“In order to have success at the UN climate conference in Durban in December we need to have a clearer willingness to increase the emissions reduction pledges that are on the table.” Ambassador Solon said.

“We have seen in these two weeks not much engagement in science but a lot of engagement in business. There has been no movement on the big issue of reducing emissions but instead a proliferation of proposals on new market mechanisms.” Ambassador Solon said.

“All the reports show a problem of science and a problem of leadership. We need deep cuts and we need developed countries to take the lead That is why we propose an ad-hoc high level meeting dedicated to the issue of increasing targets.” Ambassador Solon said.

Reflecting on the two weeks of talks the Ambassador outlined concerns regarding the future of the Kyoto Protocol, with new market proposals, and hope for consideration of the rights of nature.

“The lack of ambition for Kyoto Protocol worries us very much. Countries are abandoning the international rule based system. Some developed countries are proposing effort for the second period that is even less per year than they are doing now.” Ambassador Solon said.

“We have seen proposals for markets for the oceans, so called ‘blue carbon’ we are surprised and concerned by these. The problem with the reference level for markets such as these is that it is based on assumptions that are not real. And there is the great possibility that the new market mechanisms will just create more hot air.” Ambassador Solon said.

“With parameters that are not real countries try to get a bigger share of certificates of reductions and in that way instead of developing new sources of finance we will develop new sources of deterioration of our natural systems.” Ambassador Solon said.

“Many of the proposals that we have had advanced have had interesting discussions such as the issue of the rights of nature an the integiry of ecosystems. This is key for us because we are all part of a system and until now we have not recognized the limits to our exploitation of natural resources that will affect precisely that system.” Ambassador Solon said.

Press Conference

Plurinational State of Bolivia

General Evaluation of Climate Change Negotiations

Bonn, Germany

June 6-17, 2011

Exposeperson. Emb. Pablo Solon

“The key issue at these talks is the gap between how much climate pollution we need to reduce and how much countries are committed to reducing. We call that the “gap” and it’s the difference between 4C of warming and 2C of warming. The Cancun outcome sets us on a path to 4C.” Ambassador Solon Said.

“Some countries want to talk about the ‘rules’ first, instead of this gap in commitment, but we know that rules will not reduce this gap. Fixing rules will simply prevent the gap from increasing, it won’t set about actually reducing emissions. The heart of the matter is the depth of pollution cuts.” Ambassador Solon said.

“More incredible is the suggestion by some countries that they want the market mechanisms from the Kyoto Protocol but do not want to have the legally binding targets of the Kyoto Protocol. You can’t say I’m not coming to the party but please send all the gifts to my house.” Ambassador Solon said.

Ambassador Solon made a presentation that showed the effect of temperature rise on the Chacaltaya glacier in the Andes. Chacaltaya has already receded significantly with only 0.8C of recorded warming.

“If you talk about 4C of temperature rise, which is what the Cancun outcome sets us up for, then you talk about a catastrophe for the Andes. This why it is important to us, to small island states, to Africa to close the gap so we don’t end up with 4C.” Ambassador Solon said.

Ambassador Solon provided data from workshops at the UN talks last week which highlight that in terms of gigatonnes of emissions the world must collectively emit 42-44 gigatonnes of C02e in 2020, down from a business as usual prediction of 56 C02e gigatonnes.

“We need to reduce 12-14 gigatonnes but we are currently, in the best case scenario only at 7 gigatonnes. More concerning is that developing countries are doing more than developed countries – an incredibly unfair state of affairs given that each person in developed countries emits four times as much as those in developing countries and in historical terms have emitted over 10 times as much.”  Ambassador Solon said.

Ambassador Solon highlighted Article 4.2 (a) of the UN Convention on Climate Change, which all countries had agreed to in 1992, which required developed countries to ‘peak’ their emissions by the year 2000.

“Yet that peaking has not yet begun. Globally we know we need to collectively peak before 2020 but if developed countries to do not peak first it becomes impossible to ask developing countries to reduce their emissions more severely, given the historical contribution of developed countries.” Ambassador Solon said.

To respond to the current deadlock in talks Ambassador Solon proposed a six-step path:

1.    Agreement on the size of the gap (12-14 Gigatonnes of C02e)

2.    Recognise that developed countries will need to take a larger share of the reduction.

3.    Agree on parameters for sharing the burden, based on historical responsibility and capacity of the parties.

4.    Have developed countries’ emissions peak immediately.

5.    Represent every countries’ target in terms of gigatonnes, defined as reductions from domestic emission levels and without the use of ‘offsets’.

6.    Agreement on legal actions for parties that do not fulfil their obligations under the Kyoto Protocol (for a second commitment period) and under the Convention.

In response to a question regarding the abuse of the consensus rule at the Cancun talks the Ambassador said:

“We are at this moment in a process of analysing the different options. We are currently considering the amendments proposed by Mexico and Papua New Guinea to change the rules on voting and consensus. We note that the fact they are asking for such a change suggests they were acting incorrectly at the time. If you they were following the rules in Cancun then why would they need to change them now?”

In response to a question regarding consultations with South Africa in preparation for the African hosted UN Climate Conference in December the Ambassador said:

“Most parties have come to an understanding that a new legally binding agreement is not going to happen by Durban. That is not possible, there is no time. So the option from Bolivia and G77 [a group of 131 developing countries] is a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol with targets that close the gap. Others are saying something we don’t understand – ‘let’s have a political commitment’  – to be clear without the continuation of Kyoto what does this mean? It means there will be a legal gap as well as a scientific gap in the pledges, a very bad scenario.”

In response to a question regarding the breach of legal commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, the Convention and other international treaties, including human rights treaties, the Ambassador said:

“Developed countries will not breach their Kyoto targets. The problem is that there is such a big amount of “hot air emissions” [over allocated emissions to former soviet economies who had their industrial capacity collapse since 1990] that any party not making their targets can simply buy carry-overs and say they had ‘achieved’ that goal even though it didn’t happen.”

“The legal problem for developed countries is that they have an obligation to a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol under its Article 3 (9). This is the breach to watch out for.”

“We believe the issue is much bigger than just commitments and targets, and that those considering human rights breaches are correct. For example, it is estimated that 47 million people will have to migrate because of climate change. We have been advocating for an international court of climate justice. This would monitor the impacts and the suffering not only of people but of mother earth because of climate change.  For the glaciers in the andes, desertification in Africa, disappearing small island states – they need to present demands and find justice and we are proposing it to these talks under work going forward.”

“The key issue at these talks is the gap between how much climate pollution we need to reduce and how much countries are committed to reducing. We call that the “gap” and it`s the difference between 4C of warming and 2C of warming. The Cancun outcome sets us on a path to 4C.” Ambassador Solon Said.

“Some countries want to talk about the `rules` first, instead of this gap in commitment, but we know that rules will not reduce this gap. Fixing rules will simply prevent the gap from increasing, it won`t set about actually reducing emissions. The heart of the matter is the depth of pollution cuts.” Ambassador Solon said. 

“More incredible is the suggestion by some countries that they want the market mechanisms from the Kyoto Protocol but do not want to have the legally binding targets of the Kyoto Protocol. You can`t say I`m not coming to the party but please send all the gifts to my house.” Ambassador Solon said.

Ambassador Solon made a presentation that showed the effect of temperature rise on the Chacaltaya glacier in the Andes. Chacaltaya has already receded significantly with only 0.8C of recorded warming.

“If you talk about 4C of temperature rise, which is what the Cancun outcome sets us up for, then you talk about a catastrophe for the Andes. This why it is important to us, to small island states, to Africa to close the gap so we don`t end up with 4C.” Ambassador Solon said.

Ambassador Solon provided data from workshops at the UN talks last week which highlight that in terms of gigatonnes of emissions the world must collectively emit 42-44 gigatonnes of C02e in 2020, down from a business as usual prediction of 56 C02e gigatonnes.

“We need to reduce 12-14 gigatonnes but we are currently, in the best case scenario only at 7 gigatonnes. More concerning is that developing countries are doing more than developed countries – an incredibly unfair state of affairs given that each person in developed countries emits four times as much as those in developing countries and in historical terms have emitted over 10 times as much.”  Ambassador Solon said.

Ambassador Solon highlighted Article 4.2 (a) of the UN Convention on Climate Change, which all countries had agreed to in 1992, which required developed countries to `peak` their emissions by the year 2000.

“Yet that peaking has not yet begun. Globally we know we need to collectively peak before 2020 but if developed countries to do not peak first it becomes impossible to ask developing countries to reduce their emissions more severely, given the historical contribution of developed countries.” Ambassador Solon said.

To respond to the current deadlock in talks Ambassador Solon proposed a six-step path:

• Agreement on the size of the gap (12-14 Gigatonnes of C02e)

• Recognise that developed countries will need to take a larger share of the reduction.
• Agree on parameters for sharing the burden, based on historical responsibility and capacity of the parties.
• Have developed countries` emissions peak immediately.
• Represent every countries` target in terms of gigatonnes, defined as reductions from domestic emission levels and without the use of `offsets`.
• Agreement on legal actions for parties that do not fulfil their obligations under the Kyoto Protocol (for a second commitment period) and under the Convention.

In response to a question regarding the abuse of the consensus rule at the Cancun talks the Ambassador said:

“We are at this moment in a process of analysing the different options. We are currently considering the amendments proposed by Mexico and Papua New Guinea to change the rules on voting and consensus. We note that the fact they are asking for such a change suggests they were acting incorrectly at the time. If you they were following the rules in Cancun then why would they need to change them now?”

In response to a question regarding consultations with South Africa in preparation for the African hosted UN Climate Conference in December the Ambassador said:

“Most parties have come to an understanding that a new legally binding agreement is not going to happen by Durban. That is not possible, there is no time. So the option from Bolivia and G77 [a group of 131 developing countries] is a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol with targets that close the gap. Others are saying something we don`t understand – `let`s have a political commitment`  – to be clear without the continuation of Kyoto what does this mean? It means there will be a legal gap as well as a scientific gap in the pledges, a very bad scenario.”

In response to a question regarding the breach of legal commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, the Convention and other international treaties, including human rights treaties, the Ambassador said:

“Developed countries will not breach their Kyoto targets. The problem is that there is such a big amount of “hot air emissions” [over allocated emissions to former soviet economies who had their industrial capacity collapse since 1990] that any party not making their targets can simply buy carry-overs and say they had `achieved` that goal even though it didn`t happen.”

“The legal problem for developed countries is that they have an obligation to a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol under its Article 3 (9). This is the breach to watch out for.”

“We believe the issue is much bigger than just commitments and targets, and that those considering human rights breaches are correct. For example, it is estimated that 47 million people will have to migrate because of climate change. We have been advocating for an international court of climate justice. This would monitor the impacts and the suffering not only of people but of mother earth because of climate change.  For the glaciers in the andes, desertification in Africa, disappearing small island states – they need to present demands and find justice and we are proposing it to these talks under work going forward.”

Amb. Pablo Solón

Bonn, Germany, June 13, 2011

CLICK HERE to watch via UNFCCC Website

Plurinational State of Bolivia

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

 June 7, Bonn, Germnay

 Forests, Rights of Nature and Current Climate Change Negotiations Situation

CLICK HERE to watch via UNFCCC Website

Ambassador Solon in a press conference addressed :

·               Possible outcomes from the annual climate conference, to be held in Durban, South Africa in December;

·               the importance of forest protection to negotiations;

·               the need to recognize the rights of Mother Earth; and

·               proposed an international financial transaction tax.

Durban Outcomes

“In Durban we cannot repeat the mistakes of Cancun. In Durban we need a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, that is the only possible concrete outcome. There is no time for a new legally binding treaty. The choice is binding targets in the Kyoto Protocol or a non-binding decision that odes not resole the issue of reducing emissions in developed countries.” Ambassador Solon said.

“We cannot come out of South Africa with the targets we have now, the UNEP has showen they will lead us to 4C of global warming. We must have targets that limit temperature rise to between 1C and 1.5C to preserve life as we know it.” Ambassador Solon said.

Forests at Bonn Negotiations

“We also need a clear position in relation to the issue of forests. We cannot spend the money that we have now, a very small amount of money, trying to measure the amount of carbon that forests store in order to prepare the conditions for a future carbon market in the forest.” Ambassador Solon said.

“What we need to do is direct that small amount of resources that we have to preserve forests now. The key issue is to develop and implement key actions now, and not in 8 years when there might be a carbon market, but right now in order to preserve the forests today.” Ambassador Solon said.

Rights of Mother Earth

“When we consider climate change we are not just talking about floods, rains, and droughts but more holistically but the Earth’s systems as a whole. It’s not just about the number of emissions but how we are affecting the whole system – of individuals eco-systems and the system of planet Earth.” Ambassador Solon said.

“We must recognize that we are a part of a system and we cannot commodity and transform this system without consequences. All countries, in all their policies, must respect the natural boundaries of the Earth’s systems. The rights of the other parts of this system must be considered and we need to develop international rules and laws to preserve the integrity of the Earth’s system. Bolivia has made submissions to develop these rules at the climate negotiations.” Ambassador Solon said.

International Financial Transaction Tax

“Developing countries are very disappointed and concerned about the status of the proposed fast start climate finance ($30B) from Copenhagen. There hasn’t been an official review and it needs a concrete and official report.” Ambassador Solon said.

“Civil society analysis shows that most ‘fast start finance’ is not new. It’s just recycling of official aid that was already agreed for projects that were already being financed. Before they were under agriculture or infrastructure but now they are called climate finance. But real, actually new funds, the famous $30B promised in Copenhagen, has not come to developing countries.” Ambassador Solon said.

“Instead of waiting for this promise of fast start finance to materialize we have put forward a proposal for a tax on International Financial Transactions. This would be a mechanism that can generate real funds and we will have the funds to act immediately to address the protection of forests and fight climate change.” Ambassador Solon said.

“The tax would be voluntary, each country could decide to be involved, but the revenue raised would go into a common fund to fight climate change. It could be scaled up quickly and is a decisive response – experience shows we cannot rely on private finance to generate nearly enough to take effective action.” Ambassador Solon said.

Rights of Mother Earth

“When we consider climate change we are not just talking about floods, rains, and droughts but more holistically but the Earth’s systems as a whole. It’s not just about the number of emissions but how we are affecting the whole system – of individuals eco-systems and the system of planet Earth.” Ambassador Solon said.

“We must recognize that we are a part of a system and we cannot commodity and transform this system without consequences. All countries, in all their policies, must respect the natural boundaries of the Earth’s systems. The rights of the other parts of this system must be considered and we need to develop international rules and laws to preserve the integrity of the Earth’s system. Bolivia has made submissions to develop these rules at the climate negotiations.” Ambassador Solon said.

International Financial Transaction Tax

“Developing countries are very disappointed and concerned about the status of the proposed fast start climate finance ($30B) from Copenhagen. There hasn’t been an official review and it needs a concrete and official report.” Ambassador Solon said.

“Civil society analysis shows that most ‘fast start finance’ is not new. It’s just recycling of official aid that was already agreed for projects that were already being financed. Before they were under agriculture or infrastructure but now they are called climate finance. But real, actually new funds, the famous $30B promised in Copenhagen, has not come to developing countries.” Ambassador Solon said.

“Instead of waiting for this promise of fast start finance to materialize we have put forward a proposal for a tax on International Financial Transactions. This would be a mechanism that can generate real funds and we will have the funds to act immediately to address the protection of forests and fight climate change.” Ambassador Solon said.

“The tax would be voluntary, each country could decide to be involved, but the revenue raised would go into a common fund to fight climate change. It could be scaled up quickly and is a decisive response – experience shows we cannot rely on private finance to generate nearly enough to take effective action.” Ambassador Solon said.

Thanks to this surprising mindshift by UN leaders and participants, the day also ended in an emergency call to action where the Indigenous, kids, renewable energy, and teamwork play key roles to veer us off our current path toward extinction. Fortunately the UN is not alone. (www.unmultimedia.org/tv/webcast/2011/04/general-assembly-interactive-dialogue-on-harmony-with-nature-english.html).

“WE NEED TO PROTECT THE HABITAT THAT SUSTAINS US” – Pope Benedict XV1

Pope Benedict’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences came to the same conclusion in May, not just for their 1.8 billion Catholics. But as a result of alarming new evidence found by his 80 international scientists of diverse faiths, that global warming is increasing much faster than expected and in some areas gone over the tipping point, the German Pontiff made this bold “call to action for all people in all nations:”

“If we as inhabitants want to ensure our rights to daily bread, fresh air to breathe and clean water to drink, and want justice and peace, we need to protect the habitat that sustains us,” said the German Pontiff. Now called the “Green Pope” for also switching to solar energy at the Vatican, he urged everyone to help reduce the cause of climate change.” (www.kpbs.org/news/2011/may/10/catholic-church-goes-green-counter-global-warming/ ).

“WE NEED A WARTIME MOBILIZATION SHIFT FROM FOSSIL FUELS TO RENEWABLES”

Lester Brown, founder of World Watch, which holds its annual conference in Aspen, pleaded in March for “a wartime mobilization shift from fossil oil and coal, which are heating up the planet and rapidly reducing our ability to feed the world, to renewable wind and solar.”

The Union of Concerned Scientists, including Stanford’s late shared Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Stephen Schneider, partner to the North American Elders, also warned us that “nuclear is NOT clean energy,” and the 400 reactors worldwide are major contributors to heating up our planet. By switching our 2012 Budgets to renewables, we have the power and responsibility to reduce melting of our glaciers, killing our forests, freaky weather, floods, droughts, and oil extraction-related spills, earthquakes and tsunamis that led to the Fukashima meltdown poisoning our whole Earth Family.

America is ranked 7th out of the G8 countries in overall green progress. Yet Brown says that wind power from just North Dakota, Kansas and Texas, could quickly power America! Plus U.S. Secretary of Energy Chu said “our solar energy potential is enough to supply twice as much power as America needs.” President Obama did brilliantly pledge $150 billion in renewable energy projects for developing countries over the next 10 years. A poll shows that most Americans prefer safe renewable energy, since it saves trillions on wars and catastrophes that can instead be used to lift up communities and pay down the national debt. REF: enewschannels.com/2011/05/17/enc13131_173734.php.

All these leaders have been inspired by Indigenous Peoples. For example in 2008, RobertJohn Knapp, a Seneca Elder-scholar, was joined by representatives of six European countries singing and blessing the streams, much like St Francis, as they followed them to their Rome meeting with Pope Benedict. At the end of the exchange Knapp presented the Pontiff with a staff and requested he ask all the religions to help clean up our waters. Shortly thereafter, the Pontiff declared, “It is a sin to poison the water,” as it is suicidal. Also why Popes John Paul 11 and Benedict have urged farmers to follow Nature’s Laws and say “No” to suicidal GMO seeds.

MOTHER EARTH’S RIGHTS

The Pontiff was likely further empowered by the UN taking seriously the Bolivian Law giving our “beloved” Mother Earth Rights, enacted in January by their Indigenous President Evo Morales. The Vancouver Sun reported that “the law recognizes a country’s natural resources as ‘blessings.’ And to grant Earth the rights to life, water, clean air, and to repair livelihoods affected by human activities; and the right to be free from pollution.”

Ecuador’s Constitution of 2008 states that nature’s rights should be taken into account in all planning activities, including the maintenance, regeneration, and restoration of its cycles, structures, functions and evolutionary processes. REF: daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N10/489/57/PDF/N1048957.pdf?OpenElement

Nobel Laureates Eric Chivian, Muhammad Yunus, and Joseph Stiglitz agree that “Human beings are an inseparable part of Mother Earth, and life depends on uninterrupted functioning of Her cycles.”

Together the UN participants painted a holistic picture of a “new world resplendent with life” and urged a shift from an economic system that regards nature as a commodity that we have the right to exploit, to a paradigm that respects Mother Earth’s rights and intrinsic value. Instead of the GNP as the measure of progress, they proposed measuring the “quality of life, well being, and the Gross National Happiness,” pioneered by Ecuador, France and Bhutan.

Humanity is at a crossroads: Why should we only respect the laws of human beings and not those of nature? Why do we call the person who kills his neighbor a criminal, but not he who extinguishes a species or contaminates a river or a system as a whole, if all of us, absolutely all of us, rely on the life of the Earth System? asked Pablo Solon, Bolivia’s Ambassador to the UN.

Hail to the participants who included some of Earth’s deepest thinkers from the member states and renowned authors on the panel: Vandana Shiva (India), Peter Brown (Canada), Cormac Cullinan (South Africa), Riane Eisler (United States), Paul-Bertrand Barets (France), Gilberto Gallopin (Argentina), Ivo Havinga (UN) Mathis Wackernagel (Switzerland). Besides the Bolivians, there was a representative of the UN’s Indigenous Peoples Partnership, as a preview of Native Elders further helping light the way for humanity at RIO-20 next June, which was part of the 2012 prophesy.

A COOPERATIVE PARTNERSHIP MODELED AFTER NATURES LAWS

Brown and Eisler explained why our current Neo Classical economics model of dominance at any cost to humanity and Nature is falling apart. Brown said, “Today’s financial paradigm is not scientifically based since the economic indicators are not connected to Earth’s “natural capital,” defined as goods and services from Nature essential for life, which U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Barnaki even admits!”

Eisler explained that politicians worldwide keep this medieval model going because it benefits a few at the expense of the many…virtual slaves. “‘Trickle Down Economics’ comes from peasants getting the crumbs falling off the king’s table. Mainstream economics is unsustainable because it fails to include the critical life-giving, healthy home environment and care giving contributions of women and Mother Earth, which is sacred.” UK researchers estimated that “Housewives should be paid £30,000″ (about $45,000). Malaysian Moderator Martin Khor added, “A maid’s salary is listed on government balance sheets, but when she marries it disappears, though contributing the same work” – why women’s value is discounted. The participants agreed “we need to make a cultural shift to a cooperative partnership system, an Earth Democracy, modeled after Nature’s laws to survive as a species.”

A sign of this economic mindshift is Citibank and Google spending $110 billion on authentically clean wind energy to power 450,000 Southern California homes to help restore its blue sky air quality, its Natural Capital.

REPAIRING OUR GREATEST THREAT TO NATIONAL AND GLOBAL SECURITY

Don’t we need a combination of Earth Rights and Keynesian economics, where governments create full employment, which got America out of the First Depression? It addressed people’s needs, not wants, and spread the wealth more fairly. A green job mobilization could repair our National, and in unity, our Global Security.

Globally, Venezuela, Saint Vincent, the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda were also leaders in supporting the “Mother Earth Rights” initiative, some having similar Nature-protecting laws. Hail to these Latin Nations and the orchestrators of Harmony with Nature Day: UN’s Bolivian Mission, the UN Division of Sustainable Development and the UN Office of the President of the General Assembly. Together they showed humanity what living in harmony with Mother Earth looks like, so She can keep us around!

The acting President of the UN General Assembly, Botswana Ambassador Charles Ntwaagae said, “We must all recognize that we are part of nature and simply living to fulfill our desires at Nature’s expense is not sustainable.”

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro said, “There is much we can learn from the wisdom and philosophy of indigenous peoples”…”A holistic view of environmental, social and economic well-being is indeed the only route to truly sustainable development”.

Khor called ‘Harmony with Nature’ an extremely important phrase that resonates with most of us, and the “Secretary-General’s report on it as quite remarkable and unusual and I encourage the public to read it.” REF: daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N10/489/57/PDF/N1048957.pdf?OpenElement

EGYPTIANS HAD STRICT LAWS AGAINST FOULING THE WATER AND LAND

We all have Indigenous ancestors, and those who kept the tribal ways of living at one with Nature and learning from mistakes, have had the longest Civilization. Next, the Egyptian Civilization lasted 3,000 years because the Pharaohs and Queens had “strict laws against fouling the water and land.” And yet the United States, home to the UN headquarters, is only 400 years old.

Native Elders like Knapp were surprised and happy that speakers in the webcast now agree that “Human beings are an interdependent part of Nature and to keep the balance we must take only what we need and leave the rest for future generations, and take responsibility for doing the right thing.”

PRACTICAL AND SPIRITUAL SOLUTIONS KEY TO RESTORING MOTHER EARTH

Renewing Earth also takes spiritual solutions. The African and Venezuelan leaders talked about “the important role that the Indigenous Peoples play with their pool of ancient knowledge.” “By connecting with the ancestral and Nature spirits through their ceremonies they have protected and countered the destruction of their sacred forests and waters, while promoting respect for Nature and living frugally.”

On the road to Rio+20, the UN invites groups to take an active role in the promotion of our shared environment. Given our strong ‘sports bridge’ between the cultures, UN’s Sustainability officer Maria Mercedes Sanchez invited our Native American Olympic Team Foundation to inspire communities around the world to live in more harmony with Nature by reaching out to their Indigenous Elders to lead Gratitude Snowdances (and Oceandances), which we have been spreading across North America and Europe for 16 years. We found that weather miracles do the most to wake people up to remember our earth-honoring Indigenous roots. (snow-riders.org/mir.html)

Scientists in 11 countries and Swiss Nobel Prize winner, Kurt Wuthrich, have verified the tests of Japan’s Water Guru, Dr. Masura Emoto, how giving “love and appreciation” to water clears it. Just as loving prayers, ceremonies and joyful dances of the world’s tribes lift the vibration of the mountains and oceans where toxins cannot exist. Mayan Chief Don Alejandro says that ideally cross-cultural ceremonies led by Native Elders or trusted shaman, which reconnect us to the heart of Mother Earth, are key to smoother 2012. More on these ceremonies in our “UN International Mother Earth Day” story. nativevoices.org/articles/MotherEarthDayInitiative.pdf)

Anytime we express those sentiments to our Mother Earth in thoughts, prayers, ceremonies, we are purifying and restoring Her natural cycles that we have put in painful chaos.

EDUCATING HUMANITY THROUGH THE KIDS

Dr. Emoto says the best way to get this message everywhere is through the children at schools since they then educate their parents who love them. The Venezuelan and Chinese representatives mentioned how they are helping educate their students about this ancient Indigenous view of Earth. Students worldwide watching China’s magnificent ancient drumming section of the Olympic opening ceremonies, and the origins part of the Australia, US, Norway, Japan, Canada…Games, were introduced to that mindshift. IOC President Jacques Rogge intuitively wrote as part of their Eco Agenda 21, “to include more Indigenous Peoples in the Olympics to enhance the Games sustainability.”

Another way we found in the U.S. to bring this feeling of sacredness of Nature to mainstream is through Native Americans leading eco hikes in schools like Telluride and Vail, so children can see Nature through their eyes. (Plus Aspen SkiCo wants the Utes to lead their popular eco tours). Similarly, six year olds in Sweden are taken on hikes and become bonded with Nature and therefore guardians for life. Karmically, we are bound to provide Earth’s children with our best tools for this new partnership way, to help them survive and thrive.

U.S. high schools students just invented an earth-friendly 300 mile per gallon electric car. So imagine if the 192 nation states urged schools worldwide to share highlights of this UN webcast, what it could do to create a wiser, appreciative, vibrantly green partnership with Mother Earth, our only Home. (Plus showing the stunning multi-lingual YouTube video “HOME” and “Water: The Great Mystery”)

Several panelists summed up the feeling of this “enlightening day” in quoting Gandhi. “The world has enough resources for eveybody’s needs, but not to meet the greed of a few.” And theologian Father Thomas Berry who said, “We must go hand in hand with Mother Nature into the future, or not go at all.”

The UN gathering also reached these conclusions: “In agriculture we can meet more needs of more people by following Nature’s laws as proven by UN scientists.” “And the member states and everyone need to help create the political will to recreate our Botanical Garden.”

40 YEARS OF PROMISES BY OUR PRESIDENTS OF ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

Millions of Earth Citizens are rising up to get true democratic rights in the Middle East and Africa, though the new Egyptian military regime tortured and forced female protestors to take virginity tests. (May 31 HuffPostAOLNews.)

On May 29, German DW World TV revealed these rallies have spread to Spain, with massive tent cities protesting their government SERVING THE CORPORATIONS and not the people. Sound familiar to your country? The Germans and the Swiss have risen up and are shutting down nuclear reactors. Thousands of protestors in India and Japan have led the shift from nuclear to renewables in Asia. Most of the protestors are students thanks to getting educated as never before via the internet and teachers inspiring kids in environmental classes.

“FOOLED ME 8 TIMES…” – JON STEWART

Jon Stewart brilliantly revealed on the Daily Show how “eight of our U.S. Presidents spanning four decades, have unkept promises to our people on implementing energy independence through renewables.” All Academy Award winning talk with little or no action while fully knowing we were headed for more and more catastrophic wars, oil spills and meltdowns. Dirty energy and their catastrophes make more profits for the few than a sustainable harmonious world. “Fool me once, shame on them. Fool me twice shame on me. Fool me 8 times…” That is why this kind of education and awareness is key. REF: www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-june-16-2010/an-energy-independent-future

Our Earth Family who mainly wants to live in peace and harmony with each other and Nature, MUST spread the word and create a tsunami of “tough love” to enlighten and insist our political leaders addicted to big oil and nuclear payoffs, fund and implement massive renewable energy projects. Thank heaven that the “Harmony with Nature Day” participants and likely those watching worldwide, came to realize at this 11:59th hour that “Shifting to Green Energy as part of partnering with Mother Earth is no longer an option for our survival, but a condition.”

HOPE FOR A NUCLEAR FREE WORLD

Tribal Elders and Nobel Prize winners agree that war and nuclear radiation (plus Gulf oil spills) are the greatest threat to water, Mother Earth and humanity, having destroyed three worlds/civilizations. See how the UN’s Disarmament Commission is making steps to end this threat. And each of us as Earth Citizens, MUST INSIST that our leaders shift our 2012 Budgets from nuclear energy loans and oil subsidies for off shore drilling, to renewable energy. Both are critical for restoring Mother Earth and her “dying” oceans so She may flourish, and therefore our Right to Exist. More on this UN breakthrough in Part 2.

New York, April 20th, 2011

Victor Hugo, the author of Les Misérables, once wrote: “How sad to think that nature speaks and mankind doesn’t listen.”

We are here today to attempt to have a dialogue not just among States, but also with nature. Although we often forget it, human beings are a force in nature. In reality, we are all a product of the same Big Bang that created the universe, although some only see wood for the fire when they walk through the forest.

These three questions are the point of departure for our discussion today:

First, what is nature? Is it a thing, a source of resources, a system, a home, a community of living and interdependent beings?

Second, are there rules in nature? Are there natural laws that govern its integrity, interrelationships, reproduction and transformation?

And third, are we as States and as a society recognizing, respecting and making sure that the rules of nature prevail?

The philosopher Francis Bacon said that we cannot command nature except by obeying her. The time for superheroes and superpowers is coming to an end. Nature cannot be submitted to the wills of the laboratory. Science and technology are capable of everything including destroying the world itself.

It is time to stop and reaffirm the precautionary principle in the face of geo-engineering and all artificial manipulation of the climate. All new technologies should be evaluated to gauge their environmental, social and economic impacts. The answer for the future lies not in scientific inventions but in our capacity to listen to nature.

The green economy considers it necessary, in the struggle to preserve biodiversity, to put a price on the free services that plants, animals and ecosystems offer humanity: the purification of water, the pollination of plants by bees, the protection of coral reefs and climatic regulation.

According to the green economy, we have to identify the specific functions of ecosystems and biodiversity that can be made subject to a monetary value, evaluate their current state, define the limits of those services, and set out in economic terms the cost of their conservation to develop a market for environmental services.

For the green economy, capitalism’s mistake is not having fully incorporated nature as part of capital. That is why its central proposal is to create “environmentally friendly” business and green jobs and in that way limit environmental degradation by bringing the laws of capitalism to bear on nature.

In other words, the transfusion of the rules of market will save nature. This proposal of the green economy is absolutely false.

This is not a hypothetical debate, since the third round of negotiations of the World Trade Organization will be about the trade in services and environmental goods.

Humanity finds itself at a crossroads: we can commericalize nature through the green economy or recognize the rights of nature.

Why should we only respect the laws of human beings and not those of nature? Why do we call the person who kills his neighbor a criminal, but not he who extinguishes a species or contaminates a river? Why do we judge the life of human beings with parameters different from those that the guide the life of the system as a whole if all of us, absolutely all of us, rely on the life of the Earth System?

Is there no contradiction in recognizing only the rights of the human part of this system while all the rest of the system is reduced to a source of resources and raw materials – in other words, a business opportunity?

To speak of equilibrium is to speak of rights for all parts of the system. It could be that these rights are not identical for all things, since not all things are equal. But to think that only humans should enjoy privileges while other living things are simply objects is the worst mistake humanity has ever made. Decades ago, to talk about slaves as having the same rights as everyone else seemed like the same heresy that it is now to talk about glaciers or rivers or trees as having rights.

Nature is ruthless when it goes ignored.

It is incredible that it is easier to imagine the destruction of nature than to dream about overthrowing capitalism.

Albert Einstein said, “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, not because of those who look on and do nothing.”
We have not come here to watch a funeral.

The Permanent Mission of the Plurinational State of Bolivia invites you to attend:

“An Interactive Dialogue on Harmony With Nature”
Hosted by the President of the General Assembly

Panel One: (10:00 to 13:00)
Ways to promote a holistic approach to sustainable development in harmony with nature
Vandana Shiva
Cormac Cullinan
Riane Eisler
Peter G. Brown

Panel Two: (15:00 to 18:00)
Sharing national experiences on criteria and indicators for measuring sustainable development in harmony with nature
Gilberto Gallopin
Mathis Wackernagel
Paul Bertrand
Ivo Havinga

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011
Conference Room 2, NLB

For more information please call (212) 682-8132 or 8133