ISDRC_three

An apology goes out to anyone who reads this notes and they make little sense - they are my notes scribbled down from hours of speakers and may make more sense within the context of the presentation than in quick note-form. Regardless, you can know that the International Sustainable Development Research Conference was beneficial for many reasons.

First of all, it was encouraging to see so many attendees and participants from all over the world - from the U.S. to Kenya to Australia. U.S. Americans weren't even the majority as you may expect with it being in the country - nationalities were quite diverse.

Second, it was encouraging that so much is being done within broad and extremely specific fields relating to sustainable research. I often take for granted that much information these days that is considered common knowledge came from an extensive amount of research and even risk in the past. I'm glad some people are studying what I'm not interested in - for example, material waste cycles in Ho Chi Minh City - and also that there are those within the field of architecture that are examining new materials, new building assessment methods, etc. to provide a more equitable, socially just, and responsible practice within built environment.

Third, it was inspiring to see Jeffrey Sachs as well as the other 'big names' that have devoted their lives to sustainability and other issues on a global scale. Though the argument is and was made that they aren't necessarily getting down to the local scale and getting 'down and dirty' directly, one of the panel members made a good point that it is a very frustrating job that sees little or slow results with very little benefit or reward to themselves. I respect J.S. for being so present at the conference after flying hours before from a quick consultation trip to Egypt and Jordan.

Fourth - I gained a wider perspective of the shape of the earth and how sustainable development will and is affecting different regions in different ways. I now feel more confident that the U.S. is in good shape; we have a lot of research going on within technology and, perhaps more or just as importantly, we have an abundance of materials and resources. Real problems exist in places like India where the population growth is so high and yet water table levels are lowering. I think I already discussed this earlier so I'll stop here.

A highlight for me was a remark by J. Sachs:

"Most quality of life factors go up with increase of GNP (especially for low incomes); once in higher incomes, increase creates marginal gains."

This reenforced my desire to help the marginalized and underprivileged in other countries. I know people say we should start helping in our own area because there's much to be done, and I wholeheartedly agree with this, as it's an important way to be present and humble in everyday life, attitude, and intentions, but aspiring to help a larger scale of suffering people is not unreasonable and can provide larger measurable dividends for efforts and resources provided.

Day Three

Jeffrey Sachs – Beyond the tipping point: global governance in an era of environmental upheaval

• Institutional breakdown – institutions don’t function in terms of centuries, though these systems do

• Global scale needs global cooperation

• +running against strong vested interest

o powerful forces against solutions (corporations, news, wallstreet, propaganda, etc.)

• what kind of governance do we need?

o Global environmental organization

o Regional cooperation

• Europe – good example of combining serious science with serious policymaking

Klaus Topfer – The sustainability challenge in an interconnected and divided world

• Fourth pillar of sustainability – culture?

• Renaissance of regional identity, culture

• “poverty is the most toxic substance in the world.” – Ghandi

• Rio principle 3 – the right to development

• MDG in developed countries – hunger, food, waste

• Changing energy structures

• Acknowledged democracy

• Making changing – it is important this happens from the TOP DOWN and from the BOTTOM UP

• Democracy impact assessment – work towards alternatives so you have possibilities

• What to do with waste?

o CO2 is a problem, using water and air as landfill

o Therefore, close the carbon cycle, and see CO2 as an asset

o Nuclear

• Transportation infrastructure for rural areas so food can reliably get to people

• We need a vision to know where to go

Panel 1: Action for a sustainable future: a dialogue between academia and stakeholders

• Ashok Khosla – ‘affluenza and povertitis’ – inequity and social justice for survival

o Planetary boundaries

o Issues factories for women – in 10 years fertility decreases by 10

o Resources – we’re moving more stuff than nature itself does (excluding waves)

• Pollination of our crops worth $200 billion

• Learn from nature, invest in nature

• Vijay Modi – energy in Kenya is $10/kilowatt (30-40x amount in NYC), a “more expensive” option that’s more reliable and secure in other ways may be better in the long run (like geothermal, solar)

o Falling water tables in India (400-500 ft.) near Rajasthan

• Anbumozhi Venkatachalam – decentralize power generation

o Synthetic liquid fuel from coal

o Fuel from waste

o Fossil fuel with carbon storage

• Ambassador Morten Wetland

o Urban and rural equity

• A.Khosla – how to individuals acquire the information, resources, etc. to take care of the world around them?

• V. Modi – empower civil society – Freedom of Information Act

Achim Steiner – Rio+20 – Refocusing the economy and catalyzing global governance and institutional reform

• Multilateralism possibly as conference goal – shared vision, collective action

• Fundamental change in economic models

• Transform energy matrix in society

o Ban the word ‘trade-off’ – it imposes injustice on a minority, rather, take ownership and say ‘choice,’ in terms of institutional and large-scale decision-making

Panel 2: Rio+20 – The world at a tipping point

• Lester Brown – deforestation of the Amazon, melting ice, ice sheets in Arctic and Himalayas… when is the tipping point?

o Can U.S. energy needs be satisfied with wind from Iowa, Taxas, North & South Dakota?

o Molten salt technology

o Geothermal – in Japan this can be an alternative to nuclear power

• Ruth de Fries – decline in deforestation in Brazil (a good thing!)

• Tariq Banuri – need social justice for peace

Path to development:

• Industry

• Energy

• Trade

• Infrastructure

o Energy – fundamental part of green economy

o We have around 400 ‘energy slaves’ in the U.S. (global average 80-90)

o Sustainability → ← Development

• (q&a) Earth Institute – accepts money that goes through legal council; institutional process

• conflicts of meaning and substance in terms of language, semantics (?)

• ++most quality of life factors go up with increase of GNP (especially for low incomes); once in higher incomes, increase creates marginal gains

• Tahrir Square – skyping, as those on the, to interact with the brave people there, build the bridges with civil society organizations

• Global help where local help is not available is important

• Don’t “deemphasize ‘more more more’ at the top, but emphasize ‘more’ at the bottom.” – Jeffrey Sachs

• Things simple in one context are complex in a larger one

• Lifestyles matter because because of the spillovers (i.e. Americans to environment and therefore the world); we cannot focus on what is the appropriate lifestyle personally, but what negatively/positively affects society on a larger scale, in terms of sustainability

• Wind turbines slow wind – Lester Brown

• Local cooperation will have to play a key role – Jeffrey Sachs (no ‘free-riders’)

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6.8