that up to 200 million people could be displaced by the middle of the century. (Image source: AP)

Stakes are Rising- Anybody Listening?

This morning the IPCC, the supreme global scientific body on climate change with scientists from all over the world, released their 4th assessment report examining the expected impacts of climate change based on all science available. The report stresses on the potential extinction of hundreds of species, the increased risk of coastal damage, extreme weather, and implications of different degree scenarios to food supply and health. Ironically enough, the reports also finds that countries in northern areas, the countries emitting the majority greenhouse gases, are likely to enjoy of better agriculture and other benefits due to warmer winters. No wonder why so many industrialized countries are doing as little as possible to stop what will be a disaster for poor and vulnerable communities in the world.

Next month, the IPCC will be releasing its updated report on options to mitigate climate change. Hopefully, out of empathy, those who need to listen to stop thinking of their pockets and realize that we have one climate and one chance to do things right. Is anybody listening? I truly hope so.

You can find the full report at www.ipcc.ch, or follow press coverage by most major media sources worldwide.