Suhaly Bautista, Susan Bos, Soo Yeon Grace Kim Professor Ahmad Kamal New York University October 19, 2009 NYUUNSBSBSYGKCN 10/19/2009 THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA: CONGRUENCE AND CONFRONTATION IN VIEWS INTRODUCTION The objective of this report is to summarize Class Session 6, with an emphasis on the environmental agenda of the UN. FACTS
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The following topics were discussed in today’s class: Thesis Statement: The thesis must state what will be proved in the final paper in one sentence and cannot be a statement of intent. The thesis acts as the anchor of your paper and will determine the direction of the report. Assignment 5: Outlines will be returned next week. An expanded 4 page outline will be due the following week (112) Grading System for Papers: The grade system is as follows: “p” for the presentation of the paper, “a” for the accuracy of the facts, and “o” for the convincing ability of the paper. The highest 2 grades will be utilized to determine the final grade of the paper. Thus, there will be 3 small grades and 1 final grade on each paper. Economic development: 3 asymmetries are identified. (a) Money flows to where it is profitable, not to where it is needed. (b) 250 years ago, money was well distributed all over the world. However, money today is concentrated in 3 regions: Japan, North America, and Western Europe. (c) In a world where human beings are the center, money can flow easily across borders but people cannot. Reverse flows : money flows from poor countries to rich countries due to unfair free trade and low commodity prices (i.e. the Colombian coffee farmer or the Pakistani jean manufacturer) Environmental Agenda: Until 1990, we did not hear much about the environment or human rights. (a) In 1970, 15 economists gathered together to write the “Founex Report,” about the importance of the environment. (b) In 1972, in a global conference at Stockholm, it was agreed that the environment was in fact a critical topic and in 1974, UNEP (UN Environmental Programme) was established. (c) In 1986, Gro Bruntland created the concept of “Sustainable Development” which states that development is to be pursued but not at the expense of future generations. (d) In 1992, the Rio Conference was held, the first global conference on the environment also known as the “Earth Summit.” The important decisions of the Rio Conference were: 1. To prevent the hole in the ozone layer from enlarging. The Montreal Protocol completely banned chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs (the cause of the ozone hole). Now, other more costly inert gases must be used instead. 2. The Basel Convention controlled the movement of hazardous waste and held that all ill effects of the waste must be clarified before its movement. 3. The Cites Convention prohibits international trade of endangered species such as elephant tusks. 4. The Kyoto Convention in 1998 stated that using 1990 as the base year, CO2 emissions should be decreased by 5.2% to help combat the effects of global warming
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Based on the above facts, the following analysis can be drawn: In 1972, although the idea of the environment was important, the time was not ripe for fundamental changes Unfortunately, the US did not sign the Kyoto Convention even though it produces 25% of the total greenhouse gases in the world. Its argument is that they have a large carbon sink (forests) that absorbs a certain percentage of the total greenhouse gases it puts out. The real debate regarding global warming is between the US and Europe. Europeans advocate further progress on the Kyoto Protocol, whereas the US remains reluctant due to public mistrust. However, Americans have gradually begun to respond to the crisis by utilizing more fuelefficient cars, etc. Two great sparks for this change are 1) Al Gore, who has raised awareness and 2) the financial crisis, which has forced people to consume less because of costs. Another question arises: Is global warming just a natural process or are there anthropogenic causes? Graphical analysis strongly confirms that humans are in fact causing the crisis. However, renewable energy sources cannot completely replace our usage of oil. Is the only real solution nuclear energy? Another question surfaces about how one can ensure that the nuclear power plants are solely for energy and not for making nuclear bombs. Ideas for thought: (a) How can one have laws against terrorism but no laws against pollution? It is illegal to be a terrorist but not a polluter. (b) Waste is a developed country phenomenon; nothing is wasted in developing countries. (c) All development, without exception, is environmentally unfriendly. All development leaves an environmental footprint. (d) What is the correct price of oil, a commodity in which 1 gallon takes about 1 million years to be created and 10 minutes to be burned? (e) Everything has an environmental footprint. For the first time, current generations are consuming the inheritance of future generations. There must be a mechanism to internalize such costs.
CONCLUSION Students now have a basic understanding of the beginning of the UN’s environmental agenda. Preserving the environment is a challenge to which all nations and people must rise. With major disagreements about who is to blame or whether humans are responsible at all for climate change, no clear direction can be taken on this urgent topic. We are having the discussions about the environment but are not doing anything about it. No financial resources are being applied in this sector to make change possible. The question remains about whether, and how soon, member states will respond to the increasing urgency of this crisis.