Call goes out in ugent effort for environment<\/p>\n
UNITED NATIONS (AP): Despite improvements in the last 30
\nyears, efforts to keep the globe eco-friendly remain the world's
\n\"urgent, unfinished agenda,\" the deputy United Nations chief said
\non Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In a speech to environment ministers attending a UN conference
\non sustainable development -- the term for environmentally sound
\neconomic growth -- Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette
\ncalled for a new ethic of conservation and stewardship to guide
\ndevelopment in the 21st century.<\/p>\n
\"There is no denying the environmental achievements of the
\npast three decades,\" Frechette said, listing the creation of
\ngovernment environment ministries and landmark treaties on
\nclimate change, biodiversity and the depletion of the ozone
\nlayer.<\/p>\n
\"However,\" she said, \"we must acknowledge the presence of an
\nurgent, unfinished agenda: humans continue to plunder the global
\nenvironment, unsustainable practices remain deeply embedded in
\nthe fabric of our daily lives, and despite some honorable
\nexceptions, our responses to the challenges of sustainability
\nhave been too few, too little and too late.\"<\/p>\n
The environment conference of the UN Commission on Sustainable
\nDevelopment is meeting at UN headquarters to prepare for the 10th
\nanniversary of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, where world leaders
\nadopted a broad agenda to protect forests, clean up water,
\nreverse atmospheric pollution, alleviate poverty and address
\nother problems.<\/p>\n
The environment group Greenpeace pointed out that the
\nconference was occurring at U.N. headquarters at the same time as
\na monthlong review of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.<\/p>\n
\"In one room, the rich few will argue that they have no money
\nto spare for sustainable development, in the other they will
\nstruggle to maintain and further develop their multi-billion
\ndollar nuclear arsenal,\" said Remi Parmentier, head of
\nGreenpeace's international political unit.<\/p>\n
\"If only a portion of what is spent by the nuclear weapons
\nstates to maintain and further develop their nuclear weapons was
\nre-routed towards the protection of the environment, sustainable
\ndevelopment could become a reality,\" Parmentier said in a
\nstatement.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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