34.10 Spring, Summer of 1992
34.10.1 Introduction
34.10.2 Preparation for the "Earth Summit" at Rio, 1992
Important work throughout the Winter and Spring of 1992 and culminating in June was my contribution to the Canadian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) "Earth Charter" Working Group for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The informal name for the UNCED was the Earth Summit and it was convened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 3 to 14 June, 1992. My friend Peter Timmerman was the co-convenor of this NGO working group, and together we drafted our report for the Earth Charter.
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The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro was unprecedented for a UN conference, in terms of both its size and the scope of its concerns. The principal themes of the conference concerned environment and sustainable development. Twenty years after the first global environment conference, (the UN Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, 1972) the UN sought to help Governments rethink economic development and find ways to halt the destruction of irreplaceable natural resources and pollution of the planet. Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life were drawn into the Rio process. They persuaded their leaders to go to Rio and join other nations in making the difficult decisions needed to ensure a healthy planet for generations to come.
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The Summit’s message — that nothing less than a transformation of our attitudes and behaviour would bring about the necessary changes — was transmitted by almost 10,000 on-site journalists and heard by millions around the world. The message reflected the complexity of the problems facing us: that poverty as well as excessive consumption by affluent populations place damaging stress on the environment. Governments recognized the need to redirect international and national plans and policies to ensure that all economic decisions fully took into account any environmental impact. And the message has produced results, making eco-efficiency a guiding principle for business and governments alike.
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Patterns of production — particularly the production of toxic components, such as lead in gasoline, or poisonous waste — are being scrutinized in a systematic manner by the UN and Governments alike;
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Alternative sources of energy are being sought to replace the use of fossil fuels which are linked to global climate change;
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New reliance on public transportation systems is being emphasized in order to reduce vehicle emissions, congestion in cities and the health problems caused by polluted air and smog;
- There is much greater awareness of and concern over the growing scarcity of water.
The two-week Earth Summit was the climax of a process, begun in December 1989, of planning, education and negotiations among all Member States of the United Nations, leading to the adoption of "Agenda 21", a wide-ranging blueprint for action to achieve sustainable development worldwide.
In addition to "Agenda 21", the other documents coming out this conference included: the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the Statement of Forest Principles, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
34.10.3 Conferring of Joanna's B.A. 1992
Joanna received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy on 8 June, 1992, from St. Michael's College, University of Toronto. It was a small and intimate ceremony and her degree was presented by her favourite professor, Dr. A.E. Wingell.
34.10.4 Environmental Science AQ
The summer of 1992 I earned the Part Two Additional Qualification for "Environmental Science". The professor for EDU9382A was Bill Andrews, with whom I was working on the "Towards an Ecozoic Curriculum" writing project.
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During the Spring of 1991 I did more extensive preparation for my planned trip. It just seemed that something was in the air: a revolutionary moment.
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