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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on March 14th, 2008 Britain’s Blair tours Japan, India, China to rally support on climate change. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair began a tour of China, India and Japan on Friday hoping to rally support for a new global pact on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Wednesday that developed countries are chiefly responsible for global warming, insisting that developing nations should be allowed to set lower emission reduction targets. China and some other developing countries, including India, argue their economies should not be penalized by binding cuts when their per capita emissions are below those in developed countries. But Blair, who was arriving in Tokyo on Friday, said the successor to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol - which set binding targets on industrial countries to cut emissions by 2012 - must involve a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Blair was carrying out the unpaid seven-day tour in his role as a consultant to The Climate Group, a nonprofit organization which is funded by corporations and governments from around the world. In December, delegations from nearly 190 countries agreed at a U.N.-sponsored conference in Bali, Indonesia, to adopt a blueprint for controlling global warming gases before the end of next year. Blair said The Climate Group had convened a panel of experts to examine possible frameworks for the deal and will deliver a report to a meeting of the Group of Eight industrialized nations in July. «Unless there is a concerted global deal where there is a framework that everyone agrees to … then it isn’t going to work,» Blair said. «What we know at the moment is that whatever deals are being done on a unilateral basis in individual countries, the amount of emissions are still rising,» he said. China now generates a large share of the world’s greenhouse gases, with some experts saying it has already overtaken the U.S. as the world’s No. 1 emitter. On The Net www.tonyblairoffice.org ————— Tony Blair is to lead a new international team which could have the backing of China and America. The former prime minister believes he can help prepare a blueprint for an agreement to cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2050, and has the backing of the White House, the UN and Europe, including Gordon Brown. He told the Guardian he has been working on the project with a group of climate change experts since he left office last summer, and will publish an interim report to the G8 group of industrialised nations this summer. He is due to reveal the initiative this weekend at a meeting of the G20 in Japan, before travelling to discuss the plans with the Chinese and Indian governments. “There is a deadlock. Everyone is agreed where we want to get to, but unless you agree on the framework for getting there, you are left with a process and not a result,” he said. He said the world had less than two years to secure a deal, or accept that global warming is irreversible. “The fact of the matter is that if we do not take substantial action over the next two years, then by 2020 we will thinking seriously about adaptation rather than prevention.” The Climate Group, a not-for-profit organisation supported by business, backs him. His team of international experts, includies Sir Nicholas Stern, the author of the groundbreaking report on the costs of climate change, and specialists from China, Japan, the US and Europe. ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on March 9th, 2008 Bike-Shops in Denmark: A New Service Industry. A Preview of Copenhagen 2009? 21st Century Regenerative Technology Fresh Aggregated Eco Tech. News Friday, March 7, 2008 http://21st-century-techno.blogspot.com/ 1. Getting people on bikes, part II: bike shops Continuing on with this cross-cultural exchange: I recently bought a new bike myself, a Trek touring cycle, and the experience was pretty unpleasant in all the predictable ways. It’s impossible for non-obsessives to sort through all the options, and most bike shop employees really aren’t interested in helping. So how does this work in Denmark, where cycling is ubiquitous? Has a thriving service industry sprung up to cater to all that commuter demand? Are bike shop employees as solicitous as sommeliers in a wine bar? Are new bike models displayed in spacious, gleaming showrooms, turning slowly on spotlit pedestals? According to Cycleliciousness, the answer is: no. A more apt comparison might be the neighborhood pharmacy. Convenient, local, and no-frills: There are scores of bike shops to choose from. Seriously. In a 1 km radius from my flat I would guess that I could find 30 bike shops. Competition is tough. Most focus on repairs and tune ups and repairing flat tyres. Sales isn’t always the primary source of income. A Copenhagener knows which bike shop is best and cheapest for repairs in his or her neighbourhood and the topic comes up in conversation with friends and neighbours. A bike shop has to be reasonably priced and friendly if they want to survive. Simply because the locals will pass by and head for the next shop if the service is bad or pricey. Word of mouth is a powerful thing. If you’re buying a bike here, there isn’t a big emphasis on fitting and sizing. You, the customer, have been riding every day your entire adult life. So has the bike seller. There is no need for boring conversations about fitting or sizing. He’ll take one look at you and point out the right size. You’ll know he’s right. Enough said. You’ll check out the frame, the colour, the basics like brakes, etc. If you like it, you’ll buy it. You may shop around for a bit, but there is little more than that. The chances that you’ll actually test ride the bike are slim. You’re no expert, but when you ride every single day you have experience. Bike shops are nothing fancy. They fix bikes as well as sell them. Most are small, local operations so they don’t have a lot of space. Some larger chains have bigger selections but the norm is a cosy little shop with a man with greasy hands smiling from behind his counter. If you want to buy a fancy bike, like a racing bike or a mountain bike you’ll need to find a specialist shop. I don’t even know where one is if I need one. If you’re buying a bike like that, you’re probably going to ride it on the weekends as a hobby. If you need a bike to ride every day, you go to your local shop. Sounds pretty good to me. I’d probably have sought out a specialist dealer, but then again, if I were Danish, I might not feel the need to hunt down a fancy touring bike to commute on… ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on March 7th, 2008 From: sniffenj at un.org UNEP PRESS RELEASE Holidays for a Living Planet — UNEP launches ‘Green Passport’ campaign at the big Berlin Tourism Fair. BERLIN/NAIROBI, 7 March 2008 – Green travel tips for the world’s growing The internet-based campaign, “Green Passport”, aims to raise tourists’ awareness of their potential to “Many consumers are now making green domestic choices from sourcing Stefanos Fotiou, head of UNEP’s tourism unit, said: “By browsing the ‘Green In 2007, international tourist arrivals reached nearly 900 million and by “There are some encouraging signs in terms of market response to the The new UNEP campaign will provide information to tourists to help them
The ‘Green Passport’ web site is one outcome of this process. The web site,
and contact: Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson/Head of Media, in Nairobi, on Or Anne-France White, Associate Information Officer, on +254-20-762-3088, Or Robert Bisset, UNEP Spokesperson in Europe, on tel: +33-1-4437-7613, ********************************** ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on February 25th, 2008 Nuts From The Amazon Help Fuel First Biofuel Airline Flight, reports Nigel Hunt from London, for Reuters, February 25, 2008. Nuts picked from Amazon rainforests helped fuel the world’s first commercial airline flight powered by renewable energy on Sunday. We guess - this in order to play it safe - Only one of the tanks was filled with this fuel mixture. A Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet flew from London to Amsterdam with one of its fuel tanks filled with a bio-jet blend including babassu oil and coconut oil. “Today marks a vital breakthrough for the whole airline industry,” Virgin founder Richard Branson told reporters in a hangar at Heathrow airport prior to the flight’s departure. There has been concern, however, that an expansion in the area of crops grown for energy has helped drive up food prices, and some scientists have questioned the environmental benefits of so-called first generation biofuels. Many scientists believe so-called second generation biofuels, which could be made from products such as municipal waste, will provide more substantial environmental benefits without competing with food crops for land. The biofuels blend on the Virgin flight contained 20 percent neat biofuel and 80 percent conventional jet fuel. Branson said tests had shown it was possible to fly with a 40 percent blend. Last year, Virgin started to power some of its trains using a fuel containing 20 percent biodiesel produced mainly using British rapeseed oil blended with US soybean oil and palm oil from the Far East. ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on January 28th, 2008 Dear Pincas,On behalf of Richard Bangs, we hope you can join us for this exciting event. Tourism New Zealand, Menasha Ridge Press, Small World Productions and Air New Zealand Preceded by cocktails and hors d’oeuvres reception Thursday, February 7 RSVP to Steven Lai Kia Ora: The Explorers Club has long celebrated achievements that push at the boundaries of the possible. Now, the search for sustainability defines a new frontier – and one of its pioneering explorers is Richard Bangs, adventurer, author and co-founder of Mountain Travel Sobek. In 2007, Richard set out to find the essence of sustainability in New Zealand. Distributed by American Public Television, Richard Bangs’ Adventures with Purpose “New Zealand: Quest for Kaitiakitanga” is a one-hour special that debuts on national public television in February 2008 – and will unveil the ancient Māori precept of guardianship of the land and its people. His companion book “Quest for Kaitiakitanga: The Ancient Māori Secret from New Zealand that Could Save the Earth” hits bookstores this month (excerpts or galley on request). And Mountain Travel Sobek’s new 11-day itinerary, inspired by Richard’s discoveries, offers departures in April and November 2008. Also on-hand will be Annie Dundas, Tourism New Zealand’s new Vice President, North America, who can talk of New Zealand’s sustainability plans, including Prime Minister Helen Clark’s national pledge towards carbon-neutrality and plans for World Environmental Day in host and capital city Wellington, on June 5, 2008. Please join Richard and Annie at the Explorers Club on Thursday, February 7, for an exclusive New York screening of highlights from his documentary. Richard will also share insights he feels may change the way we view and implement sustainability – with implications for travel and much more. We hope you will join us for a timely, stimulating and provocative evening.
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on December 21st, 2007 From: http://heschel.org.il/eng/newsletter/8 As the Chanukkah lights fade and 2007 turns into 2008, the Heschel Center is entering its tenth anniversary year. This newsletter gives some of the highlights of our activity this year, and in 2008 we will reflect on our achievements since 1998 and how we can foster those successes to meet the challenges ahead - with a landmark event planned for this time next year. For you to join us in these efforts, we are launching a Decade of Success fundraising campaign. I urge you to contribute what you can to help us create a sustainable future for Israel. Israel’s outdoor scenery is breathtaking, and there is no better way to see it than with the people working to preserve it. This is an opportunity for a unique, challenging and rewarding Israel experience and a chance to literally “walk the walk” for a sustainable Israel. Registration is still open, and discounts are available for multiple family members and for students studying in Israel. For more information, go to www.hikeisrael.org. Upcoming event: Social Responsibility and Educational Audacity: [Jewish] Education, Cultural Criticism and Social Activism To mark Abraham Joshua Heschel’s centennial, the Heschel Center and the Melton Centre for Jewish Education at Hebrew University are cosponsoring the Social Responsibility and Environmental Audacity conference this Sunday and Monday, December 23 and 24. The conference, to be held in English, will discuss Heschel’s impact on education and the links between religious-cultural thought and environmental, social and economic justice. We are pleased to offer you a chance to see the conference remotely, through photographs and videos that will be uploaded to the Internet at http://melton.huji.ac.il/heschel. Don’t miss it! What’s New at the Heschel Center? MAOF 2007 Creating an environmental groundshift in local politics While November 2008 means elections for the U.S. president, at Heschel it is an opportunity to instill environmentalism into the agendas of candidates for local office in Israel. With the aid of the Green Environment Fund the Israeli environmental movement has joined forces to create a combined campaign in the lead-up to the 2008 municipal elections. The Heschel Center’s central and formative role in the movement allowed us to facilitate the creation of the coalition and the setting of its goals and plan. At the Heschel-led Maof conference last week (December 12-13), 45 environmental leaders from throughout Israel, including representatives of Arab and Ultra-Orthodox green organizations, discussed how to make the environment a central issue in candidates’ platforms and voters’ decisions. Over the two-day conference, the environmentalists chose three areas to focus on: Transportation and Accessibility; Health and Pollution Reduction; and Strengthening the Urban Fabric and Green Spaces of the City. A common thread through all three initiatives will be Environmental Justice, aiming for a fair distribution of benefits and resources. The campaign will focus on six Israeli cities, where working groups will help educate the public and candidates for office on environmental issues. More pictures are available at: http://picasaweb.google.com/heschel.cent…. Greening the Public Eye - Israeli Artists for Environmental Justice making a difference Israelis driving down the Ayalon Highway will notice an improved view this January, when all the billboards will be taken down thanks to the lobbying of local celebrities, as part of a campaign against rampant misappropriation of public spaces.
The Ayalon billboards campaign is one of the group’s most recent successes. For the Heschel Center, the group of celebrities is a critical tool for making Israelis think green. Comic actress and Artists’ group member Riki Blich was interviewed in the Fall 2007 edition of “Achbar Ha’ir,” (City Mouse), a glossy Tel Aviv magazine. She noted how she tries to eliminate plastic bags from her life and cut down on buying new clothes. We are using the group to bring together like-minded Israeli celebrities and to maximize their impact on the public. Heschel Environmental Fellows becoming a strong network of change The secret to reducing litter in public space may lie in removing garbage cans. At the recent Heschel Environmental Fellows Alumni Meeting, fellow Gidi Bashan described how, as the regional coordinator for the Jewish National Fund, he significantly reduced litter in the JNF forests outside of Jerusalem, simply by removing the trash cans. Paired with a public information campaign, Bashan convinced park visitors to “pack it in, pack it out,” also creating less total waste as a result. And it pays: removing the garbage cans saved JNF the cost of trash pickup. This was only one of a wide swath of environmental initiatives tabled Fellows at the conference, held in Yafo on October 15. Other topics included sustainable procurement for local municipalities, the relationship of Jews and Palestinians in Yafo, and advice on how to achieve green goals in public office. Over 50 Fellows graduates attended. The Environmental Fellows program at Heschel is now in its ninth year. With more than 120 graduates, the Fellows program has helped build a network of Heschel-trained environmentalists who occupy varied and prestigious posts in Israeli society. This translates into the Heschel Center having a huge impact in Israel and strong connections to key people in the non-profit, business and government spheres. To see what last year’s graduates are doing, you can see their list of projects in our last newsletter here. FEATURED FELLOW Dr. Itamar Grotto Appointed National Director of Public Health On December 2, Itamar Grotto, M.D. MPH, began working as the Director of Public Health Services in the Ministry of Health. Grotto, who participated in the 2005-6 Fellows program, said he comes to his post with a focus on environmental health and environment-related diseases. He hopes to make connections between the Health Ministry, the Environment Ministry and Israeli NGOs working on the effects of the environment on health and disease. The Fellows program affected his outlook on public health, Grotto said. “In terms of having a wide view of the environment, and the topic of strengthening the need for cooperation,” he said, the program was crucial. “Within the environmental health personnel who work in the Ministry of Health, there may be other potential Fellows,” he added. During his Fellowship, Grotto pushed to develop an interdisciplinary environmental health curriculum within Ben Gurion University, where he taught in the epidemiology department, as well as in the public health departments of Hebrew, Haifa and Tel Aviv Universities. Grotto lives in Hod Hasharon. We wish him the best of luck in his new post. The Ever-Expanding Green Schools Network Last newsletter, we mentioned that the Green Schools Network was growing exponentially, with an especially large addition from Arab schools in northern Israel. Since September, teachers in those schools have been undergoing training to learn how to bring the environment into their classrooms and class trips. The GSN has added six new staff members this year to help train the teachers. Whereas many school programs operating in Israel bring outside counselors to teach children about the environment, the Green Schools Network is different. “We don’t bring additional hours into the system,” said Michal Shamai, the director of the Green Schools Network. “We train teachers who are already in the schools. We try to create local environmental networks of schools in the same areas, creating ripples of change the lead students to the whole school, the school to the community, the local network to the city or region and the national network to the entire country.” In November, the alumni of the inaugural Educational Fellows program, aimed at principals and regional education coordinators, met and began work on a national syllabus for environmental education. Creating Sustainable Local Economies in the Israeli Periphery This year, the Heschel Center launched the Sustainable Local Economies project to strengthen the periphery in Israel. Rural communities in Israel suffer because local money goes to national and international companies, draining the municipal economies without any improvement in the quality of life. In October, project coordinators Shahar Dolev and Lia Ettinger went to the London-based New Economics Foundation (nef) to study tools and coaching approaches that can help in cultivating local economies. “What the nef is doing is truly fantastic,” Dolev said. “We hope to achieve similar successes in Israel.” Dolev and Ettinger have already started spreading what they learned in London to the Israeli non-profit sector. On November 18, they conducted a workshop in Jerusalem for a large group of social and environmental activists on how to stop the flow of local money out of weak communities. The next step, Dolev said, is creating a course for environmental leaders and choosing pilot communities in Israel to try out the new tools. In February, a team from the project will go on a follow-up study tour in England to learn more about reviving struggling peripheral economies. The Sustainable Local Economies project has offered advice to the Environmental Social Lobby in the Knesset on how to craft policies that will foster the regeneration of deprived regions in Israel. GOOD ENERGY INITIATIVE Using Carbon Credits to Create Clean Electricity The Good Energy Initiative, a Heschel-supported project, has sold 600 tons of carbon offsets, most recently to Toyota in Israel, Hazon USA, and to the Dutch Embassy in Israel. “The carbon market in Israel is beginning to create results that translate into real projects in the field of climate change,” said GEI director Eyal Biger, a Heschel Fellows graduate. The carbon offsets support clean energy projects across the country, Biger said. “Power to the Children,” for example, provides solar panels to the families of Bedouin children suffering from cancer. The solar energy powers the machines needed to heal the patients, and lets the children heal at home rather than in hospitals. Through the “Kol Dodi” project, the GEI is advising residents of large apartment buildings on how to replace their diesel-powered water heaters with solar ones. The project name comes from dude, the Hebrew word for water heater. The GEI has also sold 1,500 compact fluorescent lightbulbs at a steep discount to encourage Israelis to stop using incandescent lighting. Beginning in January, the GEI will open new frontiers in greening the Aroma coffee company, advising Eilat residents on energy saving, and making Radio Tel Aviv more environmentally friendly. Environmental Insights from Judaic Sources - Chanukkah Please join our world wide network of supporters by donating towards the realization of our vision of a sustainable Israel. Tax-free donations to the Heschel Center can be made here. This newsletter was prepared by Daniella Cheslow, who is interning at the Heschel Center through the New Israel Fund Social Justice Fellowship. The Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership Our mailing address is: Subscription address ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on December 16th, 2007 November 200 “Making of the New 7 Wonders” DVD Now Available! Nominate New7Wonders of Nature Candidates NOW, get an Official Supporting Committee going! There is a wonderful diversity in the nominees. They include bodies of water such as Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia or the Dead Sea between Israel, Jordan and Palestine, canyons such as the Grand Canyon in the U.S. and Colca Canyon in Peru, waterfalls including Iguassu Falls in Brazil and Argentina, Victoria Falls in Zambia, Angel Falls in Venezuela and Niagara Falls between the U.S. and Canada, islands such as Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands and Yemen’s Socotra Island, as well as fjords such as Norway’s Geirangerfjord. Perhaps less easy to categorize but equally impressive are other natural marvels being nominated, such as Sunderbans, the largest mangrove forest in India and Bangladesh, the world’s largest salt flats, Salar de Uyuni, in Bolivia, Giant’s Causeway in Ireland, Mongolia’s Flaming Cliffs and the submarine Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean.
New7Wonders Official Song. The beat of the first-ever global election has people grooving from all four corners of the planet. Click here and experience the musical heart of the New 7 Wonders of the World - your feet will soon be tapping along. Please see the diagram at the bottom of this newsletter for the stages and timing of the New7Wonders of Nature campaign. The first-ever global election revealed some surprising insights, first and foremost that the largest group that took part in the campaign was - contrary to what you may think - not the Chinese or the Indians, but rather the children! Yes, kids worldwide participated by voting, campaigning, submitting artwork, showing how New7Wonders is stimulating intercultural dialogue and fostering an environment of mutual appreciation. In another interesting twist, monuments inspired real cross-cultural support - sometimes more than national! For example, more Koreans and Japanese voted for the Eiffel Tower than did people in France, and children everywhere cast their votes for fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle - more than people in Germany. In an African sprint, an avalanche of votes in support of Timbuktu were cast in the final weeks of the event from throughout Africa. Founder and President of New7Wonders Bernard Weber says, “On a personal note, I am especially pleased to see that my two countries, Switzerland and Canada, were amongst the most active participants without having national candidates, along with some more exotic countries like Yemen, Albania and Afghanistan.” Read Bernard Weber’s fascinating, short analysis of the vote by clicking here. The 07.07.07 celebration truly spanned the globe! Huge, often spontaneous parties were held in the winning countries, like those held to celebrate being named Olympic Games host or winning a major international sporting event. The journey to the spectacular gala Declaration of the New 7 Wonders in Lisbon was full of exciting, thought-provoking and enlightening moments. Follow Bernard Weber and his team as they travel and work to fulfil the vision of bringing our world together to choose the New 7 Wonders of the World. See magnificent footage of many of the New7Wonders finalists, listen to rare music from many of the cultures represented, and enjoy interviews with people around the world who played a special part in the birth of the New 7 Wonders of the World. This is a great holiday gift, so order NOW! Limited Edition New7Wonders Silver Medals, and Medallions and Pins Three exciting new additions can now be found in the New7Wonders shop. Official New7Wonders Color Medallions. Official New7Wonders Pins. To edit your New7Wonders member profile, click here Permalink | ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on December 16th, 2007 Visiting Antarctic, Amazon Helped Climate Case - Ban. Nearly 200 nations meeting in Bali reached a deal to launch talks on a pact to fight global warming, but only after a reversal by the United States allowed a historic breakthrough. Ban, who has made climate change a priority, went last month to the tip of South America to see melting glaciers and the Antarctic, where temperatures are at their highest in about 1,800 years. He also went to the Amazon basin in Brazil, a leader in developing biofuels from crops as an alternative to fossil fuels. “That visit also made me personally much more convinced in my conviction. That has given me much more convincing power in talking to other people,” Ban said in an interview on board a flight from the East Timor capital Dili to Jakarta via Bali. The UN Secretary General stopped over in Bali to make an 11th hour appeal to negotiators to end a deadlock in the talks. The breakthrough came shortly afterwards when nations approved a “roadmap” for two years of talks on a treaty to succeed the existing Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012, widening it to the United States and developing nations such as China and India. The deal after two weeks of talks came after Washington dropped opposition to a proposal by the main developing-nation bloc, the G77, for rich nations to do more to help the developing world fight rising greenhouse emissions. Ban took some credit for raising awareness over climate change, which a UN climate panel has said is caused by human activities led by burning fossil fuels that produce carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. “If you look at the situation last year, even early this year there was not much heightened understanding and awareness,” said Ban, who has visited nearly 60 countries in his first year as UN Secretary General. “This is the defining moment for me and my mandate as secretary-general,” the 64-year-old Ban told Reuters separately, shortly after a deal was reached and before re-boarding a UN plane to resume his flight to the Indonesian capital Jakarta. “I appreciate that all the countries…recognised that this is a defining agenda for all humanity, for all planet earth,” said Ban, 64, a former South Korean foreign minister. He cautioned, however, that there was a lot more work to do. “This is just a beginning, a beginning of the negotiations. Next year we’ll have to engage in a much more complex and difficult process of negotiation.” Ban this week also made his first visit to Asia’s youngest nation East Timor, which plunged into chaos last year during factional violence that killed 37 people and drove more than 100,000 from their homes. “This is a huge challenge. Almost one tenth of the population are now living in camps,” said Ban, who toured a camp for displaced people in the capital Dili during his one-day visit. The United Nations will decide in February whether to extend the mandate of its mission in the country, which became fully independent in 2002 after voting to break away from Indonesian rule in a violence-marred UN sponsored ballot in 1999. Story by Ed Davies, Story Date: 17/12/2007 ————– At www.SustainabiliTank.info that raised questions about the UNSG trip from New York To Valencia, Spain via The Korean Scientific Station At the Antarctica, the Chilean Military Outpost in an Area Dispute By Argentina and Chile, and His Trip To the Amazonas, These Without Any Thoughts About Offsets. Will We now Expect The UNSG To Go To Every Place Of Major Conflict In Order To See It For Himself - The Likes Of The Places Where There Are Ongoing Killings In Darfur, The Shderot Village In Israel Where There Is Quite Often Shelling From Hamas Run Gaza? Or Is The UNSG Just Going To Pick Nice Places Like The Coral Bleaching Area Of The Coast Of Australia, The Coast Of Dalmatia, Miami Beach in Florida? Sorry, But Skepticism Is The Mark Of Good Blog Journalism - The Kind That The UN Is Very Much Short Off. |






















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