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ENVIRONMENT
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The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) judged multinational corporations for human rights violation in Colombia
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The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) judged multinational corporations for human rights violation in Colombia
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Killing the Planet by Default
Latin America and the Caribbean face an environmental crisis due to pollution and increasing loss of natural resources. This trend must be reverted by building processes towards sustainability.
05/20/09
By: Cristian Frers/ Editor of Environment Seinforma Canada
Carmen de Areco, Argentina.- Once, a wise man sentenced: “Nobody makes a bigger mistake than who does not do anything just because they can do little.” It is easy to allow news regarding important ecological problems to oppress and paralyze us. The quality of life of the population is worse everyday. Many are the causes that provoke this situation but, in great degree are result of the deterioration is found in the environment.
It is known that it is easy and frequently useless to fall in the countless enumeration of problems and environmental catastrophes that support our Planet. To describe calamities is not pleasant, not for who counts them and not for who hears them but, it is only information and the creation of awareness can correct mistaken situations and mitigate its consequences.
The importance of the elements of the environment in the evolution and sustainability of life in the planet was recognized time before full awareness was taken of the possible negative effects of that its degradation could bring to humanity. Since the mid XX century, the environmental issue took international dimensions starting from the knowledge and communication of the problems that are associated to the degradation of the environment.
The human being is constantly interrelated to its environment. When this produces some damage it is when the environmental problems are mentioned. These can come directly from nature, when men settles in places in which natural processes are hindered; or even when its origin are by human causes, meaning, that men intervenes in natural cycles generating a damage that, finally, turns against itself. The consumption patterns from all communities, both rich and poor, are associated to the set of critical threats such as the deterioration of human health.
There are many environmental problems that are sickening our planet. These, at the same time, hold tight relation to other economic and social problems. The environmental and social impacts that give origin to the problems arise from many factors, such as: unsustainable levels of resource consumption, insufficient technology, inappropriate administrative practices, asymmetric economic development policies, laws and regulations that ignore the true exposure of human beings and the countless non participative political processes.
If we do not take into account these natural, social and cultural values, it is very probable that this presuppose a cost that is usually very grave for the community, such as:
1. Loss of resources: when the resources are polluted they can no longer be used. A lake or river that has been highly polluted can no longer provide water for irrigation or can be used for human consumption.
2. Cost for suppressing and controlling pollution: we have to simply think in how much must be spent to recover a polluted environment, such as a river or a lake.
3. Health costs: this is the aspect that makes the population react quicker. These are the costs that mean medical expenses and expenses for the amount of working hours that have been lost.
Until now, solutions have come hand to hand with the technological changes, the sanctioning of more severe regulations, the establishment of fees and taxes for those that pollute or of subsidies to those that elaborate green or environmental friendly products. All these measures have had a relative success; the fact is that the planet’s environmental situation is worse every time, reaching dangerously irreversible levels.
Global environmental problems are those that, due to its planetary dimension, affect that world or global form of the Earth’s environment. Latin America and the Caribbean face an important environmental crisis due to pollution and increasing loss of natural resources. This trend must be reverted by building processes towards sustainability. To doing this, it is necessary to have collaboration of all citizens.
We take for example the climatic change, it could be said that it consists in the accumulation of green house gases such as carbonic anhydric, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) that withhold solar heat. They are probably causing a gradual increase in the average temperature of the planet. Among the possible consequences are the increase of the sea level, which would threat the areas of the littorals; desertification; bad crops, extreme climatic conditions; alterations in the phenomena of seasons such as monsoons, and, unpredictable rain regimes with extreme flooding.
In Argentina, even though the National Constitution, among others, guarantees a healthy environment for all its inhabitants, the environmental problems are abundant and should concern us; but it appears that we accept it: complaints are sporadic.
Let’s quote some, just for examples. In the area of Gran Buenos Aires, the problem of the destination of common house garbage has become public matter and is mentioned once in a while: the sanitary fillings to which the companies have committed to, and into which the garbage should be dug in, creating green spaces above them, are being overflowed and, neighbors must live in middle of the odor, rats and filth.
The Reconquista River is a world example of pollution, a true sky open sewer; there are hundred of industrial companies that throw their residues to its waters with no type of treatment whatsoever, in front of the eye and patience of communitarian authorities of several jurisdictions that the river crosses. The case of Riachuelo is paradigmatic and the amount of heavy metals that its mud contain represent a difficult problem to resolve, even if there were the political will and the economic means to do it.
From time to time, the neighbors of South Dock complaint about the odors and vapors that are for sure toxic that flow from a number of industrial companies that are located in the neighborhood. In front of the coastline of Magdalena, a petro tanker had an accident; tons of oil have displaced towards the coast and produced a disaster that until now has not been resolved; the company that owned the tanker that had the accident refuses to indemnify the people and, anyway, the damage that has been created is not repaired with money.
With the multiple accumulation of failure in the solving of environmental problems it has been very clear that its enormous complexity obliges diverse sectors to be involved in collaborating narrowly. Governmental and academic groups are located within a particular responsibility place in this sense.
My opinion is that the main solution for environmental problems is environmental education at all levels and sectors for society, productive or not. This is a main tool in order to achieve a change in attitude and behavior within society, not only in producers but, also within consumers around the world.
In nature, things just are. They are not crisscrossed by criteria or judgmental values or moral, elements socially constructed as submissive tools and domination of the supra-space towards its peers. This is easily demonstrated, for following the evolution theory and accepting that the earth has approximately 4.500 million years, nature has constructed its own cycles without the presence of human s that appear in the last two million of years.
*Cristian Frers is an Argentinean journalist and a technician in environment solutions. He’s worked at the local media producing environmental content for radio stations, magazines, and newspapers.
Bibliography:
La importancia de los problemas ambientales - Cristian Frers - <http://argentinauniversal.info/mar07/diego/ecologia/ecologia.htm>
Los problemas ambientales - Cristian Frers - www.barrameda.com.ar <http://www.barrameda.com.ar/>
La problemática del entorno - Cristian Frers - <http://www.diarioc.com.ar/cartasaldirector/La_problematica_del_entorno/99747>
El tema de los problemas ambientales - Cristian Frers - <http://www.cronicayanalisis.com.ar/089.asp>
Problemas ambientales - Tomas
By: Cristian Frers/ Editor of Environment Seinforma Canada
Carmen de Areco, Argentina.- Once, a wise man sentenced: “Nobody makes a bigger mistake than who does not do anything just because they can do little.” It is easy to allow news regarding important ecological problems to oppress and paralyze us. The quality of life of the population is worse everyday. Many are the causes that provoke this situation but, in great degree are result of the deterioration is found in the environment.
It is known that it is easy and frequently useless to fall in the countless enumeration of problems and environmental catastrophes that support our Planet. To describe calamities is not pleasant, not for who counts them and not for who hears them but, it is only information and the creation of awareness can correct mistaken situations and mitigate its consequences.
The importance of the elements of the environment in the evolution and sustainability of life in the planet was recognized time before full awareness was taken of the possible negative effects of that its degradation could bring to humanity. Since the mid XX century, the environmental issue took international dimensions starting from the knowledge and communication of the problems that are associated to the degradation of the environment.
The human being is constantly interrelated to its environment. When this produces some damage it is when the environmental problems are mentioned. These can come directly from nature, when men settles in places in which natural processes are hindered; or even when its origin are by human causes, meaning, that men intervenes in natural cycles generating a damage that, finally, turns against itself. The consumption patterns from all communities, both rich and poor, are associated to the set of critical threats such as the deterioration of human health.
There are many environmental problems that are sickening our planet. These, at the same time, hold tight relation to other economic and social problems. The environmental and social impacts that give origin to the problems arise from many factors, such as: unsustainable levels of resource consumption, insufficient technology, inappropriate administrative practices, asymmetric economic development policies, laws and regulations that ignore the true exposure of human beings and the countless non participative political processes.
If we do not take into account these natural, social and cultural values, it is very probable that this presuppose a cost that is usually very grave for the community, such as:
1. Loss of resources: when the resources are polluted they can no longer be used. A lake or river that has been highly polluted can no longer provide water for irrigation or can be used for human consumption.
2. Cost for suppressing and controlling pollution: we have to simply think in how much must be spent to recover a polluted environment, such as a river or a lake.
3. Health costs: this is the aspect that makes the population react quicker. These are the costs that mean medical expenses and expenses for the amount of working hours that have been lost.
Until now, solutions have come hand to hand with the technological changes, the sanctioning of more severe regulations, the establishment of fees and taxes for those that pollute or of subsidies to those that elaborate green or environmental friendly products. All these measures have had a relative success; the fact is that the planet’s environmental situation is worse every time, reaching dangerously irreversible levels.
Global environmental problems are those that, due to its planetary dimension, affect that world or global form of the Earth’s environment. Latin America and the Caribbean face an important environmental crisis due to pollution and increasing loss of natural resources. This trend must be reverted by building processes towards sustainability. To doing this, it is necessary to have collaboration of all citizens.
We take for example the climatic change, it could be said that it consists in the accumulation of green house gases such as carbonic anhydric, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) that withhold solar heat. They are probably causing a gradual increase in the average temperature of the planet. Among the possible consequences are the increase of the sea level, which would threat the areas of the littorals; desertification; bad crops, extreme climatic conditions; alterations in the phenomena of seasons such as monsoons, and, unpredictable rain regimes with extreme flooding.
In Argentina, even though the National Constitution, among others, guarantees a healthy environment for all its inhabitants, the environmental problems are abundant and should concern us; but it appears that we accept it: complaints are sporadic.
Let’s quote some, just for examples. In the area of Gran Buenos Aires, the problem of the destination of common house garbage has become public matter and is mentioned once in a while: the sanitary fillings to which the companies have committed to, and into which the garbage should be dug in, creating green spaces above them, are being overflowed and, neighbors must live in middle of the odor, rats and filth.
The Reconquista River is a world example of pollution, a true sky open sewer; there are hundred of industrial companies that throw their residues to its waters with no type of treatment whatsoever, in front of the eye and patience of communitarian authorities of several jurisdictions that the river crosses. The case of Riachuelo is paradigmatic and the amount of heavy metals that its mud contain represent a difficult problem to resolve, even if there were the political will and the economic means to do it.
From time to time, the neighbors of South Dock complaint about the odors and vapors that are for sure toxic that flow from a number of industrial companies that are located in the neighborhood. In front of the coastline of Magdalena, a petro tanker had an accident; tons of oil have displaced towards the coast and produced a disaster that until now has not been resolved; the company that owned the tanker that had the accident refuses to indemnify the people and, anyway, the damage that has been created is not repaired with money.
With the multiple accumulation of failure in the solving of environmental problems it has been very clear that its enormous complexity obliges diverse sectors to be involved in collaborating narrowly. Governmental and academic groups are located within a particular responsibility place in this sense.
My opinion is that the main solution for environmental problems is environmental education at all levels and sectors for society, productive or not. This is a main tool in order to achieve a change in attitude and behavior within society, not only in producers but, also within consumers around the world.
In nature, things just are. They are not crisscrossed by criteria or judgmental values or moral, elements socially constructed as submissive tools and domination of the supra-space towards its peers. This is easily demonstrated, for following the evolution theory and accepting that the earth has approximately 4.500 million years, nature has constructed its own cycles without the presence of human s that appear in the last two million of years.
*Cristian Frers is an Argentinean journalist and a technician in environment solutions. He’s worked at the local media producing environmental content for radio stations, magazines, and newspapers.
Bibliography:
La importancia de los problemas ambientales - Cristian Frers - <http://argentinauniversal.info/mar07/diego/ecologia/ecologia.htm>
Los problemas ambientales - Cristian Frers - www.barrameda.com.ar <http://www.barrameda.com.ar/>
La problemática del entorno - Cristian Frers - <http://www.diarioc.com.ar/cartasaldirector/La_problematica_del_entorno/99747>
El tema de los problemas ambientales - Cristian Frers - <http://www.cronicayanalisis.com.ar/089.asp>
Problemas ambientales - Tomas
***
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Legalizing Terror:
The Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement
Watch the discussion of what's involved in the agreement, its impact on the people of Colombia and organizing against it.
Disponible sólo en ingles
The Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement
Watch the discussion of what's involved in the agreement, its impact on the people of Colombia and organizing against it.
Disponible sólo en ingles
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The Reconquista River, In Argentina, is a world example of pollution; it is a true open heaven sewer where hundreds of industries keep dumping chemicals to its waters with no type of treatment whatsoever, but the authorities do nothing. (Photo Webshots.com/ Seinforma)
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