UN Chief Underlines Role of Peacekeeping in Ensuring Just Use of Natural Resources

In a message commemorating the International Dar for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, the UN Secretary General, Ben Ki-moon, said that the United Nations has an important role to play in protecting the environment. Ban noted that United Nations peace keeps are in a unique position to influence how the environment is protected and natural resources are managed. Since the day was first recognized ten years ago, the United Nations has made a great deal of progress in understanding the relationship between war, environment, and the role that natural resources play in fueling and financing instability and violence.

Although environmental factors are rarely, if ever, the sole cause of violence, the exploitation of natural resources and related environmental stresses can be implicated in all phases of the conflict cycle, from contributing to the outbreak and perpetuation of violence to undermining prospects for peace. Since the 1990s at least eighteen violent conflicts have been fuelled by the exploitation of natal resources. Recent research suggests that over the last sixty years at least forty per cent of all interstate conflicts have a link to natural resources. Civil wars such as those in Liberia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo have centered on “high-value” resources like timber, diamonds, gold, minerals and oil. Other conflicts, including those in Darfur and the Middle East, have involved control of scarce resources such as fertile land and water. As the global population continues to rise, and the demand for resources continues to grow, there is significant potential for conflicts over natural resources to intensify. While the relationship between the environment and conflicts multidimensional and complex, three principle pathways can be drawn

1.  Natural resources and the environment contribute to the outbreak of conflic
2. Natural resources and the environment help to finance and sustain conflict 
3. Natural resources and the environment can undermine peace and security  

In his commemorative statement Ban said that “As we mark this International Day, let us recognize the wide-ranging and long-term consequences of damaging the environment – both in peace and times of war. And let us reaffirm our commitment to the sustainable management of natural resources as a critical element of durable peace and security.” Mr. Ban’s commits are an important step in integrating environmental questions into peacekeeping strategies. 

 -Madeline Lee  

SOURCE: UN News

The Gumption of Youths to Shape Our Future

In light of the many challenges the world is currently faced with, rising unemployment rates to severe climate changes, people are apprehensive about what lies ahead.  Despite the global unease, the young people are taking charge.

Don’t underestimate the power of the young people in the world.  This segment of society plays a vital role in building a better future that ensures “peace, prosperity, freedom, and justice for all”.  They are accomplishing more to shape this world for the better than we actually give them credit for.  Their efforts in fighting poverty and hunger, protecting the environment, acts of HIV/AIDS prevention, and taking a stand against discrimination (gender, race, or sexual orientation) should not go unnoticed.  With the limited resources they have and their gumption to stand up for what they believe in, there is no stopping them from changing this world for the better.

Also, communication today has transformed with advancements in technology and social media allowing them to globally connect and widen their perspective on the world around them.  The more they interact with the world, the more they learn, the more likely they will want to get involved.  They are our future; let their voice be heard, loud and proud.    

“They are, in short, demanding the dignity and opportunities that are their right.”

-Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General

-Georisa Chang

SOURCE: UN News

Happy Earth Day, Everyone!

It's time to make "Green" your favorite color as Earth Day 2011 is here! Every year, April 22 is celebrated as "Earth Day" by the concerned citizens to appreciate the planet we live in and to draw attention to various "Earthly" issues focusing on its natural environment. There are some easy ways to get involved, help the environment and thank nature for everything she has done for us. You can do it too by following these eco-friendly tips:

Blogging:
Create a blog dedicated to the environmental cause that you are interested in. You can raise awareness and educate others about the cause. If you already have a blog, you are halfway there. Just start writing about Mother Nature and be an environmental activist.

Networking:
Networking has become one of the most important parts in our lives these days. If you are a social person or a fan of any environmental organization, you can share their information through social networks like Facebook and/or Twitter.

Volunteering:
There are a lot of organizations that are working on various environmental causes. Start volunteering for them because they need concerned people like you. You can also join local organizations and make a difference in your community.

Lending Your Name:
Sign eco-related petitions that interest you such as animal rights, fair-trade, health and corporate responsibilities. Do not think that your name does not matter because it does. Your signature along with thousands of other signatures can really make an impact on a situation.

Starting Your Own Group
Create a local group to support the cause that interests you and meet regularly to exchange ideas and increase the number of members. You can also do creative things within your community such to raise awareness, help the environment and advertise your group.

Changing Your Own Lifestyle:
This is the most important thing you can do for environment. Change yourself. Change your habits that have a negative impact on environment. Recycling is a good example in this regard. If you change, other people will follow your footsteps too.

-Nisha Noor

SOURCE: FOUR GREEN STEPS

Indigenous Tribe In Bolivia Wins UN Prize

An indigenous tribe in Bolivia has been awarded the United Nation's Equator Prize for sustained ecological development. The prize is awarded biennially to recognise outstanding community efforts across the tropics to reduce poverty through the conservation.

"The prize is called The Equatorial Prize and it's been instituted by the United Nations, various countries and civil organisations. Its purpose is to recognise the examples of success in the Equatorial region that protect the environment and at the same time reduce poverty," said Yoriko Yasukawa, the UN's coordinator in Bolivia. Nominations for the Equator Prize are accepted from three regions of eligibility within the equatorial belt (23.5 degrees north and south of the equator): Asia and the Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Tsimae Mosetene community was honoured for their work through their regional assembly that works to protect the rights of indigenous people and the environment they live in. The prize money of five thousand dollars was handed to a community representative at a ceremony on Friday (April 1).

The Bolivians received an opportunity to have their story promoted internationally through the prestige of such a win. "We feel very proud to have received the Equator Prize. We are going to continue working to improve and preserve nature in the future because it is what they have always taught us," said community leader Clemente Caiman. It can be noted that, the project has also worked to help produce traditional goods to sell tourists and to include women in territorial administration.

-Nisha Noor

SOURCE: NTN24NEWS

New EU-UNEP Strategic Cooperation Agreement

A new agreement was signed yesterday between the European Union and the United Nations Environmental Program. This document means a step further into an already existing partnership that over the past three years has allowed the implementation of more than 50 different projects wolrd-wide, with a value of 50 million euros (69 million US$).

This agreement establishes bases and guidelines for funding and cooperation between the two organizations up to 2013, and identifies areas for joint activities and strengthens links shared by both parts. It also reflects the similarities between EU's strategies on smart sustainable development and UNEP's work in that same way. The new Strategic Cooperation Agreement will improve the coordination, and thus the effectiveness of the actions taken by the signatories.

The precise projects in which the new funds will be invested are still to be discussed, but they will range from biodiversity to chemical pollution. Cooperation between UNEP and EU is not new at all: EU has funded several Multi-lateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) sponsored by the UNEP in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, and a multi-million dollar project to assist the restoration of Mau forest in Kenya.

- David Nebreda

SOURCE: EUROPA Press Releases

Waste Not Want Not: Study Discovers New Potential For Household Sewage

A recent scientific study discovers that household waste has far more potential than previously thought as an alternative energy source. In the new study, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle University, and Northumbrian Water Limited, Elizabeth S. Heidrich and her colleagues froze dried wastewater to conserve energy-rich compounds, and found that the wastewater they collected from a water treatment plant in Northeast England contained almost 20% more energy than previously calculated.

Heidrich noted that, the sewage plants in USA use about 1.5% of the nation's electrical energy to treat 12.5 trillion gallons of wastewater per year. Instead of dumping this water, they suggested that in the future the plants could convert the organic molecules found in the processed wastewater into methane, hydrogen and othe fuels. They estimated that 1 gallon of wastewater contains enough energy to power a 100-watt light bulb for 5 minutes. The scientific study proposes a new method to ensure environmental sustainability by transforming the process of energy drain to the building of an alternative energy source.

-Nisha Noor

SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY

The Impact Of Sun On Global Warming

People who believe that global warming is mostly occuring because of human activity, it is possible that they are not completely right. The sun may have some influence on the emergence of this global environmental issue. New research presented at a recent conference of the American Geophysical Union suggested that, improvements in the instruments that are used to measure the solar impact on environment can now be used to determine how the sun itself is influencing the global warming incident. Researchers are hopeful that by measuring the sun's actual role, we can determine the role that human activity is playing. If the sun is brightening, human activity can be considered as partially guilty. This research in turn will help us to decide how much human activity will need to be controlled in order to reduce the hazardous impact of global warming.

-Nisha Noor

SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

The UN For a New Environmental Organization?

In order for an environmental issue to be solved or to have a final decision, it has to go through many steps, say many organizations, especially if it is an international issue.

the EU came up with a new idea that is the UN Environmental Organization (UNEO), which would mean that the UN Environment Programme (Unep) would be established as a fully independent organization , with its own budget and autonomy.

However, it has been argued that the different UN bodies do not cooperate with each other which makes finding a decision more complicated and prolonged process.

- Loubna SADIKI

Source: BBC News