The Human Potential

Just believe in your self. Your human potential.

Thankfully, there is a lineage of belief in human potential.

In psychology there have been many who have believed in the positive, the best we can be, including Maslow and Rogers and more recently Wilber and Seligman, amongst many others.

As the above picture shows, in tennis too, there is a lineage of belief. The above photo of 17-year old Melanie Oudin  is in the lineage of others like Venus Williams who at 17, won the US Tennis open. Not so much later Maria Sharapova defeated her, also at 17.

Beliefs can change who we are if those new beliefs are just peripheral to who we think we are.

Change your mind about someone and change who you are. Especially if that someone is your self.

We all have that potential. Just believe.

EJ Wensing

mailto:ejwensing@ecosphere.net

US Virgin Islands

Global Youth Action for Global Sustainability

The United Nations Environment Program in cooperation with UNEP National Committee for the Republic of Korea just wrapped-up their Tunza International Children and Youth Conference in Daejeon, Korea on August 23^rd.

Here is an excerpt from the final collaborative statement from the conference:

The Future Needs Strong Vision and Leadership  

We, young people - 3 billion of the world population – are concerned and frustrated that our governments are not doing enough to combat climate change.  

We feel that radical and holistic measures are needed urgently from us all.  

We now need more actions and less talking.  

Climate Change is affecting us all, and we need to find efficient ways to cope with it, adapt to it and take action to stop it.  

We note that climate change is leading to loss of natural resources and makes it difficult to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Sea level rise, desert encroachment and warmer weather is affecting everyone and everything on the planet, especially small island states.  

Climate change has serious consequences not only for ecosystems, but also for human health, job security and social development.  

Together we CAN make a difference.  

We Request Our Governments to:  

• Agree on a more fair, just and action oriented post-Kyoto agreement adopted and implemented by all countries

• Have strict laws and enforcement against those who pollute and degrade the environment, coupled with education and incentives to protect the environment

• Develop and implement clearly defined carbon action plans and climate response strategies, which can be monitored and reviewed by an independent multi-national climate facility

• Transition toward a green economy based on renewable energies and offer more incentives for people to buy affordable energy efficient products

• Reduce the number of vehicles and traffic density on our roads, including improved and affordable public and pedestrian transport systems

• Make engaging environmental education mandatory in schools and universities and promote community environmental awareness - an informed public is a powerful public

· Pay attention to the conflicts that have developed throughout the world and the negative impact it has had on the environment and develop conflict resolution strategies

• Make it mandatory to include carbon and ecological footprint information in products

• Implement green energy and industry, including sustainable food production

• Support youth efforts to make a change in the world

We Appeal to All Citizens of this Planet to:  

• Organize Civil Society to pressure governments to take short and medium term positive actions towards a global green economy.

• Develop and promote the infrastructure and use of public transportation and eco-friendly alternatives (eco cars, carpooling, public transit, biofuels or solar energy vehicles, legal and economic incentives to promote sustainable transportation such as biking or walking.)

• Use your rights, choices and awareness as consumers to pressure businesses, producers and governments to promote environmentally friendly products and eco-labeling policies (buy local seasonal products, avoid over-packaged and plastic products, purchase from eco-friendly companies)

• Enforce sustainable behaviors through the three Rs to protect natural resources from human impacts and promote environmental education.

• Plant more trees that absorb carbon dioxide emissions

• Engage in environmental campaigns and education to other citizens

• Commit to sustainable lifestyles to reduce your carbon footprint

As Young People, We Will:  

• Actively commit to undertaking the above actions;

• Encourage our communities and as many people as possible to do the above individual actions;

• Expand our networks to reach out to other youth to organizations and networks to become involved;

• Take part in and/or initiate climate change rallies if capable (on 21 September, 24 October etc, locally and nationally) in run up to COP 15;

      ·  Engage in environmentally friendly activities especially planting, nurturing and                     

            protection of trees;

• Exchange, connect and encourage best practices of young people on climate change;

• Communicate environment and climate change through the media and social networks like Uniteforclimate.org, Facebook and Twitter, and also develop environmental websites on climate change.

• Encourage schools and universities to become ecofriendly

• Support and promote the efforts of the UN Secretary General to Seal the Deal in Copenhagen.

To learn more about the conference and what youth around the world are doing for global sustainability please visit their website (click here for link)

EJ Wensing
US Virgin Islands

ejwensing@ecosphere.net

Earthland

As seen in the photo above, from space the Earth has been likened by some to “an island” or a “spaceship”.   

The idea being that while we may feel separated from each other by cultures, wars and disagreement, taken from the perspective of space, we’re actually in it together on a planet of finite, not infinite space and resources.  

This was the UN Director of Sustainable Development, Tarique Banuri’s point in his recent presentation at the international sustainability conference I attended at the University of Utrecht, Holland.

He calls for a standpoint in which we think and act from the perspective of the Earth as being one land, or, “Earthland”, as he puts it.

Stand in this place, as a citizen of Earthland, and you may get the “we are all connected” feeling.

This feeling wouldn’t just be a romantic notion but also of course a scientific fact.

The sustainability science research community continues to demonatrate how we are all connected on Earth and how we all have to be connected, that is, how we have to improve those connections if we want a sustainable future on Earth. For example, in her recent paper on the sustainability of global socio-ecological systems in Science magazine, Elinor Ostrom argues that government policies and scientific research as isolated case studies are not enough, but that interaction of experts and stakeholders across all scales from the local to the global is essential for a transition to global sustainability. (link to abstract)

Cooperative partnership interactions that result in beneficial mutual learning and lead to a sustainable future for all citizens of Earthland.

EJ Wensing

ejwensing@ecosphere.net

The Upside of Genetically Modified Foods

Subtitle: “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility”

Human creativity and ingenuity in the form of science and technology (S&T) is an essential part of a transition toward a global sustainable future.

Yet, with each innovation we must concurrently decide when, where and how to appropriately use it.

The “when, where and how” steps are the most important and often the most difficult, especially when much of the S&T innovation generated is through corporate funded research.

While corporations have historically been geared exclusively toward profit, this has been changing significantly through an expanded engagement with corporate social responsibility worldwide.

At the same time, politically powerful environmental groups have to modify their approach.

Take the case of genetically modified foods. They have great potential benefit in Africa for so many people who live in poverty and are starving. Yet, politically powerful environmental groups have successfully lobbied against their use worldwide. This needs to be changed. 

For a recent argument on the potential upside of genetically modified foods in Africa please visit this link.

“Potential upside” because corporations must engage a new ethos with regard to standards of practice. At the same time, environmental groups must moderate their positions to help meet the urgent needs of the people of Africa.

The utility of innovations is context driven. What is appropriate for a sustainable future in one context may not be appropriate in another.

In any case, our human capacities of creativity and innovation give us great power to change our collective future. With that power comes great responsibility.

EJ Wensing

US Virgin Islands

ejwensing@ecosphere.net

Sustainability: Along Networks and Across Scales

Achieving global sustainable development and sustainability requires a willingness to make significant changes away from current human behaviors and attitudes regarding overconsumption, exploitation and reproduction across all global societies.

To guide us in the right direction in a transition toward a sustainable future scientific research must discover the requisite socioecological goals and innovative technology to help get us there. Governance must implement policy to help support research and innovation into effective action.

The humanities and social sciences must also play key roles in this future by discovering how to most effectively bridge scientific knowledge, innovative technology and supportive policy into action on local, national and global levels. That is, along networks and across different scales from the local to the global.

Conversely, the humanities and social sciences can inform science and technological research as well as governance and policy as to the boundaries of human willingness and the human ability to make significant changes in behavior and attitudes toward sustainable development.

However, as importantly, through the co-development of valid and effective learning systems the humanities and social sciences can also help move those boundaries and change human willingness and ability into valid and effective action for sustainable development.

Research and development of valid and effective learning systems for sustainability for individuals, schools, communities, corporations and nations is what Ecosphere Net is all about.

EJ Wensing

ejwensing@ecosphere.net

US Virgin Islands