an Argentinean physicist, who was part of the research team that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore, spoke to 60 people from 41 countries gathered for a pre-Servas General Assembly event in Buenos Aires.
Gary Sealey, President of Servas International, introduced Professor Canziani to the gathering. Servas is now 60-years old. It was the first and pioneering peace organization to work through promoting contacts, understanding and exchanges between peoples in all countries in the world. Servas now has national groups in 100 countries and around 15,000 members worldwide. Servas has included a concern for the environment as one of its platforms.
Professor Canziani wished to share his concerns over environmental degradation, erosion of the ozone layer, decreases in bio-diversity, deforestation, desertification and the crisis in water that are occurring at a global level. In out current situation one plus one never equals two. Of all the sources of global warming three stand out from the perspective of Argentina: §deforestation; §improper land use; and §energy production. These three can easily be reversed, but require a concerted effort at both the individual, community and state levels.
The current crisis is of such a magnitude that the state should be subsidizing people not to cut down forests. It is important to recognize that reforestation must include programmes of replanting of indigenous trees. For example, in Argentina the Australian eucalyptus has been planted, but is destructive of the environment, both in its consumption of water and the way eucalyptus produces greenhouse gases and reflects the sun. Our earth is a living organism so the way we farm, the ways in which we generate electricity have consequences. In Argentina the grasslands also capture CO2. In fact the production of Argentinean beef is sounder and more environmentally friendly then practices in Europe and North Americanin which ntensive, battery type farming of cattle takes place.
When a whole ecosystem is destroyed, as has been happening to tropical rainforests, it has consequences that go beyond the local area. Argentinean rainfalls come from the Brazilian rainforests. Their destruction will alter the rainfalls available for Argentina. In Brazil the loss of the forest canopy has resulted in rising temperatures, increased drought, flooding and other consequences of an un-stabilized ecosystem. The loss of biodiversity also results in the loss of knowledge.
Professor Canziani noted how the Incas grew a variety of cottons that naturally had different colours, from brown, red, ochre and black, but the colonizers preferred white cotton and the others vanished. Such losses are normally irreversible (and have been occurring worldwide), but from seeds buried with ancient mummies in the Peruvian desert scientists are no resurrecting the lost species of cotton.
In the end a natural resource is destroyed with no real gain, as in Africa levels of poverty, disease and violence have continued and offset the supposed gains called “development”. The quality of life and standard of living in most of Africa as recorded by the UNDP is lower today than in 1970s. From Professor Canziani’s view point people need to begin to change the way they live. Greater reliance on solar power, even generating electricity from solar and wind power that is sold into the national grids will help. This is already happening in parts of Europe. People need to be aware of the links between society, the economy and the environment. These are the three legs of the stool of life that must be supported equally or it collapses.
Action is possible. It begins with the extended family. Then heightened awareness, followed by education and community involvement. At the society level taxes and subsidies can be used to support positive action and decrease bad practices. Research is required to evaluate real costs (for example the impact on society and the environment if a railway system is closed) and to promote new solutions (not just solar power for a household, but solar power that adds to national grids). The threat by the European Union not to purchase products from Brazil unless deforestation ceased has finally had an impact on Brazil. We must constantly seek the truth about what is happening.
Servas is a network, and the changes required to reverse global warming will occur through the concerted efforts of a multitude of networks across the globe.
By Sheldon G. Weeks 04-09-09 <weekssg@rocketmail.com>
