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It was in the 1960's
that many people in the world began to face many critical ethical
and environmental issues. There were destroyed forests by acid
rain, poisoned rivers by industrial wastes, pollution, famines
in farms and scientists began to understand how things were
globally connected.
It was in 1972 at
the UN Conference the Human Environment in Stockholm when people
come together to address these warnings. 20 years later there
was the UN Earth Summit in Rio. The Royal Society of London
and the US National Academy of Sciences issued a joint declaration
that the future of our planet is in the balance. Scientific
warnings have continued to grow. New international challenges
are now terrorism, military responses and mounting world tensions.
This historical path is to show how this world summit has developed
since the 1960's.
Albert Einstein said
that problems cannot be solved out of the same level of awareness.
He says 'a human being is a part of the whole that we call the
universe apart limited in time and space. He experiences himself,
his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest
- a kind of optical illusion of his consciousness. This illusion
is a prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and
to affection for only the few people nearest us. Our task must
be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle
of compassion to embrace all living beings and all of nature.'
In 1962 Rachael Carson
published 'The Silent Spring - The Threat of Toxic Chemicals'.
In 1967, the Torrey
Canyon oil tanker spilt 117 thousand tons of oil on the North
Sea. In 1968, Paul Ehlich published the book, 'The Population
Bomb'.
In 1970, the first
Earth Day was held in the United States. And this resulted in
the Endangered Species Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
In 1971, 2200 scientists
gathered in Menton, France to present a message to the United
Nations stressing the need for environmental action.
In 1972, economist
Barbara Ward and microbiologist Renee Dubos published 'Only
One Earth'.
In 1972, there was
the UN Conference on the Human Environment with recommendations
for environmental programs. Also in 1972 the Club of Rome published
'The Limits to Growth' which predicted that earth limits will
be reached in one hundred years of current rates of population.
In 1972 researchers
reported that the acid rain falling onto Sweden was caused by
pollution originating in other countries.
In 1973 in the Himalayas
female villagers began the Chipco movement to protect trees
from clearing by commercial logging.
In 1973, Opec reduced
exports to Europe and initiated n oil embargo. This sparked
a second energy crisis.
In 1974 Chemists
Sherwood Roland and Mario Moleena found that The Centre for
Change's destroyed the ozone layer. In 1976 the UN Conference
on human settlements in Vancouver recommended the need for shelter
and basic human rights for people.
In 1977 indigenous
protestor in the Philippines forced the World Bank to withdraw
financial banking for construction of four large dams on the
Cico River.
In 1979 there was
the 3 mile nuclear power plant disaster and meltdown.
In 1981 the AIDS
virus was detected in clinical studies. In the past 20 years
since then, the virus has killed millions of people.
In 1982 Mexico and
other Eastern UN countries came close to defaulting on International
Loans sparking a debt crisis. Lenders extend additional loans
to these countries to prevent default setting the stage for
future debt disasters.
In 1982, the UN Environment
Program organised a special Stockholm Ten Conference in Nairobi.
The serious concern about the state of the environment, the
need for a global agenda for change.
In 1982, the Law
of the Sea, a comprehensive framework for ocean conservation.
In 1983, US Environmental
Protection Agency defined the Greenhouse Gas, global warming.
In 1984, union carbide
pesticide plant Bhopal India, 10,000 people killed and many
more injured through leaks of Methyl Isocyanate gas.
In 1985 the hole
in the Earths ozone layer - British / Antarctic survey.
In 1986, Soviet Union
Chernobyl disaster.
In 1987 - Our Common
Future, the Brundtland report looking at the environment, global
inequity, poverty and sustainable development.
In 1987, the Montreal
Protocol of substances that deplete the ozone layer.
In 1988 biologist
E.O Wilson publishes 'Bio-Diversity' and documents the extinction
of biodiversity of the planet.
In 1988, Brazillian
Labour and Environmentalist and leader, Chico Mendes is murdered
by rural cattle ranchers. Mendes had advocated using Brazils
forests sustainably. The killing brought to international attention
the destruction of the tropical rainforests of the world.
In 1989 the Exon
Valdez oil tanker disaster in Alaska dumping 76,000 tons of
crude oil.
In 1989 the Basal
Convention controlling movement of hazardous wastes across international
water.
In 1991 - the Iraqi
army destroying tankers and oil terminals leaking 125 million
tons of oil. The worst oil spill in history.
In 1992, the Rio
Summit - 117 Heads of State. Agenda 121 is produced a blueprint
for action.
In 1994 - the World
Conservation Union publishes a revised red list of endangered
and threatened species. Currently 11,000 threatened or extinct
species.
1994, the Conference
on Population and development in Cairo, Egypt. Also talking
on importance of women's education and reproductive health care.
In 1995 180 country
representatives form a conference in Beijing with an agenda
to improve lives of women and girls.
In 1995 writer and
activist Ken Saro Wiwo hanged in Nigeria for leading the Ogoni
people protests against environmental destruction of their lands
(by Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and other International oil companies).
In 1995 also the
intergovernmental panel on climate change who conclude that
the balance of evidence suggests that there is discernible influence
on climate.
In 1996, Theo Colbarn
and others published 'Our Stolen Future' the reproductive threats
to humans and animals due to the release of millions of synthetic
chemicals into the environment, particularly disrupting natural
hormones.
In 1997, forest fires
burn more than 5miliion hectares of forests around the world.
This is more forests burning in ever recorded human history
in one year.
In 1988, ozone hole
in Antarctica grows to 25 million square kilometres.
In 1999, massive
protests in Seattle helped to disrupt international trade negotiations
spotlighting environmental and social shortcomings of the World
Trade Organisation.
In 2000, the treaty
on persistent organic pollutants. The phase out of persistently
high toxic pesticides.
In 2000, massive
protests in Melbourne actually shutdown the World Trade Organisation
meeting for the first day.
In 200l the UN Biosafety
protocol implements a more precautionary approach to trading
genetically altered crops and organisms.
In 2001, the 3 billion
dollar Genome project. Reports that the human gene count is
only about 30,000 about the same as that of a weed or a mouse.
Not hundreds of thousands as expected. Questions of wisdom of
current efforts of genetic manipulation including inserting
genes.
In 2001, the US President
George Bush announces he will not ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
In 2001, big evidence
for global warming. Anticipating temperatures will increase
1.4-5.8 degrees by 2100.
In 2002, we are looking
towards the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South
Africa from August 26th to September 6th 2002.
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