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Moderating team, Overview Week 1
This comment provides a brief overview of the week’s debate in relation to the four questions posed by Jeffrey McNeely in his statement.
Full overview |
| 64 |
Juan Diego López Giraldo, VITA XXI, SL, España
Juan Diego López shares his thoughts on several of the daily problems facing the humanity. He asks if we will be able to achieve the necessary changes for a sustainable future.
Full comment |
| 63 |
Antonio M. Claparols, Ecological Society of the Philippines
In his second comment, Antionio Claparols highlights the ecological disaster of the recent oil spill in Guimaras as an example of how no amount of money, economics or environmental laws will protect our valuable ecosystems.
Full comment |
| 62 |
Jeff McNeely, Chief Scientist IUCN, Switzerland
Jeffrey McNeely replies to Narpat Jodha, Stephen Jameson, Steven Salmony, Bhubaneswor Dhakal and others
Full comment |
| 61 |
Daan Vreugdenhill, WICE, USA
Daan feels that biodiversity loss from land use change is the biggest challenge. He states that Biodiversity conservation on land and near-land waters will primarily depend on successful conservation in protected areas.
Full comment |
| 60 |
Steven Salmony, AWAREness Campaign on the Human Population
Though many meetings are held in the United Nations, Steven feels that the three main challenges facing humanity go unchecked. These challenges are over-consumption, over-expansion of the world’s economy and a booming population.
Full comment |
| 59 |
Novlette Douglas
Novlette believes that education is the key to changing the patterns that caused environmental degradation. This education must be endorsed by political leaders and those with political influence over societies.
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| 58 |
Kallirroi Nicolis
Kallirroi states that globalization and sustainability can not exist without each other but that the real challenge is to incorporate sustainability into a rapidly changing technological world.
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| 57 |
Tommy Garnett
Tommy feels that grassroots action is critical to attain any measure of sustainability in Africa. However, given the problems of illiteracy and poverty which most Africans face, he feels that education and communication programmes are essential in mobilizing the public to work towards any sustainability projects.
Full comment |
| 56 |
Md. Faisal Islam, Padma, Bangladesh
Faisal Islam says that sustainability can be achieved through the optimal use of natural resources, changes in human behaviour and cooperation between business and environmental management.
Full comment |
| 55 |
Dimitris Tselios, Greece
Dimitris Tselios proposes the phrase Sustainable Life, which includes all life forms, rather than sustainable development.
Full comment |
| 54 |
Urbelinda Ferrufino, ASEO, Bolivia
Urbelinda feels that the biggest challenge to sustainability is indifference and lack of information. She feels that ancestral technologies will play a large role in the future of sustainaiblity, particularly in regard to food consumption and production. She also comments that the role of scientists must be "to anticipate the facts and to offer alternative solutions”.
Full comment |
| 53 |
Richard Cellarius, USA
Richard Cellarius notes that the variety of comments during the first week suggests that the path to environmental sustainability will require many different approaches, which will need to interact carefully in a coordinated way, not as separate endeavours.
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| 52 |
Annie Leschen, Australia
Annie Leschen doesn’t think that looking to conservation biology and environmental science for breakthroughs is the answer. We just need to act on what we already know and change our behaviour. Addressing problems in forceful ways that do not shy away from setting limits and demanding change should not be avoided. She includes some practical ideas for action.
Full comment |
| 51 |
Urbelinda Ferrufino, ASEO, Bolivia
Urbelinda Ferrufino comments on the importance of the role of education and communication. She further comments that in today’s world everything and nothing is sustainable. Sustainability has become a ‘catch phrase’ but it will never be achievable if we lose sight of the fact that sustainability is everybody’s responsibility; the aim of communication and education should be to ensure that the global population are using and protecting the world’s natural resources and that governments – at all levels are endorsing this.
Full comment |
| 50 |
Elizabeth Reichel, CEESP, IUCN
Elizabeth Reichel draws attention to some of the weaknesses of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and urges the creation of an ‘intercultural science and technology endeavour’ involving research alliances between a range of experts, including indigenous peoples, who have scientific and technological expertise and are invaluable in the governance of landscapes and in advancing sustainability.
Full comment |
| 49 |
Josefina Espaillat, Ciudadana de República Dominicana, y "Individuo Afiliado” de la Carta de la Tierra Internacional.
Josefina Espaillat quotes Ernesto Sabato and invites participants to read “The Resistance". He reflects on ethics, responsibility, and commitment as key elements for a better world.
Full comment |
| 48 |
Ali Raza Rizvi, CARE International, Sri Lanka
Ali Raza Rizvi warns us against being overly romantic in talking about the future of sustainability. Awareness alone is meaningless if not followed by real actions and outcomes. Ali urges 'practical' strategies to infuse environment into the mainstream development sector. The future of sustainability and even survival will depend on partnerships with the mainstream development sector.
Full comment |
| 47 |
Dr. Muhammad Pervaz, Principal Scientific Officer - Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan
Muhammad Pervaz draws attention to profound role global peace plays in in achieving sustainability.
Full comment |
| 46 |
Ke Chung Kim, Penn State University
Ke Chung Kim Human states that sustainability can only be achieved if the grassroots of every corner of the world are mobilized to conserve their “backyard biodiversity”.
Full comment |
| 45 |
Bryan Furnass, Nature and Society Forum, Australia
Bryan Furnass points out that co-operative "altruistic" actions also part of natural human behaviour and have a survival value. He mentions the role of large corporations in co-creating a sustainable future, and invites further information on recent advances in “geosequestration” and "biosequestration" in addressing problems of greenhouse gases.
Full comment |
| 44 |
Gayle Hudgens, Advocate for Sustainability
Gayle Hudgens draws attention to the UNESCO report: “Educating for a Sustainable Future; A Transdisciplinary Vision for Concerted Action.” She emphasizes the interrelations among sustainability problems and the need to develop a new perspective rooted in the values of sustainability . making education the key to creating a sustainable future.
Full comment |
| 43 |
Lili-Ann Wolff, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
Lili-Ann Wolff argues that science alone is not enough to solve the problems facing the world. Education also has an essential role to play, and we need to engage with hearts as well as minds. The future of human life on the earth starts from a serious consideration of what is a good life and what is equality, but also what the role of humans is in the whole global ecological system.
Full comment |
| 42 |
Daniel Henry, CIDA, Canada
Wisdom is the basic ingredient toward environment sustainability and Knowledge could have a unique leverage on it. Daniel agrees, but leaving wisdom to competent colleagues he argues that revisiting basic roots of knowledge could not be avoided to pave the way for an efficient leverage to emerge.
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| 41 |
Carolina Díaz, Administradora Ambiental, Colombia
Carolina Díaz from Bogotá – Colombia shares testimony that illustrates the marginalization of the poor in cities.
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| 40 |
René Palacios, Fundación Moisés Bertoni, Paraguay
René Palacios comments on the importance of incorporating “political will" in the sustainability discussion and its relationship with attainment of funds for development.
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| 39 |
Jacqueline Cote, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
In response to the third question on involving business leaders in science and technology priorities, Jacqueline Cote identifies business opportunities associated with valuing ecosystem services and encouraging partnerships to achieve “social licenses”.
Full comment |
| 38 |
Dr. Anil Kumar, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, India
Given its increased population and poverty, Dr. Kumar gives specific sustainability action points for India. These relate to ecosystems, traditional knowledge, law abidance and scientific awareness blended with spirituality.
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| 37 |
Sanjeeva Pandey, Senior Advisor, Natural Resources Management, Winrock International India
In this second comment, Sanjeeva Pandey emphasizes the need to debate what will change human behaviour. Using economic concepts, he suggests different solutions for developed and developing countries.
Full comment |
| 36 |
Paul Vare, Regional Developments Manager, Learning South West, Australia
Paul Vare discusses the concept of education for sustainable development (ESD) to explain how sustainability itself is a learning process that should inspire interest, engagement and critique, as well as enable people to deal with hope and despair.
Full comment |
| 35 |
Jeff McNeely, Chief Scientist IUCN, Switzerland
Having posed a few questions at the beginning of this week, focussed on science and technology in support of sustainability, I am glad to see the diversity of responses that have been posted.
Full comment |
| 34 |
Dr. Mohan Singh, Centre Of Biodiversity & Conservation, India
Dr. Singh highlights the role that Educational Institutes can play in raising awareness particularly among women and children.
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| 33 |
Jean Paul Jeanrenaud, WWF International, Switzerland
Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud provides a link to a WWF initiative called 'One Planet Living', which offers practical solutions to the sustainability challenges of the 21st century, and proposes that the term One Planet Living could even be a new metaphor for the future of sustainability itself.
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| 32 |
Sohail Mahmood, Preston University, Pakistan
Sohail Mahmood agrees that the bleak state of the planet should be stated forcefully, but that we need to rekindle hope as well as find some workable solutions that we can communicate to the public in meaningful ways.
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| 31 |
David Pitt, IUCN/CEESP
David Pitt emphasizes the conclusions of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and his work on the effects of global warming in icy regions (cryosphere).
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| 30 |
Rick Murphy, Gorilla Conservation/Education, Congo
First, I believe the use of 'negative' words to get the attention of the general public is appropriate though it becomes overwhelming when you have the media exploiting environmental stories on a daily basis.
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| 29 |
Bhubaneswor Dhakal, Nepal
It has been studied and discussed much about the sustainability and widely agreed that all three pillars (economic, social and environment) of human concern should be accounted in sustainability.
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| 28 |
Steven Earl Salmony, AWAREness Campaign on the Human Population
United Nations Urged to host Special Session
Now, more than ever before, humanity needs a global organization to consider, confront and overcome looming global challenges mentioned ubiquitously by the contributors to this discussion.
Full comment |
| 27 |
Ma. del Consuelo Carranza y Simón, Universidad La Salle, México
¿Concuerda usted que estos son los mayores retos para la sostenibilidad que enfrentamos en las próximas décadas?
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| 26 |
César A. Ipenza, Asociación Peruana para la Conservación de la Naturaleza
Creo que debe involucrarse a investigadores de campo que planteen políticas adecuadas desde sus experiencias prácticas.
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| 25 |
Dr. Stephen C. Jameson, President, Coral Seas Inc. - Integrated Coastal Zone Management
Taking a look at the big picture (I am lead author of the International Coral Reef Initiative book, "State of the Reefs: Regional and Global Perspectives" (www.coralseas.com).
Our species, Homo sapiens, is a natural creature (animal) and part of the global natural ecosystem.
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| 24 |
Md. Nashir Uddin Faruq, Coordinator Shushilan
I think Sustainability more related to behavioral change. If we want to achieve sustainability then we have to change our way of life. Unless we could not able to change life pattern then it can not be achieved.
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| 23 |
Mourad AHMIM, Université Abderrahmane MIRA – Algérie
Salutations; En reaction aux differentes interventions , je tiens à preciser que parler de developpement durable , doit passer incontestablement par les SPECIFICITES SOCIALES ET REGIONALES ; car le developpement durable aux yeux d'un Europeen n'est pas cconcu de la meme maniere que vu par un autochtone du pays quu'on pourrait apeller tierce.
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| 22 |
Narpat S. Jodha, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, Nepal
Narpat Jodha asserts that the problem of unsustainability should be presented in concrete, practical contexts and offers the success story of a Himalayan community’s as an example.
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| 21 |
Kaleem Bacha, Senior Conservancy Facilitator, MACP-NWFP-IUCNP
Kaleem Bacha argues that resource degradation is often discussed but its causes are often ignored, in particular the needs of local dependent communities. To protect natural resources, local communities need to be empowered and supported by government policies.
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| 20 |
Aims Hill
Aims Hill adds to Mr Bryan’s 3 Ps challenges and 3 Es solutions with ‘politics and policies’.
Aims Hill incluye a las 3 Ps de Bryan Furnass: política y las políticas gubernamentales.
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| 19 |
Bryan Furnass, Nature and Society Forum, Australia
Bryan Furnass, a retired physician, echoes comments that spirituality can increase understanding of sustainability and that wellbeing is ultimately dependent on a healthy environment. A global awareness of this is needed, yet he fears that the “imprisoning” Western economic rationalism and galloping consumption is spreading.
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| 18 |
Dr William Jackson, Director Global Program, IUCN
Bill Jackson adds market and policy failures, particularly in the agricultural sector, to Jeff’s ‘litany of woes’. In addition to economic improvements, he highlights the involvement of interest groups in decision making as key to achieving successful long-term conservation efforts, though challenges remain.
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| 17 |
Carolina Díaz, Administradora Ambiental
Carolina Díaz agrees with Bryan Furnass, specially on education, as the fundamental base of the development of thoughts and attitudes of human beings.
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| 16 |
Marcos Sommer, Universidad de Kiel
Marcos Sommer believes that the divide between those who “have” and those who cannot meet their basic needs is becoming larger – and this is an ever-increasing sign of regressionWithin the framework of the technological and commercial globalization the state of crisis has been universalized, especially for the communities of developing countries.
Full comment |
| 15 |
Freddy Vargas, Fundación Amazonía Ewaré, Colombia
Freddy Vargas concentrates his response on some of the reflections of other participants and two questions: how can scientists create more positive messages and how can we ensure that interested parties become involved in the definition of the priorities and the application of the new advances of science and technology? Full comment
Attached document [PDF] |
| 14 |
Elizabeth Reichel, CEESP – IUCN
As an anthropologist, Elizabeth Reichel foresees the destruction of cultural diversity as the major challenge to sustainability. She argues urgent action is required to support indigenous communities in particular, as cultural and biological diversity loss is not only risky in an evolutionary sense, but is also costly in destroying life-support systems.
Full comment |
| 13 |
José Sánchez, ABTCO, Perú
Expanding on Vanessa’s comments José Sánchez comments that the pattern of consumption is not sustainable. Societies produce things (cars, for example) that are extremely powerful, costly, and large and they are being used for basic transportation needs.
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| 12 |
Dr. Gayle Hudgens, Advocate for Sustainability
In her 2nd comment, Gayle Hudgens agrees that social awareness and spirituality are significant in sustainable societies, though Nature has been replaced by material consumption in industrial societies. She suggests that education, empowerment and transformation of the economic systems will enable communities to become sustainable.
Full comment |
| 11 |
Jeff McNeely, Chief Scientist IUCN, Switzerland
Jeff McNeely reponds to Gillian Martin Mehers. He wishes that through the forum, new metaphors will emerge.
Jeff McNeely responde a Gillian martin Mehers, afirmando que espera ver a lo largo del foro, nuevas metáforas de la conservación.
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| 10 |
Antonio Claparols, Ecological Society of the Philippines, Philippines
Antonio Claporols notes that we do not want to sound like doomsday environmentalists, but that seems to be the way of the future.
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| 9 |
David Mkwambisi, University of Leeds, UK
David Mkwambisi agrees with Sanjeeva Pandey that sustainability should be considered a social paradigm.
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| 8 |
Eduardo Guerrero, Miembro de la Comisión de Manejo de Ecosistemas – UICN
Eduardo Guerrero responds to the questions for the week. He comments on the fundamental discoveries in the biology of conservation and environmental science.
Full comment |
| 7 |
Vanessa Sánchez, Fundación Global Nature, Madrid
Vanesa Sánchez agrees with the challenges stated by McNeely and proposes other challenges for the next decades.
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| 6 |
Bryan Furnass, Nature and Society Forum, Australia
Bryan Furnass examines the the challenges to sustainability from a bio-historical perspective. He identifies the human trilemma as three Ps - population, pollution and poverty; and the solution as three Es - ecology, education and ethics.
Full comment |
| 5 |
Sanjeeva Pandey, Senior Advisor, Natural Resources Management, Winrock International India
I think sustainability is more related to social awareness which in turn is not so much connected to scientific innovations or economic advancement.
Full comment |
| 4 |
Jim Barborak, Conservation International
I was surprised to see three major issues not mentioned.
Full comment |
| 3 |
Dr. Muhammad Pervaz, Principal Scientific Officer - Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan
I appreciate the author for preparing the statement which will serve the first stone in the pond.
Full comment |
| 2 |
Gayle Hudgens, author of "Collaborative Spunk: The Feisty Guide for Reviving People and Our Planet." SOS Press (2002) draws attention to the principles and values we need to co-create a sustainable future.
Full comment |
| 1 |
Gillian Martin Mehers, Conservation Learning Coordinator – IUCN
Gillian Martin Mehers responded to Jeff McNeely's question about how scientists can formulate more postive messages.
Full comment |
August 21-25
indaba.iucn.org