links about us archives search home
SustainabiliTankSustainabilitank menu graphic
SustainabiliTank

 
 
Follow us on Twitter


 
Job Offers:

 

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on August 24th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

from tess travel <tesstravels@gmail.com>
date Tue, Aug 24, 2010
subject COMMISSION AGENTS REQUIRED FOR CANADA EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Dear Sir,

We are using this opportunity to inform you that our company is in need of the following workers to work in a Factory / Hotels in  Canada with the reference of our power of attorney, we therefore require you to supply us the following manpower as follows:

HOTEL PERSONNELS
Waiters
Waitress
Cooks
Caregivers
Tea Ladies
Barbers
Gardeners
Fishermens
Store Keepers
Receptionists
Bar Attendants
Room Cleaners
Office Cleaners
Shop Assistants
Security Guards
Laundry/Washer man

Light Drivers and Heavy Drivers

Hotel Managers and Supervisors.

MEDICAL DOCTORS – Specialists / General Physicians / Surgeons / Staff Nurses

CONSTRUCTION PERSONNELS: Welders, Foreman, Mechanical Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Painters

All this vacancy is available now, the visas, Tickets, Accommodation,Transport and Hospitality for the workers are in company charge.

If your company is interesting in our vacancies, you should please reply us immediately so that we can forward to you our company details and the mode of operations.

Note that your company are entitled to one month salary of each workers supplied as agency commission and it will be paid to you on arrival of the workers at their respective duty post.

IMPORTANT INFO
Pls be informed that any workers who will not be ready for the final deployment by Oct,Nov 2010 are not eligible to apply

Kind Regards,
Captain Barley Gordon Smith DIRECT LINE+447045726140

UK OPERATIONAL OFFICE

HR GROUPS CONSULTING INC.

Regent’s Park London NW1 4SA United Kingdom
Tel+447031842231+447024971364 /+44703898643

CORPORATE OFFICE
HR GROUPS MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS
Suite 105, 4990-92 Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada


HOURS OF DUTY.
Opening Hours:Monday-Thursday 07:30 -17:30 Friday: 07:30 -12:30
Telephone Hours:Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday from 8:00 to 17:30,Closed on Saturdays

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on August 18th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

From: Tek Jung Mahat <tmahat@icimod.org> Date: 16 August 2010.

Subject: Youth Forum Empowering Youth with Earth Observation Information for Climate Actions 1-6 October 2010, ICIMOD, Kathmandu.

Dear Colleagues,

Realising the important role of young minds in ensuring sustainability in the region and to promote application of earth observation systems, particularly on climate change adaptation, we are organising a six-days long YOUTH Forum on ‘Benefiting from Earth Observation: Bridging the Data Gap for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region’, from 1-6 October 2010 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The Youth Forum is managed by ICIMOD together with the Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN), Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA), GIS Society of Nepal and other local partners working on youth capacity building. We are expecting to invite some 30 youth professional to attend this programme from ICIMOD Regional Member Countries, which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. This initiative is being organized in the framework of SERVIR- Himalaya initiative and is supported by USAID and NASA.

We would appreciate your support in sharing this announcement with the suitable candidates and encouraging to join the forum.

Best,

Tek

On behalf of the YOUTH Forum preparation committee

——————————————————————————————————————————-

Background:

The Youth Forum, 1-6 October 2010, is being organized recognising the far reaching consequences of climate change in the Himalaya and to make aware young professionals in the region about how parts of these problems can be addressed though application of modern day technologies, like earth observation (EO).

The Forum will serve as a platform to share and learn experiences regarding climate change issues, for which we will bring about 30 youth climate enthusiasts from the region , who will be familiarised with potential benefits of EO derived information and demonstrated relevant practical actions.

The Youth Forum is one of the key attractions of the International Symposium on ‘Benefiting from Earth Observation: Bridging the Data Gap for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region’, 4 – 6 October 2010 being organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain development (ICIMOD) together with the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and the GIS Development, India.

The event will provide opportunity among youths to familiarize with basic RS/GIS skills with practical hands-on sessions, demonstrate case studies related to use of EO in climate actions, internet related resources and project work to take local action in community. This initiative is being organized in the framework of SERVIR- Himalaya initiative and is supported by USAID and NASA.

Who should apply?

Young climate change enthusiasts, media persons, youth activists, development professionals etc. However you don’t have to be an expert on earth observation, climate change or mountain development, but you should have familiarity with the environmental issues mountains are facing and a strong commitment to contribute towards problem solving process with the use of modern tools and approaches like EO, particularly in the context of changing climate, which has posed serious threats to mountain ecosystems.

Young professionals of 18 to 29 years of age (by September 1, 2010) and coming from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan are eligible to apply. Please use this form to apply for the youth forum. All applications will be reviewed by an international review committee. Based on the evaluation of the quality of the application by the review committee and taking into account the need for a balanced group in regard to scientific discipline, geographical background and gender, about 30 applications will be accepted for participation in the Forum. Accepted applicants will be notified by 6 September 2010.

Please note, all the accepted applicants are expected to prepare a poster (hand-made or printed or in any other forms) reflecting their understanding about mountain environment, earth observation and climate change adaptation or any other relevant topics. Further details on this will be communicated later.

In case you have any problems in accessing the application form please write to tmahat@icimod.org.

Financial support:

Participation cost (round-trip airfare, local transport, and food and accommodation in Kathmandu during the Youth Forum will be covered by ICIMOD)

Important dates and links:

Application deadline 1 September

Selection notification 6 September

Youth Forum 1-6 October

Event details: http://geoportal.icimod.org/Symposium2010/SpecialEvent.aspx

Application form: http://bit.ly/defa4g OR

https://spreadsheets2.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dC13Qjc2Z3FXU3gyel9Gb0lCYUFSNVE6MQ#gid=0

Tek Jung Mahat, Node Manager

Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN)

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

GPO Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Tel +977-1-5003222 Ext 104 Fax +977-1-5003277 Web www.icimod.org AND www.icimod.org/apmn E-mail tmahat@icimod.org

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on August 12th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

This is our second report from New Hampshire.

From day two we pick the event at the headquarters of FIRST – that
stands for -  “FOR INSPIRATION and RECOGNITION of SCIENCE and
TECHNOLOGY.”

FIRST was created 20 years ago by Dean Kamen who says he never gets a
paycheck – nobody wanted to hire me – I have a strong incentive to
deliver things. He also explained that when you open the book and
there is no answer – an unintended consequence of the way education
works in the US – you end up not getting the answer- that’s it. True -
you must get an education but you actually need more then what you get
- you must know to question and seek the answer that is not ready for
you for the taking from the book.

We spent some six hours in trying to find out what Kamen has in mind
and we learned what Senator Sheehan is proposing to US Senate.

Their idea is that an addition to the budget appropriation bill will
create a competitive grant program for non-traditional education
initiatives according to lines that were set up by FIRST.

These lines include four different programs tailored specifically to
age groups and class levels of students.

These programs must be fun to the students and involve robotics and
play. A problem is set and the student groups address the problem and
work on finding solutions. They also learn to work within a given
budget and they develop the very important skill of how to compete.

Starting with Junior First Lego League for ages – kindergarten to to
third grade (6-9 years old) – the Jr FLL – then the Full FLL for ages
9-14 years old or 4-8 graders.

The First Tech Challenge is the 9-12 grades or ages 14-18, and the
First Robotics competition FRC is for the 14-18 years old or the 9-12
grades high-schoolers.

We are talking of 200,000 kids worldwide involved in the four FIRST
programs, and they are being helped by 85,000 volunteeres that can be
professional; engineers, teachers, parents, and others that help with
the projects. We talk now of groups in 66 countries – with main
concentration on the US, Canada and the Netherlands. This year Israel
joint strongly and with government help.

Here in Manchester, New Hampshire – we were 7 journalists from China -
Washington and New York based, one from Japan – Washington based and
one from Austria – New York based. I am sure that all of these will
help spread the word.

We watched an actual competition, listened to people working at DEKA
(Dean Kamen) Research and Development Corporation, looked at some of
the products born in their minds and being shaped into creations ready
for commercialization, then we watched students competing with their
devised robots, and even better then everything else, a young kid was
there with his parents who took the tour with us – and this kid knew
to ask incisive questions that made him appear as an ideal participant
in this budding new educational program that Senator Shaheen is trying
to help create via legislation and government funding.

The US must face it – it is behind education in math, engineering,
science and technology and creating high-tech knowledge centers and
grooming the personnel that has developed the gift for innovation
rather then be stunted because of static education, is the imperative
of this hour when lack of scientific curiosity has been blunted by
beliefs in creationism and of dead words in books they refuse to
search for their real inherent intent.

Before closing on this very short second report – let me reiterate
that Senator Shaheen wants to see government involved in funding
government programs, and in the legislative process, and her agreeing
as per our Scoop No.1 when talking about regulation by fiat – like in
the case of EPA taking over from a beaten Senate, these are the
exceptions – not the rule – and the rules when they take over  can
come about only if we agree that there is no other way.

————————————

Holly Ramer of AP was in Manchester, and her report made it in all local papers like the Portsmouth Herald that had it as an article titled: “ROBOTICS CLASS IN YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL.” Bill would fund programs that promote math, science careers.”

Foster’s Daily Democrat of Dover, N.H. titled it: “SHAHEEN, KAMEN PROMOTE SCIENCE EDUCATION IN N.H.”


http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/NH-s-Shaheen-Kamen-promote-science-education-609663.php

NH’s Shaheen, Kamen promote science education

HOLLY RAMER, Asssociated Press Writer
Published:  Tuesday, August 10, 2010

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen briefly took the controls of a soccer-playing robot Tuesday to promote legislation she’s sponsoring in hopes of encouraging students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

Under the New Hampshire Democrat’s bill, states and school districts would get federal grants to start innovative programs like the New Hampshire robotics program that inspired the legislation. Shaheen described the legislation at the headquarters of the FIRST robotics competition, which has expanded from 23 schools to 19,000 worldwide since it was founded by Bedford inventor Dean Kamen 20 years ago.

The bill also would require schools to work with local businesses to mentor students. That’s key to ensuring that students see the connection between what they’re learning and what jobs they might eventually have, she said.

“As we talk about how do we keep the United States competitive with the rest of the world, we know that the jobs that are being created today and the jobs that are going to be created in the future rely disproportionately on those fields,” Shaheen said. “Right now, we’re not turning out enough students who have degrees in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.”

No dollar amount has been attached to the bill, which Shaheen hopes will be adopted as an amendment to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. If approved, preference would be given to schools in low-income, rural and urban communities, Shaheen said. Her bill has been referred to a Senate committee.

Kamen, the brains behind the Segway electronic scooter and other inventions, said he was glad Shaheen’s bill calls for schools to compete for the grants, because competition spurs creativity, something he’s seen in the FIRST competition. Student teams spend six weeks building robots, culminating in regional and national championships.

“When we started FIRST, people rolled their eyes when we said, ‘Give kids the opportunity to see science and technology in the same way they see sports,’” he said. “But you will see kids instantly recognize it’s every bit as fun, every bit as exciting, every bit as rewarding and way more likely to lead to careers than any of the other things they put their passion to.”

Alethea Evangelou, an engineer at the defense contractor BAE Systems, is a volunteer with the FIRST program and a past participant. She had planned a career in theater before joining a FIRST team as a senior in high school.

“In that one year, FIRST not only helped me learn about engineering, but it also showed me that engineering actually was something that I could do as a career,” she said. “It has completely changed my life.”

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on August 4th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

WHARTON SEMINARS FOR BUSINESS JOURNALISTS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP

WHEN: Program takes place October 10-13, deadline for applications varies, see background information

CONTACT: To apply go to www.wharton.upenn.edu/journalists

BACKGROUND: The Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists are dedicated to helping journalists gain a better understanding of key business and economic issues via intensive lectures conducted by senior Wharton School faculty.  Our Donald T. Sheehan International Fellowship is offered to help international or internationally-focused journalists who wish to attend the Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists.  The Fellowship provides for tuition, most meals and all program materials but not travel or lodging.   The program takes place on the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia, PA, October 10-13, 2010.  Please note:

1)         For the Sheehan Fellowship, deadline is Sept. 1, 2010. Note “Sheehan Fellowship” in the “current responsibilities” field of on the application page here: http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/media_room/journalists/application.html

2)         For general applications, the deadline is Oct. 1, 2010

3)         Additional information:

•           Session Dates: Sunday-Wednesday, October 10-13, 2010

•           Fee [for those not receiving financial assistance]: The cost of the program is $1995.00 and includes tuition, materials, and most meals.  Final deadline date for all applications and payment is October 1, 2010.

•           Location: Classes will convene at the Wharton School’s state-of-the-art facility, Jon M. Huntsman Hall.

•           Accommodations: If registered by September 1, 2010, participants may reserve rooms at the Hilton Inn at Penn.

•           Program Agenda: Scheduled sessions and faculty are available here: http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/media_room/journalists/courses.html

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on August 2nd, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

Mandela Day 2010: Make SA work, and fix our schools.

July 14, 2010


Members of the public can donate money towards the restoration of local schools, as their way of commemorating Mandela Day 2010.

On July 18 this year, all South Africans have been invited to give 67 minutes of their time to projects that honour the life and spirit of Nelson Mandela.

The NGO Men On the Side of the Road (MSR) has thrown its full support behind the Mandela Day campaign. MSR is a marketplace for casual workers where men gather at organised collection points in seven cities across South Africa.

MSR has decided to focus on the restoration of schools, as a way of linking with the education theme of this year’s Mandela Day.

“Not everyone can give their time to the Mandela Day campaign. Instead, why not donate 67 minutes of their earnings,” suggested Peter Kratz, national director for MSR. “Our registered painters and builders in seven cities can be called in to fix local schools in dire need of a facelift. The money donated by members of the public will make this restoration work possible and cover the costs of hiring workers and purchasing materials.”

Customers in seven cities can visit MSR collection points if they are looking for workers, on a part time or contract basis, that are able, trustworthy and skilled in particular areas. MSR have verified all their skills and workers have identity cards on them at all time.

With unemployment at critical levels, the MSR aims to facilitate the placement of skilled and semi skilled workers in part-time or full-time work. For as little as R120 per day potential employers can hire a reliable and trustworthy worker.

Kratz hopes that members of the public will nominate a school in their community which is in need of restoration work. The money they donate will be used for work on that specific school, to help make quality education a reality for its learners.

Donations can be deposited at Standard Bank, account name MEN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, account number 070-956-383 (reference MD).

Call 0861 WORKER (0861 967537), email info@employmen.co.za or visit www.employMen.co.za for more info.

——————————–

Issued by:
HWB Communications (Pty) Ltd

Contact:        Martin Slabbert

Telephone:     (021) 462 0416
Fax:             (021) 462 0427
Mobile :         079 500 1503
Email:           martin@hwb.co.za

On behalf of: Men on the Side of the Road (MSR)

——————————-

  • MSR is a marketplace for thousands of casual workers.
  • MSR has organised collection points in seven cities around South Africa.
  • Customers can collect a worker for part-time, contract or full-time work, knowing that the people the hire are able, trustworthy and skilled in particular areas.
  • Details of all MSR members are loaded onto a database, which carries a record of their identity number and photograph, skills training, references and recommendations, ensuring customers will be matched with the best worker for a particular job, be it building, rubble removal, gardening, cleaning or window washing, to name a few.
  • MSR started out of a human rights initiative back in 2001 when men were being arrested for “loitering” (which implies without intent), while in fact they were gathering to find work at various collection points around the city. The Cape High Court ruled that these men had a right to seek work. A local businessman, Charles Maisel, took a particular interest in the case and the plight of these men to survive and founded MSR. Since then, Peter Kratz, who heard about the project on returning to South Africa after living abroad for six years, has become involved and is dedicates much of his time to developing the organization.
  • MSR is now a nationwide force representing thousands of work seekers of both genders in all the main cities in the country.

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 30th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

An Entire Generation of India’s Brightest Students is Galvanized into Tackling Sustainability, Climate Change, Energy Security and the Environment.

IIT Madras to Host The 2010 Al Gore Sustainable Technology Venture Competition™, India, in Chennai, September 30 ? October 3, 2010.

——————

The The Al Gore Sustainable Technology Venture CompetitionTM 2010 to be held at IIT Madras
September 30 – October 3, 2010.

Founded in early 2007, The Al Gore Sustainable Technology Venture Competition™, Asia’s first and most prestigious sustainable/clean technology business plan competition, brings green and sustainable technologies to market through entrepreneurship, to fortify energy security, enhance sustainability on the planet, and tackle climate change.

Now in its third year, the competition is the brainchild of Prof. Oopali Operajita, CEO, Cicero, A Trans National Advisory, a Senior Strategic and International Affairs Adviser to several of India’s prominent political leaders in India’s Parliament, and a former Distinguished Faculty Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University,USA.

The Al Gore Sustainable Technology Venture CompetitionTM is a student-led business plan competition, which provides mentoring for, and exposure to, the development of sustainable technology ventures from around the world, to combat climate change and fortify energy security.  The competition supports the creation of real businesses that bring about positive change through new technologies in a sustainable manner.

The Al Gore Sustainable Technology Venture CompetitionTM consists of two rounds: a preliminary round of online submissions (the deadline is August 10, 2010), followed by a presentation round to venture capitalists, angel investors, industrialists and distinguished faculty at IIT Madras. The best entries from the preliminary round will be selected to participate in the finals at IIT Madras, September 30 – October 3, 2010. During the final round of the competition, students will present the environmental, financial and social values of their businesses, gaining valuable feedback from some of the best minds in the field.

Cash Prizes of Rs. 1,00,000 and Rs. 70,000 will be awarded to the winners and runners up.

The IIT Madras Finalist Team (Greenext Technology Solutions) from the 2009 Al Gore Sustainable Technology Venture Competition™ won the First Coveted ‘NYC Next Idea’ Prize from Mayor Bloomberg in New York City. Here’s a link to the story. Here‘s the coverage on the leading Indian television channel NDTV 24×7.

For further details, please visit  website:

http://www.cicerotransnational.com/agstvc.html

or send us email mail at: agstvc (at) shaastra (dot) org        or agstvc (at) gmail (dot) com

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 16th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

New Power Capacity from Renewables Tops Fossil Fuels.

07/16/2010  – SustainableBusiness.com News
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/20692
——–

In 2009, for the second year in a row, both the U.S. and Europe added more power capacity from renewable sources such as wind and solar than from conventional sources like coal, gas and nuclear, according to twin reports launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21).

Renewables accounted for 60% of newly installed capacity in Europe and more than 50% in the USA in 2009. This year or next, experts predict, the world as a whole will add more capacity to the electricity supply from renewable than non-renewable sources.

The reports detail trends in the global green energy sector, including which sources attracted the greatest attention from investors and governments in different world regions.

Investment in core clean energy (new renewables, biofuels and energy efficiency) decreased by 7% in 2009 to the value of $162 billion. Many sub-sectors declined significantly in money invested, including large (utility) scale solar power and biofuels.

However, there was record investment in wind power. If spending on solar water heaters, as well as total installation costs for rooftop solar PV, were included, total investment in 2009 actually increased in 2009, bucking the economic trend.

New private and public sector investments in core clean energy leapt 53% in China in 2009. China added 37 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power capacity, more than any other country.

Globally, nearly 80 GW of renewable power capacity was added, including 31 GW of hydro and 48 GW of non-hydro capacity.

China surpassed the U.S. in 2009 as the country with the greatest investment in clean energy.

China’s wind farm development was the strongest investment feature of the year by far, although there were other areas of strength worldwide in 2009, notably North Sea offshore wind investment and the financing of power storage and electric vehicle technology companies.

Wind power and solar PV additions reached a record high of 38 GW and 7 GW, respectively. Investment totals in utility-scale solar PV declined relative to 2008, partly a result of large drops in the costs of solar PV. However, this decline was offset by record investment in small-scale (rooftop) solar PV projects.

The reports also show that countries with policies encouraging renewable energy have roughly doubled from 55 in 2005 to more than 100 today–half of them in the developing world–and have played a critically important role in the sector’s rapid growth.

The sister reports, UNEP’s Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2010 and the REN21′s Renewables 2010 Global Status Report, were released by UN Under-Secretary-General Achim Steiner, UNEP’s Executive Director, and Mohamed El-Ashry, Chair of REN21.

The UNEP report was prepared by London-based Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

The REN21 report was produced by a team of authors in collaboration with a global network of research partners.

The UNEP report focuses on the global trends in sustainable energy investment, covering both the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors.

The REN21 report offers a broad look at the status of renewable energy worldwide today, covering power regeneration, heating and cooling and transport fuels, and paints the landscape of policies and targets introduced around the world to promote renewable energy.

Achim Steiner said: “The sustainable energy investment story of 2009 was one of resilience, frustration and determination.

Resilience to the financial downturn that was hitting all sectors of the global economy and frustration that, while the UN climate convention meeting in Copenhagen was not the big breakdown that might have occurred, neither was it the big breakthrough so many had hoped for. Yet there was determination on the part of many industry actors and governments, especially in rapidly developing economies, to transform the financial and economic crisis into an opportunity for greener growth.”

“There remains, however, a serious gap between the ambition and the science in terms of where the world needs to be in 2020 to avoid dangerous climate change. But what this five years of research underlines is that this gap is not unbridgeable. Indeed, renewable energy is consistently and persistently bucking the trends and can play its part in realizing a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy if government policy sends ever harder market signals to investors,” he added.

Mohamed El-Ashry said, “Favorable policies now in place in more than 100 countries have played a critical role in the strength of global renewable energy investments recently. For the upward trend of renewable energy growth to continue, policy efforts now need to be taken to the next level and encourage a massive scale up of renewable technologies.”

——————

RELATED TOPICS
——————-
London, England (CNN) — The creation of new power capacity from renewable energy has exceeded new fossil fuel power generation in the United States and Europe for the second year running, according to two United Nations reports published Thursday.
Renewables accounted for over 50 percent of new capacity in the U.S. in 2009 while in Europe the figure was 60 percent, leading the U.N. to predict that the world as a whole will add more capacity to the electricity supply from renewables than non-renewables this year or by 2011.
Globally, nearly 80 giga-watts (GW) of new renewable power capacity was added in 2009, the U.N. reported.
U.N. Environmental Program (UNEP) executive director, Achim Steiner said in a statement that the story of renewable energy investment in 2009 was one of “resilience to the financial downturn,” with many businesses and governments determined to “transform the financial and economic crisis into an opportunity for greener growth.”
The two reports — “Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2010″ and “Renewables, 2010 Global Status” — reveal that investment fell seven percent, from $173 billion in 2008 to $162 billion in 2009, largely due to declines in large-scale solar power and biofuels investment, which dropped 27 percent and 62 percent respectively.
But other green energy sub-sectors bucked the downward global investment trend.
Wind and biomass sectors both saw investment rise 14 percent, while energy smart technologies — which include power storage and energy efficiency devices — rose 34 percent to $4 billion.
“One of the upsides of the downturn of last year was that it did lead to a significant decease in the cost of some these [renewable] technologies, particularly in solar,” Eric Usher, manager the UN’s Sustainable Energy Finance Initiative, told CNN.
“So while investment numbers are flat or a little bit decreasing the actual scale of installation has been continuingly increasing.”
According to the U.N., wind power received record investment in 2009 — $67 billion in 2009 compared with $59 billion in 2008 — with a total of 38 GW of new energy installed worldwide.
Over a third of this capacity was due to Chinese growth where 13.8 GW of wind power were added in 2009.
Julian Wong, a Chinese energy policy expert at the Washington-based think tank, the Center for American Progress, told CNN: “China is doing what no other country in the world is doing. China is an example of what can be done, with good, strong policy to develop a vibrant sector.”
Wong says the Chinese domestic market is growing very quickly, with the government now targeting seven sites across the country which will be wind “megabases” generating 10-20 GW of power.
“I expect sometime this year, or early next, China will revise its targets on renewable energy upwards. This will provide a very strong signal to investors and provincial government that it is a priority for the country,” Wong said.
China’s renewable energy expansion is a “positive message globally,” Eric Usher believes.
“But it’s also a warning signal for western industries that they’re very serious about this sector and the competition will be strong in the future,” Usher said.
It’s not just China where wind power is really taking off. The U.N. highlighted the growth of wind power in the North Sea off the UK.
“Things are shaping up extremely well for the UK wind energy sector,” Nick Medic, head of communications at RenewableUK, the trade body for country’s renewable wind and marine industries.
“We have a colossal 49 GW offshore at various stages of development which could supply around 40 percent of the UK’s total electricity,” Medic said.
Unlike its large-scale cousin, smaller solar photovoltaics (PV) panels received record investment in 2009 passing the $40 billion mark.
The U.N. says that grid-connected solar power had grown from 0.2 GW in 2000 to 21 GW by the end of 2009.
Europe and Asia/Oceania are the two powerhouses of investment according to the U.N., contributing nearly $85 billion (Europe $43.7 billion, Asia/Oceania $41 billion) of total green energy investments in 2009.
Asia/Oceania was the only region to see a significant increase in investment — up nearly $10 billion from 2008. The Middle East and Africa saw a modest increase from $2.1 billion in 2008 to £2.5 billion in 2009.
“The fundamentals of the sector continue to be quite strong. The fact that you’ve seen a plateauing in investment rather than a large drop off in the last two years has signaled that the markets are in the longer term still poised for growth,” Usher said.
More than 100 countries now have renewable energy policies or promotions in place — nearly double the figure five years ago, according to the U.N.
Renewable energy now contributes a quarter of the world’s electricity capacity and is responsible for 18 percent of global power production.
Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance said in a statement: “The relatively resilient performance of the sector during the current economic downturn shows that clean energy was not a bubble created by the late stages of the credit boom, but is instead an investment theme that will remain important for the years ahead.”

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 16th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

To UN Women, $100 M Offer by Qatar for HQ, But UNFPA Inks 15 Yr NYC Lease.

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 14 — Less than two weeks after the formation of “UN Women,” to consolidate the UN’s agencies working on the issue, one of the agencies has gone forward with a major lease of real estate in Manhattan.

The UN Population Fund, UNFPA, has just reportedly signed a 15 year lease for three floors (131,000 square feet) at 605 Third Avenue in midtown Manhattan.

Meanwhile, multiple sources tell Inner City Press that during the negotiations to form UN Women, Qatar offered $100 million if it the headquarters would be put in Qatar.

But as Inner City Press reported earlier this month, Qatar is one of only three countries which has never sent a female athlete to the Olympic Games, along with Brunei and Saudi Arabia.

So now matter how much money is offered, some ask how could the headquarters of UN Women be in Qatar?


UN’s Ban and Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, $100 M not shown

————————————————————————————————————————————–

A Group of 77 source complained, as to UN agency headquarters, that an effect of the European Union’s push to form a UN Environment agency would be to undermine the status of Nairobi, where the current UN Environment Program is headquartered.

But maybe if UNEP stepped out and signed a big long term lease for more Kenyan real estate…

———–

At UN, As Rudd Meets Ban for 50 Minutes, Pasztor Is Present, Job for Climate Change in Air?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 14 — When Kevin Rudd, just ousted as Australia’s prime minister, met late July 14 with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, there was one attendee rarely as such meetings: Janos Pasztor, the head of the UN’s climate change unit.

This came a day after Inner City Press reported that the UN is being urged by the Obama Administration to give Rudd a climate change job.

Inconveniently, the IPCCC top post was recently awarded to Christina Figueres of Costa Rica. (Pasztor competed for the job, temporarily and partially recusing himself from his past and current job, but lost out.)

Now, while the U.S. wishes the IPCCC post were open, it appears that a new special envoy on global warming post would have to be created. One wonders what Pasztor thinks. Also present in the meeting were Ban’s chief of staff Vijay Nambiar and his deputy, but most senior advisor, Kim Won-soo.


UN’s Ban and Rudd

Prior to meeting Rudd, Ban had an audience with representatives of the Korean Red Cross. They bought a gift, which was waiting by the elevator. Moments before Rudd came in, Ban emerged from his office and began walking to his spot at the table.


Moments later, Pasztor joins

Then he stopped, remembering – he had forgotten to put on his glasses. He went back and got them. Then Rudd entered, then Pasztor. The photos were taken, and the photographers hustled out.

But Rudd did not leave until 6:20 p.m. — 50 minutes later….

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 8th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

Past US Independence Day, for Bastille Day – July 14, 2010 – we note the following US effort:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE SELECTS ROCHESTER AS A SITE FOR A FORUM DISCUSSION ABOUT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S NATIONAL EXPORT INITIATIVE

- NEI Aims to Double the Number of Exports by 2012 -

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – (July 2, 2010) — Rochester is the only Upstate New York City the U.S. Department of State has selected as the location for a forum discussion about President Barack Obama’s National Export Initiative (NEI). NEI aims to double the United States’ number of exports by 2012 and create 2 million jobs nationwide, approximately the same number of jobs lost by the manufacturing sector during the economic downturn.

“The Department of State chose Rochester because the Greater Rochester Region is the largest exporting metro region in Upstate New York, and it is one of the top 5 exporting regions per capita in the United States,” said International Business Council (IBC) of Greater Rochester, NY Executive Director Laurie DeRoller. “This town hall style meeting will provide local businesses with valuable information they need to grow and create jobs.”

Thomas Engle, director of the Office of Monetary Affairs Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs for the U.S. Department of State, will speak at the event, which takes place Wednesday, July 14 from 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Gleason Works Auditorium, located at 1000 University Avenue in Rochester.

The IBC is hosting the NEI Forum Discussion along with the United States Department of Commerce (USDOC) Export Assistant and the Upstate NY District Export Council (DEC). There is no cost for IBC and DEC members, and Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) board members and investors. There is a $20 cost for all other attendees. To register for the event, contact Heidi Schmitt at Heidi@Rochesterbiz.com or register at http://www.regonline.com/register/checkin.aspx?EventId=875859.

ABOUT IBC:

The International Business Council of Greater Rochester, NY (IBC) is a collaborative association established to promote and expand international opportunities by developing and
enhancing the expertise of its members. An affiliate of GRE, IBC is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing the trade community programs, assistance, and opportunities to enhance international trade practices.

ABOUT GRE:

Located in the heart of New York’s technology corridor, Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) is a public-private partnership established to professionally market the Rochester metropolitan region as a competitive, high-profile place for business location and growth. Its efforts support business attraction and expansion, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation.  GRE collaborates with businesses, universities, not-for-profit organizations and government leaders to ensure a unified approach to regional economic development.  For more information, please go to www.RochesterBiz.com.
========================================

But not everything is smooth with the NEI – there is also criticism. We hope that the Rochester location will provide for a discussion of not only the job creation aspect of this initiative – but also of the quality of the jobs as sustainability can be achieved only if these are high quality new tech jobs – otherwise the effort will rather end up promoting jobs overseas at high subsidy expense. We expect a lively discussion in Rochester.

——————————————-

Obama Announces Export Council, Reports On Export Progress.

By Dave Johnson

July 7, 2010,

http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010072707/obama-announces-export-council-reports-export-progress

In his State of the Union speech President Obama announced the National Export Initiative, a campaign to double US exports within 5 years. Today he gave a progress report and announced the members of his Export Council, with a number of CEOs (and one labor leader) including Alan Mulally of the Ford Motor Company, Scott Davis of U.P.S., Glenn Tilton, United Airlines Chairman and CEO and Robert A. Iger of the Walt Disney Company.

The White House says that with a 17% increase in exports in the first 4 months of the year we are on track to double exports within 5 years.

Announcing the Export Council, Obama said, “We’ve got to compete for those customers. We mean to compete for those jobs and compete to win.”

For example, they are setting up “business assistance centers” abroad to help American companies get business, and increasing credit through the Export/Import bank.. They are fighting barriers that other countries have set up to keep out American products, so far increasing our export of things like pork by $1 billion. “When we give other countries the privilege of free and fair access we expect it in return.”

—————–

Leo Hindery, Chairman of the US Economy/Smart Globalization Initiative at the New America Foundation, writes at Huffington Post,

There are three problems with this pledge.

First, doubling U.S. exports would create just 10 percent of the 22 million new jobs we need, and yet, combined with multiple new free trade agreements (FTAs), it seems to be the only specific jobs policy coming from the White House.

Second, this strategy wrongly overshadows the more critical imperative of ‘import substitution’.

Third, the first three FTAs being proposed — with South Korea, Panama and Colombia — are very poorly negotiated and will cause even more American jobs to be lost overseas.

. . . And as the economist Clyde Prestowitz has determined, with plenty of supporting evidence, “the more free trade agreements the U.S. has entered into, the bigger America’s trade imbalances have become and the less our allies have seemed to like or pay attention to us”.

Hindery explains how past “free trade” agreement have failed American workers,

When NAFTA was proposed in 1993, five promises were made about the positive effects that were certain to come to the U.S., not one of which has been kept. The two ‘biggies,’ of course, were that (1) “NAFTA will generate a U.S. trade surplus with Mexico of around $100 billion between the years 2000 and 2010″ — in fact, our trade deficit with Mexico for these ten years will be around $527 billion; and (2) “NAFTA will create many new high-wage jobs in the United States” — instead, at least two million American workers have already lost their jobs.

. . . But even more imbalanced has been China’s entry into the WTO, which occurred a decade ago. Back then, President Clinton promised that this would be “a hundred-to-nothing deal for America when it comes to the economic consequences” — instead, our overall trade deficit with China has increased 173 percent since 2000, China is now responsible for around 75 percent of our overall annual trade deficit in manufactured goods, and we’ve lost more than one-third of our manufacturing jobs, mostly to China (and Mexico).

But Hindery’s beef is not that Obama is pushing Bush-negotiated agreements with Korea, Columbia and Panama, it is that this appears to be the only job-creation plan that Obama is offering.

Hindery offers a number of steps to improve the situation, including scrapping Bush-negotiated trade agreements and negotiating fair and balanced agreements that lift us and our partners instead of giving big corporations a hammer to use to lower American wages and eliminate American jobs.

Increasing exports is important. Fighting trade barriers is important. This will help the economy recover. Bravo to the President for this.

Now, how about recognizing that there is a jobs emergency and pushing hard on the Congress to set up some direct government job-creation programs?

—–   —–    —–

We want to add here again – that job creation is important but one must remember to look under the rug and make sure that these are jobs in the technologies of the future. In the past the US exported wind mill technology under the otherwise corrupt ENRON Corporation – but with ENRON we also lost the wind – and that is something that needs correction – so our point is that the US needs exports that are for the long term – exports of technologies for the future.

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 1st, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

Climate Change’s Unlikely Crusader – T. Boone Pickens.

 http://www.globalwhisperer.com/2010/06/c…

June 30, 2010 by Global Whisperer

T. Boone PickensT. Boone Pickens – Oil Baron, Corporate Takeover Specialist, and… wind power advocate?

Oil Baron, Natural Gas Advocate and Corporate Raider T. Boone Pickens, is also the 117th richest person in America. His corporate acquisitions and takeovers have placed him into many industries, mostly relating to energy. A takeover of Gulf Oil, placed him on the cover of time magazine in March of 1985.

He was a huge financial supporter of President George W. Bush, as well as the Republican Party. He contributed to the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, which ran an advertising campaign against Bush’s rival, John Kerry. He supported Rudy Giuliani’s presidential committee.

wind turbine pickensLocal farmer’s would be paid to place turbines on their land.

Then in 2008, a new side of T. Boone revealed itself. He announced that his company, Mesa Power had filed documents with the state of Texas announcing he would be adding 4 gigawatts of electricity to the state grid. He planned to buy 2,700 wind turbines placing them on up to 200,000 acres.

“We are now meeting with Panhandle landowners and negotiating wind lease and easement agreements,” said Pickens. “We are excited at how quickly the pieces are falling into place.”

T. Boone explained that the wind corridor that runs up through Texas and the U.S. should absolutely be utilize to provide a good chunk of the United States Power. The project would be the largest wind farm in the world.

He didn’t wait long to take action. In January of 2008 T. Boone estimated that the cost of the turbines would be in the $200-$300 million range. The first order of 6667 turbines was placed with General Electric in May of 2008. In July, the Texas Public Utilities Commission approved funding of $4.98 billion in electric transmission lines to connect the wind farms to the electric grid.

Then, with the credit crunch, the project began suffering setbacks.

“When we were looking at the project, we felt like we could do it with 30 percent equity and 70 percent debt,” The New York Times quoted Pickens saying on Wednesday. “The 70 percent debt is where we’re having a little slowdown.” “The 70 percent debt is where we’re having a little slowdown.”

“To put it plainly, T. Boone is out to save America,” – Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club.

T. Boone insists this is only a setback, the Texas grid lines need to be laid, but the state has committed to the project.

The land the wind turbines will be located on also benefits local farmers.

The farmers who own the land could makes $500 a month for each wind turbine on his property. T. Boone estimates the entire project could cost as much as 10 billion. To compare, costs of this year’s Gulf Oil spill areapproaching 22 billion (Source).

An unlikely partnership An unlikely partnership?

T. Boone has since released his own energy plan, called Pickens Plan, which called for huge investments in Solar, Wind and Natural Gas. Then in May of 2010, T. Boone paired up with his previous rival, John Kerry. They worked together to incorporate many of the ideas of Picken’s Plan into Kerry’s climate legislation bill, which is expected to hit the floor this year.

T. Boone insists that if Kerry’s bill fails, the Picken’s Plan ideas will be moved into a different energy bill that can make through Congress. As it stands now, no republicans have stepped up to support the bill. Kerry hopes with T. Boone’s advocacy, it will gain some bi-partisan support.

“To put it plainly, T. Boone is out to save America,” said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, after meeting with Pickens in 2008.

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on June 11th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE INVEST IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY, WE SAVE $3 IN ENERGY USE DOWN THE ROAD.
West Side Spirit

Creating Jobs, Greening Buildings

Posted by West Side Spirit on June 9, 2010.

View Comments

New bill would lessen energy dependence on hostile foreign regimes.

By US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York.

As I meet people during my travels across the state, New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds have the same thing on their minds: jobs. With unemployment in New York City still in double digits, and an estimated 15 percent of our state’s construction workers out of work, it is clear that we must continue to help working families weather the economic storm. For example, since the downturn began, more than 40,000 construction and manufacturing workers in New York state lost their jobs, and millions more workers across the country suffered significant losses.

Tough times demand bold action and seizing opportunities. One of those opportunities is reducing our dependence on foreign fossil fuels. Bush-era policies were about talking tough when it came to fighting terror and defending America, but it was their policy that sent a billion dollars a day to oil-producing countries that some of the most dangerous terrorists in the world call home.

That is money that should be spent here. By decreasing our dangerous reliance on foreign oil and making smart, green investments, we can create quality jobs and put our construction labor force back to work.

The Building Star legislation, which I am pushing in the U.S. Senate, would create as many as 12,500 new, good-paying jobs for hardworking New Yorkers, providing incentives to retrofit co-ops, apartment buildings and commercial buildings and rid them of dirty fuels and pollutants.

Not only would this proposal boost our national security and save condo-owners, landlords and building managers millions in energy costs, but it would also protect New York City families by cleaning the air we breathe. According to a recent air survey by the New York City Health Department, the Upper East Side and Midtown’s business district are just two of the neighborhoods in the city with alarming levels of dangerous contaminants in the air. Many of the city’s residential and commercial buildings burn heavy amounts of heating oil and emit large amounts of sulfur dioxide and other pollutants. If these buildings were to use cleaner fuels, you could see reductions of harmful emissions between 65 and 95 percent.

City landlords and building owners concerned about the high cost of replacing outdated boilers or switching to cleaner fuels, such as natural gas, would benefit from the Building Star rebates, which are designed to cover 20 to 33 percent of the installed cost of equipment. This initiative also covers other energy efficient programs to help ease installation costs, including window renovations, duct testing and sealing, and energy audits.

The process for applying for a rebate would be clear and straightforward: An owner would run an energy audit on a building, then submit an application to the Department of Energy. Once the department verifies the project, a rebate would be issued within 30 days.

There is much to lose and little to gain if we do not begin to rebuild our economy by putting more money back into the pockets of city residents and taking them out of the hands of hostile regimes. For every dollar we invest in energy efficiency, we save $3 in energy use down the road. In the long run, residential and commercial buildings citywide could save up to $407 million in energy costs, nearly $160 million of which would benefit Manhattan alone.

Manhattan renters, owners and residents have an opportunity to make the most of their energy dollars and move away from decades of dependence on foreign oil. It’s time to act. 


U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand sits on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and Subcommittee on Green Jobs & the New Economy.

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on April 24th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

 http://twitter.com/LocoGringoCom

 http://yestermorrowschool.blogspot.com/2…

Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vermont, offers over 150 hands-on courses per year in design, construction, woodworking, and architectural craft and offers a variety of courses concentrating in sustainable design. Now in its 29th year, Yestermorrow is one of the only design/build schools in the country, teaching both design and construction skills. Our 1-day to 2-week hands-on courses are taught by top architects, builders, and craftspeople from across the country. For people of all ages and experience levels, from novice to professional.

Friday, April 23, 2010

New Design/Build Program in Yucatan, Mexico

Yestermorrow  announces a new partnership with the Yucatan Institute for Sustainability to offer two design/build courses this summer. {yucatan.program@gmail.com, (802) 496-5545, Yestermorrow Design/Build Mexico, Hacienda Kancaba}.

The Yucatan Institute for Sustainability is dedicated to preserving traditional knowledge and promoting sustainable design through education and research, while involving and supporting the local Maya community. Our vision merges principles of sustainability and alternative energy systems with traditional cultural knowledge to shape the interface of human cultures with their environment. The campus serves as a hands-on, real-world laboratory for experimentation and education. The goal is to provide a center where international scholars from diverse disciplines can work, study, interact, create, and exchange ideas while exploring common themes of sustainability, preservation, and innovation. It also supports the neighboring Maya community of Espita while its members confront the challenges of maintaining their cultural heritage.

Course Overview:

The Maya have lived in the dry tropical forests of northern Yucatan for over 3,000 years. Despite the environmental hardships of periodic droughts and thin soils, ancient populations were able to prosper, as the elaborate architecture of their abandoned ancient cities attests. This course frames modern principles of sustainability and ecological design within a broader perspective gleaned from thousands of years of human habitation. Students will learn traditional building and design techniques collaborating with the local Maya community. Students joining this initial season of a new educational venture will literally have a hand in guiding its development as we explore the intersection of traditional culture, ecology, and sustainability. The result will be an unforgettable experience helping to design and build a new center for research and education in a tropical setting.

Course Objectives:

Students will complete the course having gained an intimate standing of human-landscape relationships in Yucatan from a millennia – long perspective. The course will illustrate the challenges and advantages to sustainable design in a tropical environment. Students will gain an understanding of the principles of historic conservation and learn traditional building techniques varying from wattle-and-daub and thatching to masonry walls and lime plastering. Finally students will have the chance to help design an educational and research facility completely off the grid. The master planning and design component will shape the direction for future courses.

The two course sessions will be offered this summer:
Session 1: June 14 – July 4, 2010
Session 2: July 5 – 25, 2010

Tuition for each session is $2200.

For more information, please visit http://neogeo.kent.edu/yis/

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on March 18th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

With the announcement that President Obama postpones his trip to Jakarta till June 2010, Indonesia was left to decide on its candidate without the prodding presence of President Obama.

Having discussed with someone in the know of the four men and one woman on the Indonesian list we posted here, it seems that Mr. Hassan Wirajud who is now Member of the Advisory Council to President Yudhyono and was the Foreign Minister who led Indonesia’s delegation at the 2007 Bali conference, has the upper hand as he is considered to be a gifted diplomat and that is what Indonesia think it will be most appreciated in New York.

The other most prominent name is Mr. Rachmat Witoelar the continuing Environment minister who was the actual President of Bali’s Conference of the Parties (COP) 13 in 2007.

The strength of both these men is that they hark back to Bali – the pre-Poznan and pre-Copenhagen times – that is when in effect the last real UNFCCC document was forged. We still think that a Brazilian candidate could find much backing also. This could be seen on the other hand as disengagement from the Dutch leadership that was started with Ms. Joke Waller-Hunter, and the look for new ideas as we witnessed in Copenhagen.

=======================================

Issue 132 – March 12 – Search Begins for New Climate Leader

New York, March 12, 2010 - Following the news of Yvo de Boer’s imminent resignation as Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), two countries have put forth candidates for the post, and others have expressed interest.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be responsible for finding a successor to de Boer, in consultation with the UNFCCC’s administrative bureau. At least three governments have nominated a candidate for the post or expressed interest in doing so. India has nominated Vijai Sharma, a member of its environmental ministry, while Indonesia voiced the intention to put forward a candidate. And on March 7, South Africa nominated its minister of tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk.

Selection Process

The selection of a new Executive Secretary for the UNFCCC reportedly has been initiated by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Ban is expected to consult with the UNFCCC Conference of Parties’ Bureau in identifying a successor.

States that have signed the UNFCCC, an international treaty, are known collectively as the Conference of Parties (COP). The COP is supported by a Bureau, made up of delegates from 11 COP member countries, representing the five regions. The Bureau handles administrative and management issues of the negotiation process, advises the President of the COP, and serves to represent each regional bloc and other groupings for negotiation. The current members of the COP Bureau are: Australia, Bahamas, Denmark, South Korea, Mali, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Sudan and Russia.

Ban is said to have written to the Bureau about the qualifications sought in candidates. The process will “take some months,” said Ban’s climate adviser Janos Pasztor, but would be completed by July.

Qualifications Sought

In identifying the qualities needed in a successor, many analysts pointed to de Boer’s strengths. For Greenpeace Denmark, “De Boer’s successor must be equally hard-working, committed and experienced and must be effective in rebuilding trust between countries. He or she must also ensure that the voices of the most vulnerable are not sidelined by the most powerful.”

The skills to manage and leader the hundreds of staff of the UNFCCC, along with a collaborative approach, were the qualities stressed by Pasztor.

Another UN official expanded on this profile, specifying that the person should be a “political leader with immense diplomatic skills.” Further, he or she needs to be able to move easily between the developed and developing worlds, given the “divide you saw in Copenhagen.” A candidate from a country that “felt excluded” at the December conference, i.e. from the Global South, may be preferable.

None of the UNFCCC’s three Executive Secretaries has been from a developing country.

The preference or expectation of a developing country candidate was echoed by the Philippines’ representative to the UN, an energy trader in Geneva, and a Canadian environmental spokesperson. An environmental official from Indonesia said, “It is time for developing countries to head the post to help break the deadlock on climate talks.” A climate expert from the non-profit sector in Indonesia echoed the sentiment: “The climate talks need a fresh breakthrough that could come from developing countries.” World Wildlife Fund-Indonesia adds: “It is about time that developing countries come forward and become leaders in this issue, because these countries will face the biggest challenges and impacts from climate change.”

A climate news source noted other benefits to having an Executive Secretary from a developing country: “It will give the negotiations new life as developing countries might feel their interests will be given more priority.” Moreover, “Since most developing countries aren’t major sources of emissions, it’s possible that future climate negotiations could find more a balance between talk of adapting to climate and mitigating it. India stands at the nexus of all these issues and having a representative from the country leading the UNFCCC would hopefully shed more light on them.”

De Boer himself has supported the idea of a successor from a developing country.

However, some have emphasized the diversity within the so-called “developing world.” While the “BASIC” group of large developing countries with growing economies (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) was instrumental in the Copenhagen negotiations, their “hardline” approach reportedly alienated least developed countries – “who stand most to lose from climate change.” A candidate from a BASIC country may not have the full support of the rest of the developing world.

Finally, an expert on gender and climate change called for Ban to appoint a woman as Executive Secretary: “If we want to overcome gender inequalities, we need to have women in the climate change decision-making process…. Women like Joke Waller-Hunter [de Boer's predecessor] have guided the process in many positive ways.”

Nominations and Potential Candidates

Two governments have nominated a candidate for the post, while a third intends to find a candidate.

India Nominates Minister

India’s environmental minister reportedly wrote to the UN on February 22 to nominate Vijai Sharma for Executive Secretary. Vijai Sharma is a Secretary in India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests.

According to several sources, Minister Jairam Ramesh said, “Vijai Sharma is our official candidate for UNFCCC executive secretary. I have written to the United Nations Monday and have also written to BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, China) countries seeking their support. We have got support from China already for his candidature and we will get support from other BASIC countries.” Ramesh added that Sharma’s appointment would reflect “India’s importance in climate change negotiations.” The candidate also would “provide a bridge between developing and developed worlds.”

However, the United States reportedly “mistrusts” India and China following the Copenhagen Conference, a dynamic that could harm Sharma’s chances.

India agreed this week to be listed as a party to the Copenhagen Accord, one of the last major emitters to make the commitment (China followed suit on March 11), although this status is not the same as full association with the Accord.

South Africa Nominates Marthinus van Schalkwyk

South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma, nominated minister of tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk on March 7. Van Schalkwyk was environment minister from 2004-2009. In that capacity he participated in several climate change negotiations leading up to the Copenhagen Conference.

Succeeding F.W. de Klerk, South Africa’s leader during apartheid, van Schalkwyk led the New National Party until it dissolved, upon merging with the African National Congress in 2004.

President Zuma said that van Schalkwyk had, “positioned South Africa as a true climate champion” during his time as Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. Further, “he commanded significant respect across the developing-developed country divide. This will count greatly in his favour of driving the global climate change negotiations. Given that South Africa will also be hosting the climate change negotiations next year, it would indeed be an honour and privilege for the country to have one of its own to head up this very important UN institution.”

In the event that the 2010 conference in Mexico also ends without a legally binding agreement, attention would shift to the 2011 conference in South Africa. In that case, UNFCCC sources believe, “having a South African chief at the helm would give the conference major impetus.” The European Union’s Climate Commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, said in Parliament this week, “remaining differences between parties may delay agreement on this until next year.” According to the UK’s Guardian, “All observers, including … de Boer, are now clear that no such deal will be signed in 2010, with a meeting in South Africa in December 2011 now seen as the earliest date.”

Van Schalkwyk’s nomination met with varied reactions. A climate official from an unspecified government said that as a candidate, van Schalkwyk “would be acceptable to most people, so he should definitely be counted as a favourite.” Greenpeace Africa was “pleased to know Minister Van Schalkwyk is being considered and would be very confident that he would be equal to the task of replacing Mr. de Boer…. By all accounts, he has an excellent standing as a negotiator, and has earned a great deal of respect for being very engaged and informed.” Moreover, “if he is appointed, developing countries, in particular, will have better access to him because he’s coming from a developing country.”

A very different perspective on van Schalkwyk has been expressed by others, including Patrick Bond of the Centre for Civil Society in South Africa: “The UNFCCC post must be headed by someone of integrity, and that’s not a characteristic associated with Van Schalkwyk, thanks to his chequered career as an apartheid student spy and a man who sold out his political party for a junior cabinet seat.” Bond also questioned the logic of the nomination: if Van Schalkwyk was a world-class climate diplomat, why did Zuma demote him by removing his environment duties last year?” Another article described him as “one of the most unpopular political figures in the new South Africa” and a “former apartheid operative who bartered his way into the black majority government by helping it smear its democratic opposition.”

Earthlife Africa referred to van Schalkwyk’s tenure as environment minister, during which he “did not have a good record in cutting carbon emissions.”

South Africa itself, though, has more ambitious emissions reduction plans than India or Indonesia, according to Reuters.

While the U.S. is said to distrust India, South Africa is “seen as a bridge builder,” perhaps making its candidate more likely to be accepted.

Indonesia Expresses Interest

After expressing interest in the UNFCCC post during the UNEP meeting of ministers in Bali on February 24-26, the Indonesian foreign ministry said that it had “approached a number of countries to express our interest in the job. We have to come out with the right candidate.” On March 4, the website of the country’s embassy in Rome, Italy featured an article that reported former foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda as the government’s preferred candidate.

Potential candidates reportedly include:

  • Liana Bratasida: Assistant to Environment Minister (expert on global environmental affairs and international cooperation); Chair of Subsidiary Body for Implementation at Bonn (2009), which addressed emission-cut targets, financing, mitigation and technology transfers; Former member of the Clean Development Mechanism, approved carbon projects
  • Agus Purnomo: Special Assistant on Climate Change to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono; Secretary-General of National Council on Climate Change (DNPI) (which represents country at climate change negotiations; Headed 2007 national committee that organized Bali conference; Speculation as to Indonesia’s candidate “has centered around” Purnomo
  • Emil Salim: Member of Advisory Council to President Yudhyono;         Former environment minister
  • Hassan Wirajud: Member of Advisory Council to President Yudhyono;    Former Foreign Minister, led Indonesia’s delegation at the 2007 Bali conference, considered “mastermind behind the success” of that conference; Has “close relations” with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as the two were foreign ministers of their countries during the same years
  • Rachmat Witoelar: Environment minister; President of Bali’s Conference of the Parties (COP) 13 in 2007

According to an Indonesian politician on February 21, the country’s “experience in making the Bali climate change talks a success could be a significant asset in winning the post.” Moreover, “as a country vulnerable to climate change, Indonesia needs a breakthrough to resolve the problems and this can be achieved if Indonesia takes the lead in global talks on climate change.”

Costa Rica‘s Climate Negotiator is “carbon market’s favorite”

Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica is “leading the pack” for potential candidates from the private sector, according to the website “Carbon Finance.”

Figueres is Costa Rica’s climate change negotiator, with particular experience on the Clean Development Mechanism, on which she co-Chaired the negotiating group at the Copenhagen Conference. Figueres also advises several governments and private investment companies, and she founded the Center for Sustainable Development in the Americas.

UNelections and Appointments in the News

———————————

The UNelections Campaign is a project of the World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP), a global membership organisation with headquarters in New York City.

 info at UNelections.org

WFM-IGP is dedicated to bringing about a just world order through a strengthened and more democratized United Nations.

Increasing the accountability and transparency in the leadership of the United Nations is a critical step toward this goal.

———

Other WFM-IGP projects include:


If you have questions, please contact the World Federalist Movement  at our International Secretariat in New York.

Press Inquiries:

WFM-IGP Executive Director, William Pace (646) 465 8531

General Inquiries:

Program Officer, Faye Leone (646) 465 8523

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on March 17th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

By Climate Deal’s Editor
As seen over the last months, efforts to mitigate and adapt to dangerous climate change cannot be solely driven by States members of COP. Discussions and solutions are to emerge from the collaboration between top-down structures and bottom-up approaches. Climatedeal.org is one of many bottom-up strategies to facilitate such interaction. We understand a ‘climate deal’ beyond international and domestic policy negotiations and aim to enrich  discussions, inside and outside these arenas, with diverse perspectives from organizations and individuals around the world. It will be only through inclusion of views and transparency that agreements at multiple levels can be implemented and sustained on the long term. We welcome your perspectives and ideas and invite you to be part of new climate deals.
 
March 2010
Newsletter No.1

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on March 5th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

The Institute of Development Studies in the UK is seeking to recruit a Head of Climate Change. Please could you pass on this link to anyone you think might be interested in applying, noting the application deadline of the 6th April:
 http://www.ids.ac.uk/go/idsjob/head-of-c…

The Climate Change and Development Group works to reduce poverty, vulnerability and support social justice in a changing climate through research, teaching, communications and knowledge sharing on climate change, disasters and development issues. The Group’s work cuts across and involves collaboration with other IDS research and information teams.

We are seeking a new Head of Climate Change to lead the Climate Change and Development Group and to play a strategic role in making climate change a key thematic issue in the future work of the institute.

The successful candidate will be expected to have an outstanding background in economics or related social science and a PhD (although exceptionally, comparable research and practical experience may be taken as a substitute), and an excellent research and publication record related to or relevant to any of the above areas. A proven capacity to work in a multi-disciplinary team, in policy environments, with overseas partners and practical experience in the field are also essential, and language abilities beyond English will be an advantage.

Salary: £41,057 – £60,000 per annum (depending on experience)
Closing Date: 12 midday UK time, Tuesday 6th April 2010
Interview Date: Thursday 13th May 2010

Hannah Bywaters
Administrator
Climate Change and Development Centre
Institute of Development Studies
at the University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE
Tel: +44(0)1273 915722
Email:  H.Bywaters at ids.ac.uk
Website: www.ids.ac.uk/climatechange

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on March 1st, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

Date: Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 5:02 PM
Subject: SustainableBusiness.com Update: 2/26/10

UPDATE: 2/26/10

FROM THE EDITOR
Dear Friends,

Green educational programs are really taking off. This month’s sponsor is Columbia University’s School of Continuing Education and The Earth Institute, which is holding an information session on their new Masters in Sustainability Management (click on the banner above to register).

The program will train sustainability practitioners for a broad range of fields and is directed to practitioners and aspiring professionals working in organizational management, facilities operations, and environmental stewardship.

Of the roughly $90 billion dollars set aside for clean energy investments in the Recovery Act, only about a third of that money has been spent so far, creating roughly 63,000 green jobs. The majority of those funds will be spent over the next two years, creating an additional 720,000 jobs. The same is true for the $5 billion allocated for weatherization of homes – many of the largest states have met less than 2% of their 3-year goals because of bureacratic delays and furloughed workers. The good news is we’ll be seeing this huge ramp take place this year and next.



THE LEADING GREEN JOB SERVICE!

Sustainability Advisor, LEED-EB Senior Project Manager, Brightworks
Purchaser, Veritable Vegetable
Climate Adaptation Ecologist, The Wilderness Society
Certification
Specialist, Fair Trade Coffee, TransFair USA
Marketing Manager, William McDonough + Partners


###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on February 20th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

Dr. ElBaradei was born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1942, son of the late Mostafa ElBaradei, a lawyer and former President of the Egyptian Bar Association. His father often found himself at odds with the regime of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. ElBaradei’s father was also a supporter of democratic rights in Egypt, supporting a free press and a legal system that was independent.

The son gained a Bachelor’s degree in Law in 1962 at the University of Cairo, and a Doctorate in International Law at the New York University School of Law in 1974. He began his career in the Egyptian Diplomatic Service in 1964, serving on two occasions in the Permanent Missions of Egypt to the United Nations in New York and Geneva, in charge of political, legal and arms control issues. From 1974 to 1978 he was a special assistant to the Foreign Minister of Egypt.

In 1980 he left the Egyptian Diplomatic Service for work at the United Nations, and became a senior fellow in charge of the International Law Program at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). From 1981 to 1987 he was also an Adjunct Professor of International Law at the New York University School of Law.

From 1984, Dr. ElBaradei has moved to a substantial senior staff member position of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Secretariat, in Vienna, holding a number of high-level policy positions, including Agency’s Legal Adviser and subsequently Assistant Director General for External Relations under  former Swedish Foreign Minister Hans Blix as Director General. The IAEA was set up by suggestions in 1953 from U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower as the world´s sleepy “Atoms for Peace” organization in 1957. It was set up as a UN affiliate that eventually had to become the UN watchdog on nuclear proliferation matters. The first Director General was American, W. Sterling Cole, 1957–1961 – followed by two Swedes 1961-1997 as nuclear issues meant arbitrating between the US ans the Soviet Union.

ElBaradei under UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1992-1996), another Egyptian, and it was assumed that this is an opening to what the UN called the Third World, he was then appointed to the office of the Director General of the IAEA effective 1 December 1997, and reappointed to a third term in September 2005 under UNSG Kofi Annan (1997-2006). In November 2009 he retired from that position after three terms of four years, and was succeeded by the Japanese Yukiya Amano defeating Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa and Luis E. Echávarri? of Spain.

Elbaradei’s tenure has been marked by high profile non-proliferation issues including the inspections in Iraq preceding the March 2003 invasion and tensions over the nuclear program of Iran – one could say that a main issue of the IAEA in his time was the ongoing activities to create an Islamic bomb.

In 2005, The United States initially voiced opposition to his election to a third four-year term. In a May 2005 interview with the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Lawrence Wilkerson, the chief of staff to former Secretary of State Colin Powell, charged former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton with an underhanded campaign to unseat ElBaradei. “Mr. Bolton overstepped his bounds in his moves and gyrations to try to keep [ElBaradei] from being reappointed as [IAEA] head,” Wilkerson said. The Washington Post reported in December 2004 that the Bush administration had intercepted dozens of ElBaradei’s phone calls with Iranian diplomats and was scrutinizing them for evidence they could use to force him out. IAEA spokesman Mark Gwozdecky said the agency worked on “the assumption that one or more entities may be listening to our conversations”. “It’s not how we would prefer to work, but it is the reality. At the end of the day, we have nothing to hide,” he said. Iran responded to the Washington Post reports by accusing the United States of violating international law in intercepting the communications. We guesthe deeds were illegal but iran’s actions were worse. What about ElBaradei?

The United States was the only country to oppose ElBaradei’s reappointment and eventually failed to win enough support from other countries to oust ElBaradei. On 9 June 2005, after a meeting between US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and ElBaradei, the United States dropped its objections. Among countries that supported ElBaradei were China, Russia, Germany and France. China praised his leadership and objectivity and supported him for doing “substantial fruitful work, which has maintained the agency’s role and credit in international non-proliferation and promoted the development of peaceful use of nuclear energy.”  France, Germany, and some developing countries, have made clear their support for ElBaradei as well, Russia issued a strong statement in favor of re-electing him as soon as possible, and ElBaradei was unanimously re-appointed by the IAEA Board on 13 June 2005. In 2008 ElBaradei said he would not be seeking a fourth term as Director General. One could say that the squirmish with the US because of the US false alegation regarding the Iraqi bomb, had much to do with El Baradei and the IAEA under his leadership, getting the Nobel Prize for Peace. It seems that this was rather a reaction to US high-handedness. Whatever – not much love was lost between the US last two Administrations and ElBaradei.

The current Board members of the IAEA are: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, China, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Japan, Kenya, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Malaysia, Mongolia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Romania, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK, and the USA, Uruguay, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Venezuela) 2009–2010).

ElBaradei’s two children live and work in London.

ElBaradei’s name has been circulated recently by opposition groups as a possible candidate to succeed President Hosny Mubarak to Egypt’s highest executive position. ElBaradei demanded that certain conditions have to be met to ensure fair elections accompanied by changes to the constitution that will allow more freedom for independent candidates before he would actually consider running for presidency. Several opposition groups and parties have endorsed him, considering him a neutral figure who could transition the country to greater democracy.

—————-

Mr. Ahmad Fawzi, currently News and Media Division Director under the UN USG for Communications and Public Information, has held this position for quite a while and was thus able to shape also the roster of who is allowed to participate at UN Press conferences.

His activities at the UN Headquarters in New York started with his  serving as Deputy Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali from 1992 through 1996 or during the whole time that Mr. Boutros-Ghali held that job.It was thus Mr. Butros Ghali who brought him to the Headquarters.

Born in Cairo on 28 March 1948, Mr. Fawzi has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and Language from Cairo University. He pursued post- graduate studies at the Newhouse School of Communications of Syracuse University, New York.

Before joining the United Nations, he worked for many years in broadcast journalism, as a news editor, reporter and regional news operations manager. Much of his work was in the Middle East and much of it with Reuters. We assume that his contacts with Mr. Boutros-Ghali started in the Middle East and Egypt – perhaps back to interviews at time Mr. Boutros Ghali was part of the Government of Egypt.

After the Boutros-Ghali years, during the Kofi Annan Years at the UN, and until now, Mr. Fawzi continued to work with the UN Department of Public Information and had various stints like his being spokesman for Lakhdar Brahimi the UN special envoy to Iraq.

—————

Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Born the 14 November 1922 in Cairo (Egypt) into a most distinguished Coptic Christian family, Mr Boutros-Ghali received a bachelor’s degree from Cairo University (1946) and a Ph.D. in international law from the University of Paris (1949). He then held a professorship at Cairo University and lectured in international law and international affairs at various universities and institutes in the United States, Europe, India, the Middle East.

From 1960 to about 1975, Boutros-Ghali founded, edited, and wrote for Al-Ahram Iqtisadi, where his beat was regional and international law, diplomacy and political science. He was a member of Parliament in Egypt, and helped negotiate the 1978 Camp David accords, bringing peace between Egypt and Israel. He worked with President Sadat’s foreign service, was known to oppose originally Sadat’s trip to Jerusalem but later was involved in furthering the succes of that mission. He was sort of an odd man in Cairo. His wife – the former Leia Maria Nadler was Jewish.

Hosni Mubarak was appointed Vice President in 1975, and assumed the presidency on 14 October 1981, following the assassination of President Anwar el-Sadat. He really was not interested in keeping Mr. Boutros Ghali in Egypt, and was quite happy to volunteer his services to the UN when that opportunity arose. So he was instrumental in getting Mr. Boutros-Ghali elected UN Secretary- General in 1992 where he lasted till 1996.

Looking back – Mr. Boutros Ghali was the former Secretary-General of the United Nations (1992-1996) and Secretary-General of the International Organization of Francophonie (1997-2002). Currently he is president of the National Council of Human Rights of Egypt, he also chairs the International Panel on Democracy and Development (IPDD), set up by UNESCO in 1998. He is also a member of the Support Committee of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine. From his work at the UN – really nothing positive to be remembered. Basically, our present posting argues that his two appointments – those he made possible to Messrs. ElBaradei and Fawzi – perhapse were his longest lasting legacies he left behind at the UN. Also, some other people he introduced to the UN, including members of his wife’s family, turned up as reasons for the UN blunder that was discovered, under his successor’s time at the UN helm, in what becanme the oil-for-food scandal. The Paul Volker investigation of that affair has left stained both named UNSGs.

—————-

Having introduced the actors – let us now look at the latest news:

Hosni Mubarak is now in his 30th year of his Presidency – that is he is ending his 5-th consecutive six year term. There will be elections, probably in a year – in 2011, but there are no candidates because of the way Mubarak kept out of site any budding opposition. Even what was supposed to be the opening for democratization – the 2005 constitutional amendment that established multi-candidate presidential elections in Egypt came with rules designed to ensure that no independents could easily enter  the race, helping to stifle challenges to Mr. Mubarak’s rule. In fact, even discussing who would replace Hosni Mubaraq was not tolerated. The feeling is that Hosni Mubaraq has full intent to stay on and then pass the mantle to his son – Gamal Mubarak – we think named so after Gamal Nasser – the previous big Chief that run Egypt as if it were still in  the Pharaohnic days – and the whole Arab world was just larger Egypt.

Anwar Sadat (Muhammad Anwar El Sadat, or Anwar El Sadat  was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by Islamists on 6 October 1981 – he was indeed different and he paid with his life for having tried to do something for his country. He also did not ask for a parliament’s permission but at least did not put himself at the center of is world.

And the press? That is all government owned – what is written is the word that comes from Mubarak – that is the kind of Journalism that conquered the UN thanks to Ahmad Fawzi – a good disciple of his Egyptian friends – you get a Press Release and don’t ask questions – you write it down because that is what you are there for. The notion that there is something like a Media Think-Tank, or Media Independent Thinking that does not serve a cause – is unheard off on the shores of the Nile.

But then, Egypt’s people are proud people indeed. They are proud that one of theirs has gotten the Nobel Prize, they also are tired of the face of the old Pharaoh – they are ready to induct ElBaredei to run for the Presidency. He is free and available – but what about those rules/ he asks Egypt to change the rules so that there is an open election and he is ready to run – he seems to be the kind of person that is saying up-front that he is not blind to the barriers that Mubarak encircled himself – something like the security wall of the Israelis.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the basic resistance that was connected in the past with those that Killed Anwar Sadat, or helped foot the Al Kaeda in its infancy, religious nationalistic fanatics that are afraid of nothing – they are still there and sort of tolerated by Mubarak who remembers that they made it all possible for him 30 year ago, they say now: “The question is, can ElBaradei, who lived most of his life – 30 years – working in Europe, can he lead a new Egyptian revolution for change?

El Baradei came for a 10 day visit last week and there were 1,000 people waiting for him at the airport for six hours. his Facebook numbers 60,000 Egyptians – they feel that for the first time there is a viable option besides Mubarak and his son – his actual persona is the symbol that there can be an alternative because some Egyptians speak up now and say – it is our right to chose the person who will represent us. Even the Muslim brotherhood agrees to see in El Baradei the transition to a new Egypt.

Considering the high level of corruption in Egypt, the fact that El Baradei came from outside, so he is not sullied by the home-grown stagnation of Egyptian politics, he has a terrific advantage of being that fresh face they would like to induct.

OK – that is ElBaradei – what about Fawzi? He is retiring next month and we suggest he can be available to be thrown into this new Egyptian brew. He is not a new face, but he knows how to look as media while backing a cause he has in mind. I really do not think that what he had in mind was Mubarak, I rather think he remembers Boutros-Ghali and other Arab interests – be it oil or culture. We do not think that ElBaradei either has fully absorbed Western liberalism and Egypt might not be ready for this either, what seems to be needed is the kind of spokesperson that knows to dress up the concerns of the Middle East environment, and Egypt,  with a good race-horse like ElBaradei, can concoct the public winning formula. So – here for a step of loosing up the frozen major States of the Middle East – Egypt and Saudi Arabia.


###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on February 6th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

A course on “Application of Public Domain Models for Water, Food and Climate Studies”, in Wageningen, Netherlands, this summer.

Details can be found at:
 http://www.futurewater.nl/uk/projects/mo…

and
 http://www.futurewater.nl/downloads/Mode…

from:
Johannes Hunink
Costerweg 1G | 6702 AA Wageningen | The Netherlands
Tel: +31 317 460050 | Mob: +31 633 891849
 j.hunink at futurewater.nl
 http://www.futurewater.nl

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on January 12th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

from: Sandor Szabo

The Renewable Energy Unit of the Joint Research Centre-European Commission based in Ispra (Italy) has open a position to develop and integrate an optimization tool for rural electrification planning in Africa.

The multitask project simultaneously aims to support Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy in Africa.

The main results are expected to be communicated on the project web site managed by JRC and also to be published as peer-reviewed scientific articles.

http://ie.jrc.ec.europa.eu/job s/docs/Cat30/IE-REU-2010%2801% 29-30.1_Publication.pdf

For further details contact:
Sandor Szabo    sandor.szabo at ec.europa.eu
Please, note that the call is OPEN until the 31st January 2010 at 12:00 a.m. Amsterdam time.

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on January 8th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

Date: Thu, Jan 7, 2010
Subject: Center for Global Affairs Courses Spring of 2010, The New York University.


From Face Time to Facebook: Public Diplomacy, New Media, and America’s Global Image

Instructor: Judith Siegel, consultant; former deputy assistant secretary, bureau of international information programs, U.S. Department of State

Review the history and practice of official U.S. government public diplomacy; new media; and how opinions are formed, all exploring the question of global public opinion of the U.S., with special reference to foreign policy. Current international developments are used in discussions as case studies to assess current U.S. strategic approaches.

International Trade Policy: The Front Line of Globalization
Instructor: Patrick C. Reed, International Trade Lawyer, Simons & Wiskin

Gain a better awareness of trade policy and its impact on the global trading system and the world economy – including economic development, labor standards, U.S.-China relations, and other timely issues.

The Rise of East Asia: Regional Trends and U.S. Foreign Policy Implications
Instructor: Devin Stewart, director of global policy innovations, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs

Explore the economic, political, and governance issues in East Asia, a region in which America’s strategic future lies. Topics to be covered include the economic rise of the area; regional governance and norms; economic, political, and human rights trends; and U.S. policy response.

Russia: Regional Economic Agenda and Power Politics

John Nelson, emerging markets banker and consultant

This course offers an intensive examination of Russia’s relationship with its neighbors and efforts to secure closer economic ties with critical markets, including China, Turkey, and Europe. Of particular focus are the implications of the economic crisis on Russia’s regional economic policies and efforts to integrate into the world economy.

Reassessing International Food Security: Responses to Urbanization

Instructor: Jessica Wurwarg, food policy and urban specialist, former World Bank staff

This course pays particular attention to how international food policy and security organizations are responding to urbanization and its accompanying trends, with special consideration of two key areas: Asia (India and China) and Latin America (Mexico, Chile, and Bolivia).

For a full list of global affairs courses, please visit the scps site.

line
SCPS

Center for Global Affairs | New York University
15 Barclay St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10007
(212) 992-8380 scps.global.affairs@nyu.edu

###