World Team Now!

Next year, June 4^th hopefully we all will be back in Rio+20 for the United Nations’ Earth Summit 2012 to continue what was started many years ago . What is a “life call” for transformation within many of us—being stewards of our earth—may finally become important enough to motivate our world leaders to agree on strong global policy that supports our collective environment, for humanity, and our future.

It was a life changing significant journey for many of us who attended The Earth Summit/Global Forum in Rio De Janeiro, in 1992. “I wish I could capture the energy in this room and bottle it,” said Olivia Newton-John at a press conference. It further ignited a collective spark that fueled the fire inside of many activists, leaders—indeed, all of us who made it to Rio, and continued on the environmental path!

We all laugh at the acronym UNCED, thinking much is “un-said,” but there were significant achievements to come out of Rio with Agenda 21, The Climate Change Treaty which gave way to the Climate Convention (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – UNFCCC). This was where the Biodiversity and Desertification Conventions got legs. There was the Rio Declaration, for more on the history of the Earth Summit, click here.

During this year long road to Rio+20 World Team Now will be focused on renewable energy and policy, with on the ground projects to demonstrate what is possible. To read about some coverage of recent renewable energy projects click here. Or be inspired by Google’s solar energy goal to go “viral”, and make solar affordable for us all. The scientists are our real heros, and most are behind the scenes quietly doing their research without the eyes of the world on them. Several of the organization partners in the campaign Tck, Tck, Tck including World Team Now, believe in 100% reliance on renewable energy in the future. What once seemed impossible, like putting a man on the moon, becomes possible with bold declarations and commitment to execution.

World Team Now will also share some of the original video, stories and information from Rio 1992 when Suzanne Maxx wore multiple hats; a speaker, a performer, activist, journalist, and videographer for Jerry Brown (who was then running for President of the USA). In the footage, we follow a VIP entourage that included many people deeply respected. Our goal is to encourage all to participate now and wear the hat of being a citizen of our world committed to living in better balance with our resources.

If all of us, the people of the world push for global political will to drive towards united commitment, transformation can happen. On the eve of World Environment Day this is an invitation to join World Team Now virtually; from the past into our future, as we invite all to be present in whatever way possible next year at the reunion in Rio.

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Courtesy of NASA

Think Global: Act Local Act for ALL

By Suzanne Maxx

The reality of one home and shared resources for us all is starting to take priority for many who had been previously concerned only about personal survival or achievement. Global philanthropy is an at all time high — ironically this comes at a time when personal survival is challenged and despite these times many people seem to continue to seek the bigger picture, beyond their own challenges. Regardless of country, we are all dealing with the world now, and our potential future. We all have a need for air, water, earth, and energy. Our collective resources are shared and how we use them regardless of where we are, affects us all. An emergent question is how we put a value or “price” on responsibility to these elements. What can that replace or transform our present monetary structures and support the global “eco”mony/ology ? This is what humanity is beginning to awaken to with our global environmental movement. How do we live on earth in balance with our resources?

Growth is challenging. Is there a higher reason we all are being called to look at the way we have structured the game of life in our world now? Here’s to human evolution, and global transformation.

This is an exciting time for those of living inside the environmental and social movement for two decades or more…. Our time is now — people, like you are listening, and want to participate, as we are all stake holders in our children’s home. With perseverance, the battles to convince people of the existence of environmental and social challenges facing the planet are not over, but we have succeeded to begin to educate the masses. Multi-media telecommunications have shrunk the world, and some powerful leaders (without countries) have emerged on the global scene — thank you, Yvo de Boer, Al Gore, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Bono. Now the challenge lies in doing the work to create the change in enough time for the change to take hold so humanity has more options. The speed at which we are able to move now is exhilarating, if not overwhelming. Just when I’m ready to post about “G20”, or “solar energy”, something changes or the technology advances — it is a challenge to keep pace with accuracy with the speed at which the transformation is happening. Please forgive me if by the time you are reading this the information is obsolete.

For the future direction of humanity and our global environment, one thing is clear; there is a lot riding on the potential of the upcoming United Nation’s Conference in Copenhagen. The possibility of a global treaty that is enforceable and honored by the world for our world — could be a global game changer or life transformer. One of the challenges with the U.N. model is the way the world is divided, described, and regulated — by the concepts of categorizing countries by their “development”. Is there a more powerful framework to view with the world? Does it serve us to label the USA as “developed” and China and India as “developing” nations? We have to at least try to work within the U.N.’s global framework as it is the only global framework we have now. Just like we have to work within our challenged systems like our legal, educational, political, monetary and healthcare systems, as that is what we have now. How can the “systems” better serve humanity, and what role can the machine play in the transformation?

The outcome of a powerful Global Treaty could be like what The Constitution is for the USA, or like what the Declaration of Human Rights distinguishes for the world. Personally I have been following this dream of a global treaty for our environment, since Rio De Janeiro 1992, when I was there where it all began in the global community, at The Earth Summit/Global Forum. Then the treaty was just emerging as the “The Climate Change Treaty” or more formally; “The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC), with more nations ratifying this global document than any other in the history of our world — for our environment. The idea behind the climate treaty is aimed at stabilizing greenhouse gases, in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent change in our climate system. It became The Kyoto Protocol, after a rocky history of trying to get the USA to ratify, but the distinctions between developing and developed countries made the playing field questionable, when developing giants like China and India would not have to play by the same rules as the USA, for more history click here. The UNFCCC or FCCC roots grew back to The Earth Summit /Global Forum, formerly The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The acronym “UNCED” remained the joke that many told which summed up a strong underlying truth, of the outcome for many with the frustration of what was “UN-SAID” in the United Nations’ conferences. We believe at World Team Now name’s are significant. What about a new name for what could become “The Copenhagen Treaty” (It would be nice if we could evolve past the place it was created, and call it something that could have meaning for all in the World; like “The World’s Action Treaty for Environmental Resources and Sustainability”, with the acronym; “WATERS”…. This name is more encompassing as it could allow the off set, trading game to apply to more than Climate Change but also to other environmental contaminants that affect our earth and humanity offing a reward for the clean up, and cost to pay for those who chose to take our collective resources.

Tag: UNCED

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