Monthly Archives: June 2012

RIO+20

Yann-Arthus Bertrand: How film can change the perception of the world

Yann-Arthus Bertrand. Photo: Maya Vautier

Do we really know what is happening to the people in the contemporary biophysical world who are suffering from environmental problems and have to survive the local impacts of global degradation of nature? How do we think about ourselves? What do we know about ourselves?

These questions may never arise when we watch Bollywood or Hollywood fantasy films. To pose these questions allows insights into the roles of directors, actors and actresses or even viewers, with concerns to the current state of the world.

The Rio+20 conference opened up a spectrum of opportunities for the great French film director Yann Arthus Bertrand. Bertrand is no ordinary film director. He is an activist for the planet and advocate for the betterment of people who are suffering from droughts, hunger, water scarcity and floods. With this intentions in mind, the international environmental organization called “GoodPlanet” was established on July 1, 2025 by Yann-Arthus Bertrand.

Parallel to the Rio+20 conference, there was a film festival and photography exhibition open to the public free of charge. The whole program was dedicated to making people in RIO+20 or Rio de Janeiro City think deeper about nature and human life. The event was held 16th of June to 21st of June 2012 at the Odeon Cinema, Pc Floriano.

In Bertrands own words:

“The planet Earth is far more beautiful than I had ever imagined. Since I started looking at it from above, its splendor has never ceased to amaze me. This beauty, discovered through years of taking photographs, has transformed me. It is what has driven me to become an environmental activist […] In order to move forward, one can draw illumination by examining the past two decades.

Global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased by 75 per cent, reaching USD 63,000 billion, but there are still one billion people living under the poverty threshold […] I don’t want to tell you what to do. I won’t lecture you. Each and every one of you can do something – it’s up to you to discover what that is.” (His full speech can be found at http://www.un.org/en/sustainablefuture/yann.shtml)

While talking with us, Bertrand said his obligation as a human being is to convey the message to people “to save the world and stand up for the whole of human well-being”. He was awarded the National Outdoor Book Award in 2010 for his film Our Living Earth. Currently, he is engaged as goodwill ambassador of UNEP.

RIO+20, Water

Water harvesting and afforestation in degraded lands: Lessons from Israel

Afforestation Efforts. Photo source: Jewish National Fund

Desertification is a prominent issue in Middle East countries. On the other hand, even – compared to drought - relatively minor run-offs of about 150-350mm precipitation cause land degradation.This run-off removes the “A” layer of soil which contains minerals and carbonic fertilizers. The SD-learning program entitled “Water harvesting and afforestation as a means to rehabilitate degraded lands” addressed the questionhow to deal with arid and semi-arid ecological conditions to improve food security and the quality of life for people. The program was organized by Israel-based Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael - Jewish National FundThis program has built over 220 water reservoirs, which harvest flood water and recycle water to be re-used for irrigation. The SD-learning course showed the methodologies and technologies of adopting ancient experiences to encounter soil erosion as a result of “gully head” which are caused by floods in semi-arid areas. Without enriched soil layer, farmers are not able to cultivate crops.

Itshack Moshe, who is the expert consultant in the program, elaborated the issue and scientific solution which they adopted in the Hiran area in Israel. They build small dams in the gully-head areas and planted special trees which tolerate the arid climate, extra evaporation and soil conditions. Those trees are Acacia Radiana, Pistacia Atlantica, Eucalyptus. David Brand, who is Chief Forester and Head of the Forest Department, explained research which explored the protection of the Eucalyptus trees from natural enemies, e.g. invasive species such as the Gall Wasp.

The KL-JNF International Sustainability Projects engages with other countries to shares its knowledge and experiences. It is especially committed to maintain regional peace with Palestine by sharing their knowledge and technology. Their vision is peace as an essential part of sustainable development.

Decent Work, RIO+20

Rio+20 agenda-setting: Green jobs, decent work?

The Panel

According to the sustainable development discourse, nature and human wellbeing are at stake. In this context, green jobs turn up as pivotal policy implementation of the Green Economy, promising decent work with dignity and honor. Thus, green jobs and decent working conditions are on the table at Rio+20. The roundtable program “Decent Work and Social Protection Floors for Sustainable Development”, organized by ILO, IMF and UNEP, addresses social inclusion and social dialogue for greener, fairer and more sustainable job opportunities. ILO defines green jobs as jobs that reduce the environmental impact of enterprises and the economic sectors, ultimately to reach sustainable degrees.

In the Green Economy, social behaviors and economic patterns have to be set on an eco-friendly pathway. However, countries are already suffering from economic crises and as a consequence struggle with rising underemployment or unemployment, especially in relation to booming population growth. Therefore, it is a challenging moment to both put nature conservation as well as job demand into consideration. ILO and other UN agencies, with the patronage of member states, are working to establish the policy dialogue to alleviate current economic and social burdens and to improve environmental protection. Therefore, these actors are actively promoting investment in “green” economic activities, building up skills for green jobs, and enhancing speed of the green transformation.

The panel was represented by high level delegations from UN agencies and governments. The Director General of ILO, Juan Somavia, pointed out the Rio+20 commitment to decent work under green economic conditions. In order to reach this, an empowering social dialogue in the policy arena is most important to creating an integrated policy discussion on a national level.

H.E Heikki Holmås, who is the Minister of International Development of Norway, emphasized that there was a significant growth of inequalities within the last 20 years. Thus, increase of economic growth is not widening up the imbalance among people. He further showed that multinational companies and developed countries have moved production to developing countries labor markets because of low taxation and low wage conditions there. This is a really pathetic situation which creates non-decent work conditions and leads to poverty.

H.E Tereza Campello explained that Brazil, as an emerging economy, has identified the social and economic issues in greening its job market. By introducing progressive social initiatives, Brazil has introduced a social security network aimed at promoting decent work condition. Brazil has a high Gini-coefficient. Therefore, it is the target to overcome social inequalities and implement social inclusiveness to a higher degree.

Achim Steiner, the UNEP Executive Director, pointed out that green jobs should not be equated with people working in recycling or waste separation areas, without any hygiene instructions and with their bare hands. He added that children and women are toiling as slave laborers in many waste separation facilities in a number of countries. This is a disgusting situation. Therefore governments are to be more vigilant to ensure dignified working conditions in the job market. He finally pointed out that implementation of “energy for all” does not include the fossil fuel energy industry. Countries have to move towards renewable energy production while abolishing without fossil fuel subsidies.

Zhu Min, who is the Deputy Managing Director of IMF, emphasized that improving education is the drive for establishing green and decent works in the future.

In the panel discussion, participants of the roundtable discussion presented some important points, namely the need to

  1. Establishing decent working condition in fishing industry
  2. Promoting fair and decent working condition for women in the agricultural sector
Food Insecurity, RIO+20

Major Group statements urges UN to fight hunger

We document a joint statement by Major Groups issued today, which is addressed at Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon:

Dear Secretary General,

We would like to commend the efforts of civil society in highlighting the importance of food security for the achievement of sustainable development. Despite these inputs, the outcome document of Rio+20 does not propose an ambitious plan for the achievement of universal access to food and water.

In light of this shortcoming, Mr. Secretary, we appreciate that you are pushing for the eradication of hunger. As you are well aware, almost 1 billion people are hungry. Malnourishment compromises lives, depriving people of adequate development and a healthy future. At the same time, an increasing number of people suffer the effects of unhealthy diets that lead to diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. At this moment, more people die from diseases caused by overconsumption, than because of under consumption.

We commend your initiative Zero Hunger Challenge, which is aimed at ending hunger in your lifetime. In order to succeed, we must not simply establish new goals, nor do we only need to share our vision of a hunger free world. We urgently need to shift towards an economy that is based on the well-being of all people, animals and the rest of nature. We need to agree on concrete steps to end starvation and malnutrition for all, as well as to fight unsustainable patterns of food production and consumption.

People need to have the right to define their own food and agricultural systems. Therefore, food sovereignty must be a key principle lying at the heart of our efforts to end hunger globally.

Our current food system is plagued by unequal access to productive resources. The FAO has found that women farmers could help feed at least another 150 million people, if we act now to close inequities. In addition, land grabs and water grabs undermine food sovereignty today and threaten the resource base of current and future generations. This is the reality we face.

In order to realize the future we want and we need, governments must recognize the rights of peasants and rural peoples and protect the right to land, food and water in international human rights law. It is important to ensure a human rights based approach to development and to establish institutional mechanisms that will ensure fulfilment of human rights, particularly those pertaining to life, survival and development.

Therefore, we strongly support the establishment of the Ombudsperson for future generations at national and High Commissioner for Future Generations at international levels to advocate for the needs of both current and future generations. We look forward to working with you on the report you have been invited to provide on this regard.

Governments alone are not able to deal with the challenge of feeding a growing world population. Stakeholders, including farmers, young people and NGOs – as well as everyone in this room – must be included in decision making processes that affect food security. At the international level, we support the Committee on World Food Security as an inclusive forum to develop food and agricultural policies that will help us feed the world.

Mr. Secretary, we understand the challenge. We know what your role is and we know ours. We urgently need to make all actors aware of their roles, rights and their responsibilities. Thank you.

A Cambodian farmer, victim of landgrabs, looks at his former fields.

Photo (CC): OXFAM GB in Asia

RIO+20
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Protest today in RioCentro - Youth and othe parts of civil society neglected “The Future We Bought”, a mock text, as a means of expressing that they thought the Summit was a failure.

More about the action in the Guardian online.

RIO+20
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Green Economy, the New Enemy:
Social movements, especially trade unions and landless workers, are blasting the “new green economy” proposed at Rio+20. “It is just a fresh coat of paint on the old predatory model,” charged unionists at the march of at least 50,000 people Wednesday along Avenida Vargas.
In Rio de Janeiro, the focus of discussions was the condemnation of “green capitalism”, the commodification of nature, attacks on women’s rights, U.S. imperialism and transnational corporations. The slogan “No One Owns Water” reflects fears that the green economy will result in widespread privatization of water resources. The avenue came alive with banners and bright red caps, in contrast to the green that tinted official government negotiations at Rio+20.

TERRAVIVA Rio + 20, United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre Desenvolvimento Sustentável Issue 2 Thursday, June 21, 2025

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Protest March for the Defense of the Commons and against the Commercialization of Nature, June 20, 2025 (II).

Video coming too, processing right now.

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June 20, 2012, Global Day of Action: The March for the Defense of Common Goods and Against the Commercialization of Nature in Downtown Rio de Janeiro (I)