V. XXII No 2, 3 - World Information Transfer

Summer-Fall 2010, vol. XXII No.2,32245771011131516161617TABLE OF CONTENTSChallenges for aChanging ClimateMs. Tania V. RaguzDr. Christine K. DurbakH.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moonH.E. Mr. Yuriy A. SergeyevMs. Irena ZubcevicDr. Emily K. ShumanMr. Werner ObermeyerMr. Kurt DahlinMr. Glenn WiserMr. Ryan M. PowersNUCLEAR ENERGY UPDATE:Chornobyl ReviewH.E. Mr. Valeriy KuchinskyH. E. Mr. Mykhajlo BolotskyhMr. Denis ZdorovDr. Hanna KapustyanChallenges For AChanging Climate19th International Conference on Health andEnvironment: Global Partners for Global SolutionsUnited Nations Headquarters, April 22, 2010specialIssue19212122PANEL DISCUSSION:Nuclear Energy, Media,and Activism: Shapingthe Opinion of Youth,Government, and SocietyMs. Jessica WilliamsonProf. Karl GrossmanMr. Remy ChevalierMs. Bahar ShahparChild Health and Social Development: CombatingWater Contamination in Rural African Villagespage 1228LUNCHEON SPEAKER:The Climate We DeserveMr. Jay Walker, CEO, Walker DigitalEducation brings choices.Choices bring power.World Ecology Reportis printed on recycled paper.H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moonMessage to 19th Conferencepage 4page 28The Climate We DeserveGuest Speaker - Mr. Jay Walker

MORNING SESSION - Mrs. Irena Zubcevic, Ms. Tania Valerie Raguz, H.E. Mr. Yuriy A. Sergeyev,Dr. Christine K. Durbak, Dr. Emily K. Shuman, Mr. Kurt Dahlin, Mr. Glenn Wiser.World Information Transfer2 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010Ms. Tania Valerie RaguzUN-CSD 18 Vice-Chair, EasternEuropean States, Mission of Croatiato the United NationsModerator introductionThis year’s theme is “Challenges for a Changing Climate”.I have been given the great pleasure to be yourmoderator for the morning session. I have had the opportunityto work with the World Information Transferthrough my dealings with the Commission on SustainableDevelopment here at the United Nations where Ihave been a member on the bureau both last year andthis year representing the group of Eastern EuropeanStates. Before I hand over the floor to the openingspeaker for this morning, I just want to run through thismorning’s programme so that you are well aware whatwe are going to be discussing.It would give me great pleasure to introduce Dr.Christine Durbak, the Chair and CEO of World InformationTransfer. And then Dr. Durbak will be followedby his excellency Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev who is thepermanent representative of Ukraine to the United Nationsand had been an active participant in this series ofconferences. It’s nice to see you back again Excellency.Then I will turn the microphone over to my dear colleague,Irena Zubcevic, who is the senior sustainable developmentofficer from the United Nations Departmentfor economic and social affairs and from the secretariatfor sustainable development.For the Keynote address we would like to welcome thisyear, Dr. Emily Shuman, who will be dealing with ‘GlobalClimate Change and Children’s Health’ and then wewill listen to Werner Obermeyer from the World HealthOrganization. After that presentation, we will watch afilm screening entitled ‘Silent Snow’ which has been directedby Jan van den Berg. Then Glenn Wiser, seniorAttorney for the Centre of International EnvironmentalLaw and Steering Committee, member of InternationalPOPs Elimination Network. Finally, we will have a presentationon ‘Children’s Health and Social Developmentcombating water contamination in Rural African Villageswho we will hear from representative from WaterWells for Africa, in particular founder and presidentKurt Dahlin. With this I have the great pleasure to turnthe microphone to Dr. Durbak for her introductory andwelcoming remarks.Dr. Christine K. DurbakFounder and Chair of WITOpening StatementYour Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Colleagues,Students and Ladies and Gentlemen, On behalfof World Information Transfer, I would like to givethanks to the Government of Ukraine for their continuedco-sponsorship of our Conferences since 1992, theGovernment of Azerbaijan and the Mission of Belarusfor their support of our 19th Conference.Today’s theme examines how we confront challenges– a topic each one of us knows from personal experience.Daily life, in fact, consists of a range of challenges,and our feelings of strength or weakness come, in part,from our success in handling the obstacles we confront.The impending climate change and the ramifications ofchemicals and pesticides, particularly on children willtest all of us in different ways. The manner in which weface and cope with these challenges will affect the way weand you will live in the forthcoming years.

From our work over the last 23 years, we have concludedthat the fear of change confuses the understandingof complex challenges and slows down progress towardsolutions. When people are afraid of somethingnew, they fall back on superstition, old hatreds andunfounded beliefs. Our current global stage can be observedfrom that perspective: on the one hand are thoseafraid of knowing the problems because that would requirethem to do things differently; on the other arethose who embrace the challenges because they want todo things differently. The first group embraces the statusquo, the second group embraces change. The most creativeminds are to be found in the second group. They arewilling to face the inevitable change and thus conquertheir fear of change.However, there is also another category. Those whoseek a fantasy life without challenges or problems.Those that make assumptions and come to conclusionswithout science based evidence. Some in this categorychange historical facts by removing names or even factsof history from text books. Those are the ones that disregardthe facts of reality, for example the fact that thetemperature of the earth’s oceans has increased. Theycannot tell the difference between evidence derivedfrom scientific research and “evidence” derived from adream. This group of individuals contributes the leastto finding solutions to the planet’s toughest challengesand adheres to regression by playing on people’s fear ofchange.Today we’ll be hearing from scientists and expertson a few very important issues. This morning we’lllearn that children face hazards today that were neitherknown nor suspected a few decades ago. They are atrisk of exposure to over 85,000 synthetic chemicals. Inthe USA they are most likely exposed to 15,000 highproduction volume (HPV) chemicals which are widelydispersed in foods, household products and pesticides.Less than half of them have been tested for their potentialhuman toxicity, particularly for children who areparticularly vulnerable to chemicals in the environmentbecause of their disproportionately heavy exposuresand their inherent biological susceptibility. Moreover,because their organs are still undergoing developmentand maturation during exposure to environmental pollutants,children are more likely to sustain injuries withlifelong impacts.Among all the organs potentially injured when childrenare exposed to environmental toxicants, it is thecentral nervous system that is most vulnerable. Childrendevelop the brain that will serve them for therest of their lives during the first 6 years of life. Consequently,exposure to environmental neurotoxicantsduring this period can produce permanent neurodevelopmentalsequelae. Whereas the adult brain has anatural “barrier” to prevent many dangerous substancesfrom entering the brain (so-called blood brain barrier),this barrier is underdeveloped in children resulting ingreater entry of drugs and neurotoxicants. This physiologicdifference between children and adults explainswhy children who are exposed to lead or mercury developovert symptoms of permanent brain injury, atlower degrees of exposure than adults. According toestimates, as many as 17% of American children havea neurodevelopmental disorder and for autism and attentiondeficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) there isevidence that the incidence has risen more than 10 foldin the last few decades. The progressive pollution of ourplanet indicates that the protection of children againstenvironmental toxins is a major challenge to modernsociety.“When people are afraid of something new, they fallback on superstition, old hatreds and unfoundedbeliefs - some change historical facts”We will also examine the issues of nuclear energy, theafter effects of Chornobyl on the Ukrainian and formerSoviet Union society and the importance of continuoustransparency of scientific findings in order to resolve ormoderate some of the forthcoming issues of development.For the past 19 years we have dedicated a segmentof our Conference to the ramifications of this manmadedisaster. As with natural disasters the survivors mourntheir losses as they clean up their environment. Theirminds are preoccupied with images of death and destructionand some may exhibit what is known in psychiatryas “survivor’s guilt,” condemning themselves forhaving lived while others perished. Others develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).The impact of manmade disasters is much wider. Theanxiety of individuals and societies following Chornobyllasted for many years. Even to this day people considerthemselves contaminated with radiation and fearcontinued birth defects. Humans are programmed tomourn their losses and changes in life and mourningallows us to accept that loss or a change has occurred.Without mourning a traumatized society has a tendencyto remain fearful, helpless and victimized, which consequentlycomplicates the “survivors” guilt, PTSD and preventsthem from seeking change in their society.World Information TransferWorld Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 20103

As we continue to examine problems and seekingsolutions for a better future, I would like to give youan illustration of a creative solution derived from realisticallyconfronting a challenge in the lovely island ofBali, Indonesia. I will refer you to a recent story* abouta garbage clean-up on Bali. As the amount of garbagehas grown, individual businesses and residents had toaddress their waste problem which interfered with thetourism industry. A guest in a hotel on Bali, a reporterfor the Telegraph (UK) wanted to know what happenedto the contents of his hotel room wastepaper basket.He found out that “Beneath the corrugated iron roofof an open-ended old pig shed…workers were painstakinglyhand-separating paper, plastics, glass, aluminum,food scraps, vegetable matter and other material thatcan be used again, leaving only the remnants to go intothe island’s rudimentary waste disposal system. Everyweek, 140 lorry loads of waste arrive. Only 10 leave carryingreal rubbish.” Twelve years ago, Ms. Yuyun Ismawati,an environmental engineer started this business.“She found that a pig farmer was paying hotels for their“Challenges posed by climate changeoffer a climate ripe for innovation”waste and persuaded him that recycling it would bemore profitable. Currently 25 hotels are involved. Almosteverything is recycled: food scraps are bought bypig farmers and grass clippings and other vegetation iscomposted, and mostly returned to the hotels for flowerbeds.The operation supports over 400 people. Ms.Ismawati established six more centers on the neighboringisland of Java. This year, Ismawati won a GoldmanAward, the world’s biggest prize for grassroots greenactivism.The challenges posed by climate change offer a climateripe for innovation. The coming years will be yourmoment in history. As you hear our speakers today, wehope our Conference inspires you to meet the challengesahead. Each generation’s future lies in their ownhands and they are the ones that will benefit if they findthe courage to live without fear.I would like to end with a quote from Nelson Mandela,“We cannot waste our precious children. Not anotherone! It is long past time for us to act on their behalf.”Thank you for your attention.*Source: The Telegraph (UK), March 5, 2010, “How to makethe most of rubbish, A rubbish revolution is under way in Bali,”Geoffrey LeanWorld Information Transfer4 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010H.E. Mr.Ban Ki-moonThe Secretary-Generalof the United NationsWritten Message to 19thInternational Conferenceon Health and EnvironmentToday we are here to commemorate the victims ofthe Chernobyl disaster, to honour the sacrifices made bythose who died, and those who survived.We remember the hundreds of emergency workerswho responded to the accident; the more than 330,000people who were uprooted from their homes; the thousandsof children who later contracted thyroid cancer.We commemorate the heroic efforts of those whotook on the task of clearing up after the disaster; and thebravery of millions of people in the surrounding area,who have lived with a legacy of fear for their health andlivelihoods for more than two decades.The UN’s strategy to address the lingering consequencesof Chernobyl is aimed at fostering the region’slong-term development and providing people with theinformation they need to lead safe and healthy lives. TheUnited Nations remains committed to the Decade ofRecovery and Sustainable Development for Chernobylaffectedregions proclaimed by the General Assembly,which began in 2006, and to the UN Chernobyl ActionPlan.I also welcome the initiative of Ukraine, co-sponsoredby Belarus and the Russian Federation, to convene an internationalconference on the 25th anniversary of the accidentin April 2011, to mark progress towards the goalof a return to normal life.One of the global lessons of the Chernobyl disaster isthe importance of strengthening the safety and securityof nuclear material and facilities. I welcome the renewedcommitment of world leaders to this issue, seen at theNuclear Security Summit meeting in Washington DClast week.Communities affected by Chernobyl are demonstratingresilience in coping with the consequences of thedisaster, but they continue to need our support.The UN stands ready to do everything in its power tofurther the region’s revival. I call on the internationalcommunity to support the full recovery of all those affectedby the Chernobyl disaster.I wish World Information Transfer every success atyour conference.

H.E. Mr. Yuriy A. SergeyevPermanent Representative ofUkraine to the United NationsMadame Chair, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen. Itis not the first time I have the honor to welcome the participantsof the International Conference on Health and Environment:Global Partners for Global Solutions. Since early1992 the Government of Ukraine has been co-sponsoringthis event. I would like to express my sincere gratitude tothe President of the World Information Transfer, Dr. ChristineDurbak, her right hand Dr. Claudia Strauss and the entireteam for their devoted work in organizing such events.It is my pleasure to welcome other co-sponsors andsupporters of today’s forum, as well as moderators,speakers, guests and all stakeholders for their contributionto today’s deliberations.The Conference itself provides us with a great possibilityto discuss crucial environmental, social and crosscuttingissues, which are on the focus of Ukraine’s andinternational agenda.We have to remember that the nuclear energy is consideredto be one of the cleanest sources of energy andviable solutions for meeting rising energy demands,reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating climatechange, and achieving sustainable development. It isthe right time for the international community to benefitfrom the potential of the peaceful atom by applyingmodern technologies, which are safer, more stable andecologically proven. Lessons learned from Chornobylmight be helpful in developing safe and environmentallyclean nuclear energy.The accident at the Unit 4 of the Chornobyl NuclearPower Plant in April 26, 1986, caused long-lastingdamage for the environment, and as a consequencewe observe downward trends in population health anddevelopment of the affected territories. Numerically, apopulation of 5 million and the 145 sq. m. of the territoriesof Ukraine, Belarus and the Russian Federation– the countries most affected by Chornobyl – were directlydamaged by nuclear fallout.Nowadays, we observe increasing numbers of disabledpersons in Ukraine from the Chornobyl-affected population.I would like to point out that in 1991 there werearound 2 thousand disabled people, by the beginning of2010 – over 110 thousand, and 2 600 of those are children.By mentioning this, I would like to stress that full recoveryand returning to normal life, as well the sustainabledevelopment of the affected territories, are highlyimportant, and I believe that with the support of theinternational community this aim is realistic. We havealready achieved great progress in Chornobyl recovery,but many challenges remain. The successful implementationof the Third Decade for Chornobyl “Decade of recoveryand sustainable development of the affected regions”proclaimed by the General Assembly resolution,gives us more optimism in achieving our goals.Let me remind you that just last week within theframework of the 43rd session of the Commission onPopulation and Development we discussed health issues,with a focus on the morbidity and mortality of thepopulation. There is no need to underscore that manyhuman diseases, in particular non-communicable diseases,involve environmental risk factors, including nuclearcontamination. A healthy environment is key to ahealthy population.Ukraine attaches utmost importance to the role of theUnited Nations, particularly, the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme in the strengthening of internationalcooperation in mitigating and minimizing the consequencesof the Chornobyl disaster. The role of the UNagencies and NGOs is essential to the fulfillment of theUN Action Plan to 2016 aimed at the implementation ofthe Third Decade for Chornobyl, and in realization of theInternational Chernobyl Research Information Network(ICRIN project). Ukraine believes that all these activitieswill facilitate the implementation in an effective and timelymanner of the United Nations Strategy on Chornobyl.As I have previously mentioned, international assistanceis highly important in addressing the Chornobylconsequences and rebuilding normal and safe living environmentin the effected area. In particular, we rely onour partners in converting the nuclear power plant in anecologically safe place. Further delays in the constructionof a new safe confinement “Shelter” around thedamaged Unit 4 of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plantcan cost much more. The new Shelter – designed to containthe radioactive remains of Chornobyl Unit 4 forthe next 100 years – is intended to replace the presentcontainment structure, which was constructed under extremeconditions, with very high levels of radiation, andunder extreme time constraints.Ukraine is grateful to the donor countries to the NuclearSafety Account and the Chornobyl Shelter Fund,which financed the construction of spent nuclear fuel storageand the transformation of the Chornobyl Shelter intoWorld Information TransferWorld Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 20105

an environmentally safe system. Construction of a new safeconfinement is ready to begin later this summer. We call onall partners to fully implement their commitments.The Chornobyl catastrophe became a national tragedyfor Ukrainians. We still feel its consequences today.It has created a number of social and economic problemsthat don’t disappear with years. Only through acomprehensive approach and join efforts of the government,the international community, science, and nongovernmentalorganizations can we solve the problemsof Chornobyl and achieve sustainable development.The 24th anniversary of the catastrophe is an occasion,once again, to draw attention to the magnitude and complexityof the tragedy that affected not only Ukraine. Wemust work together to overcome its serious consequencesand prevent the minor possibility of such disasters in thefuture for the sake of life on the Earth. This is especiallyrelevant today, when the world marks Earth Day.I believe that opinions, ideas and proposals put forwardduring the conference will consolidate our efforts aimed atovercoming the challenges, which we are facing today.I wish all the success to this Conference. I thank you.World Information Transfer6 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010Ms. Irena ZubcevicSenior Sustainable DevelopmentOfficer, Global Policy Branch, Divisionfor Sustainable Development, DESAStatement from UN Divisionfor Sustainable Developmenton behalf of Mr. Tariq Banuri,Director of the Division for Sustainable DevelopmentMadame Chair Dr. Durbak, Ambassador Sergeyev,Dr. Shuman, distinguished guests, colleagues, ladiesand gentlemen. Let me say that it is an honor for me tobe here at this traditional World Information TransferConference on health and environment representingthe Director of the Division for Sustainable Development,Mr. Tariq Banuri, who sends his apologies for notbeing able to be here in person.According to Agenda 21 (chapter 6) and JPOI (chapter6), health and sustainable development are interconnected.Both insufficient development leading topoverty and inappropriate development resulting inover-consumption, coupled with an expanding worldpopulation, can result in severe health problems in bothdeveloping and developed nations.The linkage of health, environmental and socio-economicimprovements requires intersectoral efforts andinvolvement of civil society as well as private sector. It isnvery well seen in a new challenge of the climate changeimpact.Overall, the effects of global climate change are predictedto be heavily concentrated in poorer populationsat low latitudes, where the most important climate-sensitivehealth outcomes (malnutrition, diarrhea and malaria)are already common, and where vulnerability toclimate effects is greatest.The IPPC Synthesis Report 4 (2007) underlines thatwarm spells will increase risk of heat-related mortality,especially for the elderly, chronically sick, very youngand socially isolated; heavy precipitation events will increaserisk of deaths, injuries and infectious, respiratoryand skin diseases; areas affected by drought increaseswill result in increased risk of food and water shortage,increased risk of malnutrition and increased risk ofwater-and food-borne diseases; intense tropical cycloneactivity increases will result in increased risk of deaths,injuries, water- and food- borne diseases and post-traumaticstress disorders; increased incidence of extremehigh sea level will increase risk of deaths and injuries bydrowning in floods and migration-related health effects.However, there is one benefit and that is that warmerand more frequent hot days and nights will result in reducedhuman mortality from decreased cold exposure.A harmonized and evidence-based information systemon environment and health to support public healthand environmental policies is crucial in order to mitigateand adapt to climate change. It needs to be said thatthe proliferation of information sources and the ease ofinformation access have rendered this task both difficultand urgent. While a significant body of knowledge hasemerged on health-related issues, much of this informationis fragmented and is often not available in a formthat is convenient for policy makers and practitioners.Overcoming these barriers would require, in additionto addressing institutional issues, advances in severaldirections. Here are some for your consideration:nthe web-based information needs to be organized andmade available to the policy-making and other communitiesin coherent and user-friendly forms;nit is necessary to build relations among existing networksand make their activities more visible to policymakers;success stories, best practices, evaluations of policiesand programmes should be documented and makethem available in web-based, user-friendly form.This takes us back to the beginning of my remarksabout the linkages of health, environment and socioeconomicimprovements and this can be done only withinthe framework of sustainable development, where allthese agendas converge.Sustainable development promises not only the harmonizationbetween economic, social, and environmen-

tal dimensions, but also a reasoned basis for internationalcooperation, a mechanism to engage the private sectorand civil society, a means of placing scientific knowledgein the hands of policy makers and local communities,and a way of expressing our responsibility towards futuregenerations.Therefore, establishing a more conducive internationalenvironment for a more central role of health inthe sustainable development is essential in order to enablebetter coordination and coherence at national andregional levels in order to integrate health concerns,including those of the most vulnerable populations,into strategies, policies and programmes for povertyeradication and sustainable development. Mechanismsto improve intersectoral action, including institutionalstrengthening for health impact assessment by its integrationinto mainstream policy-making should be addressedas well as new partnerships and alliances put inplace for health and sustainable development.Therefore, conferences like this one that bring togetherscientists, practitioners and policy-makers helpmove the agenda forward and raise awareness of theneed for more holistic approach to health within sustainabledevelopment in order to achieve Millennium DevelopmentGoals and make a better living for all.Our support goes to all of you who are organizingthis valuable conference year after year, especially Dr.Durbak, CEO of WIT and Dr. Strauss and her team, thespeakers as well as participants.Thank you for your attention.Dr. Emily K. ShumanMD, Dept. of Internal Medicine,Div. of Infectious Diseases,U of MichiganGlobal Climate Changeand Children’s HealthGlobal climate change is expected to have enormousimplications for human health. Severe weather eventssuch as heat waves, storms, floods, and droughts will directlyimpact human health, resulting in death, injury,disability, and displacement of populations. Climatechange will also have many indirect effects on humanhealth. The burden of vectorborne and waterborne infectiousdiseases is expected to increase, as insect vectorsare more active at higher temperatures, and contaminationof community water supplies occurs commonlyin the setting of flooding or drought. Climate changemay also result in worsening air pollution with ozoneand particulate matter, which will increase the burdenWhy is climate change occurring?of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in susceptiblepopulations. Due to their unique characteristics,children will be especially vulnerable to the health impactsof climate change. In order to tackle the problemof climate change, there must be a global commitmentto reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.However, because climate change is already occurring,we must also increase our understanding of how to protectvulnerable populations, including children, fromits effects.Greenhouse gasesa Emissions• Carbon dioxide (CO 2)- Combustion of fossil fuels• Methane (CH4) (10%)- Landfills- Coal mines- Oil/natural gas operations- Agriculture• Nitrous oxide (N2O) (5%)- Fertilizers- Combustion of fossil fuels- Industrial/waste management practicesa Deforestation (15-20%)a Since preindustrial era, mean CO 2concentrationsin atmosphere have increased from 280 ppm toover 380 ppmPredictions for the futurea If CO 2emissions remain at current or projectedlevels:• Average global temperature will increase 1.8-5.8ºC bythe end of the 21st century• Sea levels will rise by 9-88 cm as sea ice meltsWorld Information TransferWorld Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 20107

a Floods• Sea surface warming will cause rise in sea level withincreased flooding of coastal areas• 13/20 of world’s megacities are at sea-level• Large-scale population displacement possible with 1meter rise in sea level (18.6 million in China, 13 millionin Bangladesh)• Salination of fresh-water aquifers, disruption of stormwaterdrainage and sewage disposala Drought• 1.7 billion people live in water-stressed areas, expectedto increase to 5 billion by 2025• Reduced food production, increased wildfires, infectiousdiseases associated with poor hygieneClimate change,not just “global warming”a Hydrologic cycle altered as warmer air able to retainmore moisture• More rainfall in some areas, drought in others• More severe weather events- Between 1951 and 2000, 3.3% of earth’s surfacechanged from one climate category to anothera Less polar and boreal climates, more arid climatesClimate change and human healtha Thermal stressa Floods, droughts, extreme stormsa Worsening air pollutiona Infectious diseases• Water- and vectorborne diseasesWeather extremesa Thermal stress• Can lead to cardiovascular and respiratory failure• Heat waves in US more deadly than hurricanes, floods,and tornadoes combined• 2003 heat wave in Europe caused 22,000 deaths in 2weeks• Increased risk of death in urban areas (urban heat islands)and with poor housinga Severe storms• Death, disability, property loss (e.g., in 1998 HurricaneMitch resulted in >19,000 deaths, 2.7 millionhomeless, and $6 billion damages in Central America)• Sea surface warming of slightly over 2°C would intensifyhurricane wind speeds and may increase numberof hurricanes• Concentration of populations in coastal areas and environmentaldegradation increase vulnerabilityWorld Information Transfer8 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010Air pollutiona Ozone concentration may increase as a result ofwarmer temperatures• Asthmaa Pollen concentrations may also increasea Warmer air may disperse air pollution over largerareasClimate and infectious diseases:vectorborne diseasesa Higher diversity of insect vectors in the tropicsa Insect vectors more active at higher temperaturesa Anopheles mosquitoes require temperatures >16ºCto complete their life cycles• And Plasmodium sp develop more rapidly at temperatures>20ºC• One mosquito can infect 200 people with P. falciparuma Mosquitoes tend to thrive in aquatic habitats• Epidemics of malaria and dengue fever occur duringrainy seasons in the tropics, and interannually withweather events associated with El Nino-Southern Oscillationa But epidemics of West Nile virus occur duringdroughts• Mosquitoes and birds brought into close proximityat scarce water sources• Fewer natural predators of mosquitoes as wetlandsdry upClimate and infectious diseases:waterborne diseasesa Drought• Water scarcity leads to poor sanitation• Much of population can be exposed to potentiallycontaminated water• Example: recent cholera epidemic in Kenya- As of 12/5/09, 4,700 cases and 119 deaths

Current burden of importantinfectious diseases that maybe impacted by climate changea Vectorborne diseases• Malaria- 45% of world population at risk- 300-500 million people infected annually with 1 milliondeaths- 90% of deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, causes 1/5 ofchildhood deaths in Africa• Dengue fever- 40% of world population at risk- 50-100 million people infected annually with 22,000 deaths(mostly children)a Waterborne diseases• Diarrheal disease is the 2nd leading cause of deathamong children under age 5 worldwideCurrent impact of climate changeon infectious diseasesa Difficult to separate impact of climate change fromother human factors• Extensive migration and travel of human populations• Drug and pesticide resistance• Urbanization/increased population density• Availability of health services• Population immunity• HIV• An African child has on average 1.6-5.4 episodes ofmalaria each year, and one child dies of malaria every30 seconds• Malaria during pregnancy results in up to 200,000newborn deaths each year• Dengue fever is a leading cause of hospitalization anddeath among children in Asiaa Waterborne diseases: diarrheal diseases• 2 billion episodes each year with an average of 3 episodesannually for each child living in the developingworld• 1.5 million deaths among children under 5 annually(80% occur in Africa, 80% occur in children under 2)• A leading cause of malnutrition and impaired growthConclusionsa Climate change is occurring because of emissionsof greenhouse gases and deforestation.a Climate change will impact human health directlythrough adverse weather events and indirectly inmany ways including increased air pollution andincreased burden of infectious diseases.a Children are especially vulnerable to the potentialadverse health effects related to climate change.References:Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/climatechange;Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf;World Health Organization, www.who.int/globalchange/enFuture impact of climate changeon infectious diseasesa Shift in suitability for malaria and increase in suitabilityfor dengue fever (50% of world populationat risk by 2050)a WHO estimates• 10% more diarrheal disease by 2030 than if climatechange did not occur• If average global temperature increases by 2-3ºC, populationat risk for malaria will increase by 3-5%Climate changeand children’s healtha Children are especially vulnerable to the potentialadverse health effects of climate change• More likely to live in poverty (20% of children in US,50% worldwide)• Kilogram for kilogram drink more water, eat morefood, and breathe more air• Rapidly developing with immature immune systemsa Vectorborne diseasesWorld Information TransferWorld Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 20109

World Information Transfer10 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010Mr. Werner ObermeyerDeputy to the Executive Director,WHOWhy We Should Take MoreConcrete Action to ProtectChildren from EnvironmentalDisease BurdensExcellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies andGentlemen. Let me from the outset thank WIT, andDr. Christine Durbak in person, for their tireless workto ensure that environmental risks remain in the forefrontof public discourse, here at the United Nationsand elsewhere. The magnitude of this challenge is veryclear – more than 13 million deaths a year are causedby preventable environmental factors – and one third ofthese deaths in the world’s poorest regions.In fact one quarter of the global disease burden inadults is related to environmental risk factors. In thecase of children, environmental factors are involvedin more than one third of the disease burden – and indeveloping countries there are 12 times more deaths ofchildren caused by environmental exposures, often inworkplaces, than there are in rich countries. This is allthe more shocking if one bears in mind that the poorestcountries spend $10 per person per public health year,while in rich countries this figure averages $3000.“Chemicals, persistent organic pollutans and toxins oftenhave a lifespan that can affect several generations”These environmental disease burdens can be addressedthrough many interventions, most of which arenot costly and are readily available. They include reducingair pollution, indoors and outdoors, improving accessto clean water, preventing chronic acute respiratoryinfections though better use of fuels, and preventingsome non-communicable diseases such as cancer by limitingexposure to certain chemicals.Chemicals, persistent organic pollutants and toxinsoften have a lifespan that can affect several generationsof humans, through altering hormonal balance anddamaging reproductive and immune systems. It alsohas negative developmental impacts and carcinogeniceffects. Among sensitive populations, in particular theelderly and children, immune systems are typically moresusceptible to many of these pollutants.Some recent data released by the Stockholm and BaselConvention Secretariats suggest that higher temperaturesnot only expose wildlife more to certain pollutants,but also increases the long range atmospheric andoceanographic transport of these pollutants – throughnew migratory patterns of mammals such as seals or polarbears, and of course melting of ice caps.If we note that the 5 warmest years on record occurredsince 2000, it is no wonder that the levels of pollutants andtoxins released in air and water, through melting ice andsnow, have increased alarmingly. Not only has this climaticchange caused greater exposure to a wider range of diseasevectors, but it has also exposed humans directly – orindirectly through the food chain - to more toxicity. Manypesticides that have been banned or severely restricted foruse in industrialized countries are still traded and used indeveloping countries. They are sold to farmers who lackboth equipment and knowledge and result in injuries andeven death particularly of children who till the land..Similarly, industrial chemicals, such as lead additivesto boost octane levels in gasoline, are still used in someareas of he world, resulting in a build up of lead in theenvironment, causing adverse health impacts, especiallythe intellectual development of children. Unfortunatelyasbestos, used in building materials and packaging, isalso prevalent in these regions.Melting ice caps are contributing to the spread oftoxins through ocean flows, and as temperatures of seawater increase, the exposure to humans of fish stockscontaminated with mercury also rises.Children are of course at increased risk as they areconstantly growing and therefore need to consume morefood, breathe more air and drink more water. Young childrenmay crawl and play in areas where they are exposedto dust or dirt that are contaminated by chemicals and astheir central nervous, immune, reproductive and digestivesystems are still developing, exposure to toxins, pollutantsand chemicals can lead to irreversible damage.When we look at climate modeling predictions, itappears clear that sea level rise will displace millionsof people in low lying coastal areas, will flood agriculturallands, resulting in fertilizer run-off and chemicalcontamination of groundwater supplies. Drought andflooding will severely impact our food production andprotein intake, and increases the risk of contaminantsspreading to humans through the food chain.At WHO we have been working closely with UNEPand particularly UNICEF on children’s environmentalhealth issues, and have also increased our partnershipwith the three chemicals conventions, the Stockholmand Basel that I have mentioned, as well as the RotterdamConvention. Although we have made good progressin developed countries, the implementation oflegal instruments in developing countries always suffersfrom capacity challenges and financial restraints.If we add the projections of climate change to thisscenario the challenge becomes all the more daunting.So, let me again emphasize the benefit of having forumssuch as this one, where advocacy and information exchangeis of tremendous value in informing decisionmakers and the leaders of tomorrow of the dangers oftoday.Thank you.

Mr. Kurt DahlinFounder and Presidentof Water Wells for AfricaChild Health and SocialDevelopment: CombatingWater Contamination inRural African VillagesOur efforts have grown to bring water to more than200,000 people each day.Sick Water KillsMore Than 9-11, More Than Viet Nam, More ThanHitler, More Than War.“MadziNdiMoyo” - Water is LIFE“Water gives life to everything, including humandevelopment and human freedom.”- UNDP 2006 REPORT: Beyond ScarcityWar for Clean Water- In the past 10 years, diarrhea from bad water has killed morechildren than all the people lost to armed conflict since WorldWar II.- Diarrhea kills more than malaria each year.Sick Water Kills A Child Every 15 Seconds- Before the sun sets today 5,000 children will die from diarrheacaused by bad water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.- That is the equivalent to ten 747 jets full of kids crashing everyday.The free access to safe drinking water should be consideredthe most basic human right.Water is essentialfor the well being of humankind and for any sustainablecommunity development.All surface water is unsafe in Malawi.Mainly, due tolack of flow and shared sources with animals.Improvement of drinking water supply is a core elementof poverty reduction and community development.Nowater. No development.ContaminationBiological contamination that comes from fecal wasteendangers children and stands in the way of all socialand economic development.The issue in Malawi andin like-communities worldwidecan be reduced to 2 problem categories:- The biological contamination of surface water- The biological contamination of water from pure ground sources(boreholes) after it is taken from that source.Contamination after collection, during transportationand storage is increasingly being recognized as aworldwide issue of public healthIn most villages, womenand young girls are the primary collectors of drinkingwater.Hygiene and Hands- The hygienic standards of women’s hands were examined in 2villages in Chickwawa, Southern Malawi.- In both locations over 55% of the primary collectors tested positivefor E. Coli on their hands.- These percentages proved even higher on the hands of primaryschool children.“Across much of the developing world, unclean wateris an immeasurably greater threat to humansecurity than violent conflict.”- UNDP 2006 REPORT: Beyond ScarcityE. Coli ContaminationThe presence of E. coli in their drinking water indicatesthat the water has been contaminated by fecal matterand therefore presented a risk of all diseases relatedto waste discharge, especially from feces and urine.Hand-to-Water Contact- We have realized that hand-to-water contact or “finger dipping”is the primary cause of the deterioration of their water quality.- It is important to note that these villages have open latrines, notoilet paper, little or no use of soap, and shared living areaswith livestock among other unsanitary practices.- The majority of diseases in developing countries are infectiousdiseases in nature caused by bacteria, viruses and other microbes,which are shed in feces.World Information TransferWorld Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 201011

advancement in these Millennium Development Goals:- More time for primary education- Reduction in child mortality- Improved maternal health, combating disease- Partnerships for global development.Strategy: PartnershipWWFA has always partnered with indigenous leaders(of any kind: religious, tribal, political, school teachers,etc.) and local networks, groups, businesses, and so on.We seek to align our health hopes with local people whoare able to combat and replace unsanitary practices intheir own ways for their own communities.Top 3 Health Concerns- Diarrhea, fever, and dehydration rank as the greatest threatsconcerning their children even in areas where boreholes exist.- All 3 of these top concerns directly relate to biologically contaminatedwater, and could be treated without medication if safewater were available.Disease ReductionThe WHO (2004) estimates that if improvementswere made with sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa alone,434,000 child deaths due to diarrhea would be avertedannually.Our OutlookAs long as the issue persists, our challenge persists.The primary avenue for water contaminated in a villageis dirty hands. Research from a water quality test conductedin Balaka, Southern Malawi, demonstrated that31% of diarrheal disease was reduced in children under5 when water collectors were given buckets that did notallow them to touch the waterImpact of SanitationIn the area of sanitation we seek to teach simple hygienepractices that reach the core of each problem withthe littlest upset to the villagers’ daily routine. Our goalis not only to promote health, but rather, in reducingdisease we seek to:- to increase opportunity for education- small-scale agriculture- social independence/personal choice- internal community development.Our StrategiesThe strategies that we have implemented alleviatethe burden of disease in such a way that we have seenWorld Information Transfer12 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010Strategy: MothersWe know that they influence the cleanliness of eachhome as water collectors and homemakers. Rallying andeducating them has been a direct way to impact childhealth.“Ground water sources are being consideredas safe sources of water supply in ruralareas of Malawi ... Boreholes properly sitedare safe water sources.”Mr. Owen Lin-Phiri. The Regional WaterDevelopment Officer in Blantyre, MalawiBasic Soultions- Personal Hygiene: The proper mixture of wood ash,oil of any kind and water makes soap- Environmental Hygiene: Lye, which is an active ingredientin soap. Can be leached from wood ash andused to kill fly larva if poured in latrines.More Benefits of Ash- Washing hands with wood ash has proved to be aseffective to remove bacteria and virus as washing withsoap.- Beyond hand washing, a mixture of ash, grease andwater washes dishes well.- Carry ash in the bucket to the borehole and washinghands prior to filling the bucketWe have seen and can attest to the power of clean water,hygiene, and the power of partnership.Solutions to ScaleWe do not feel that there will ever be a macro strategythat can solve the rural crisis, but what we do know isthat micro solutions can be done and should be doneon a tremendous scale in order to combat the enormouschallenge before us, the challenge known as the worldwater crisis.

Mr. Glenn WiserSenior AttorneyCenter for InternationalEnvironmental LawInternational Law and ChemicalsI would like to speak today about international lawand chemicals management. First, I will describe a fewof the risks that chemicals pollution pose to humanhealth, including why chemicals such as mercury presentan issue of global concern. Second, I will providea very brief overview of some of the ways the United Nationssystem is responding to this concern.1. The ChallengeThe global chemicals industry is a huge economicforce that impacts all of us in many positive ways. Chemicalsare used in nearly every aspect of our lives, and werely on them for many essential and beneficial goods.Unfortunately, some chemicals have properties thatwe wish they did not. The properties that make chemicalsso attractive in products are sometimes detrimentalwhen chemicals are released into the environment. Forinstance, DDT can be an effective treatment for killingmosquitoes that carry malaria because its toxicity lasts forsuch a long time. Yet because of its persistence, DDT releasedin the environment has an unfortunate tendencyto move northwards over time through air and water currents,and even in migrating animals like fish and marinemammals. This can be a serious problem if you are anInuit living in Alaska and surviving off of seal, walrus, orfish – “country foods” – which have become contaminatedwith industrial chemicals from far away. Other chemicalscan follow a similar trajectory, such as dioxins thatare unintentionally released into the atmosphere duringindustrial combustion processes and ultimately end upin food. These also persist in the environment, movenorth through long-distance environmental transport,and bioaccumulate and biomagnify in the food chain.Another pervasive but lesser known class of persistentchemicals is brominated flame retardants. Flameretardants play an important role in preventing fires andfire-related deaths. Unfortunately, brominated flame retardantscan outlast their usefulness and eventually failto adhere to products such as electronics, carpets, andcurtains. Dust from these products can migrate into ourfood or we inhale it into our lungs, allowing these chemicalsto accumulate in our bodies.As a result of these kinds of processes, all of useveryonein this room have dozens of synthetic chemicals in our bodies.Yet our knowledge of many chemicals is incomplete.What we do know is that they can affect children and unbornchildren to a much greater extent than they do adults.Dangers also arise from non-synthetic elements, suchas mercury. Mercury is not something we make, butsomething that we may mine for use in various products.Mercury is used in compact fluorescent bulbs, for example,which are less energy intensive than incandescentbulbs and can therefore help reduce greenhouse gasemissions related to electricity production.Unfortunately, mercury is also very harmful to humanhealth. Mercury is not just persistent; it is an elementof the earth. Once we bring mercury out of the earth’scrust and introduce it into the biosphere, it stays aroundforever. Small amounts of mercury in the atmospheremay not introduce substantial harms. But when mercuryenters the atmosphere from broken light bulbs or, moreimportantly, from emissions of coal-fired power plants,it moves around and eventually settles on the ground orwater. Coal inevitably contains some level of mercury,and even small percentages produce large effects in theaggregate when thousands or millions of tons of coal areburned over time. Some mercury settles in places likewetlands, where it turns into methylmercury. Methylmercuryis more pernicious than other forms becauseit can be readily absorbed by living things. When a littlefish eats some plankton that contains methylmercury, itretains the methylmercury in its own body. When thatsmall fish is eaten by a larger fish, the methylmercuryaccumulates again, thus biomagnifying as it moves furtherup the food chain. Organisms at the top of the foodchain, such as swordfish, seals, or humans, often havelevels of methylmercury that are far, far higher than thebackground levels in water.Why does this matter? Mercury is a potent neurologicaltoxin. There is no safe threshold for mercury: it isalways bad for you. If someone like me gets exposed toa little methylmercury in fish, I will not worry about itmuch. I am not going to eat tuna fish every day, becausethat could actually lead to acute symptoms like tremors.But for a small child whose brain and organs are growing,or for an unborn child, exposure to mercury canchange forever how that person develops.Like many toxic chemicals, mercury exposure is aglobal problem. In the United States exposure is typicallythrough fish consumption. In parts of China, scientistsare now finding high exposure to methylmercuryeven where people do not eat fish, because mercury is inthe rice. Rice is grown in wet patties where mercury canmethylize. Mercury and other toxic chemicals are also aWorld Information TransferWorld Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 201013

transboundary problem. Inuit who have nothing to dowith the production or use of mercury are still exposedto it because, like DDT and dioxins, mercury can travelgreat distances through air and water currents.2. International SolutionsIn the search for solutions to chemical contamination,international cooperation is essential. Why? As Inoted earlier, many old chemicals such as DDT, newerones like brominated flame retardants, and even elementalchemicals like mercury all share the unfortunatequality of long range environmental transport. Individualcountries cannot always reduce chemical exposureby reducing their chemical production and use,because many chemicals are dispersed so widely fromtheir sources. For example, the Inuit cannot protectthemselves from industrial chemicals, because they donot have a hand in chemicals production. The UnitedStates could eliminate mercury releases by shuttingdown all of its coal-fired power plants or by developingand implementing technologies to filter out the mercuryemissions. Yet this would not solve the exposure problembecause of the long-range environmental transportof mercury from other countries. China and India, forexample, burn a lot of coal and their strategy for developmentrelies on burning a lot more.“Mercury does not go away and in thisrespect it is even worse than nuclear waste”A number of global treaties have been negotiated inresponse to the transboundary problems that chemicalscause. The Inuit people became an important spiritualforce in United Nations negotiations that resulted in theStockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.A related agreement is the Rotterdam Conventionon Prior Informed Consent, which requires countriesto obtain permission before exporting extremely toxicchemicals to other countries. The Basel Convention onTransboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes seeks toprevent the export of waste that can expose children andadults to many toxic chemicals. The Strategic Approachto International Chemicals Management is a voluntaryprocess to help countries use chemicals sensibly anddeal with chemical pollution.These agreements go a long a way toward addressinginternational chemicals management problems. Theyalso present challenges in their own right, however.An overabundance of treaties and voluntary processesmakes it hard for developing countries to administer allof them. In many developing countries, only one or twopeople may be in charge of dealing with chemicals regulationin their government, as well as with negotiatingand administering these treaties. It is also difficult toWorld Information Transfer14 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010deal with numerous interrelated treaties in a coherentfashion. One reason is because the same countries arenot always parties to the same agreements. The UnitedStates is notorious for failing to join environmental treaties.Even if combining two chemicals treaties would bemore efficient, some countries might not support doingso, to avoid complications that could arise from tryingto deal with different membership in each treaty.Last year the Governing Council of the United NationsEnvironment Programme decided to launch negotiationson a mercury treaty, after ten years of discussionon the issue. The negotiations will begin in Junein Stockholm. This is a welcome development, becausemercury contamination is a crucial issue that individualcountries cannot deal with on their own. On the otherhand, an additional treaty will compound the challengesof administration and coherence.To be successful, the mercury treaty must accomplisha number of goals. Most important, it needs to addressthe supply issue. As I mentioned earlier, mercury nevergoes away. Thus, what we need to do first and foremostis prevent new mercury from being mined and releasedinto the environment. Manufacturers can use recycledmercury for all essential mercury uses.The treaty must also regulate international trade inmercury. Many mercury uses, for instance in dentalamalgam for filling cavities, are still prevalent throughoutthe world. Vast amounts of mercury are sold ostensiblyas dental mercury in India, enough to fill the cavitiesof billions of people. But this is not for what the mercuryis actually used. Instead, the mercury is illegally shippedfor use in artisanal small scale gold mining. This is aneconomically important activity throughout much ofthe world, but a terribly polluting one.Finally, the treaty must address what to do with allthe mercury that has been released. Mercury does notgo away and in this respect it is even worse than nuclearwaste. At least nuclear waste might have a half-life ofthousands of years, but mercury must be stored foreveronce it is released. Sound, permanent storage is thereforeone of the challenges the treaty must resolve. Themercury treaty will also have to answer questions thatany treaty must deal with, including how to pay for theseimprovements, who should pay, what technologies canbe used, and how to assist developing countries so thatthey can join in the common effort.For those of you who are interested in environmentalprotection, sustainable development, and United Nationstreaty negotiations, international chemicals managementprovides a great case study and opportunity to learn andmake an important contribution. I hope that my talk haspiqued your interest to consider what you can do.

Mr. Ryan M. PowersAidData TrackingDevelopment FinanceA New Way to ExploreDevelopment FinanceGoals to be achieved by locating a New Avenue to ExploreDevelopment Finance are as follows:1. To Increase the Breadth of Development FinanceData by augmenting traditional sources of ForeignAid Dataa. By Adding multilateral and bilateral donors not reporting atproject-level to OECD Creditor Reporting Systemb. By Adding additional years data for donors that do report toCRS (e.g. IDA)c. By Adding more types of development finance that have nothistorically been tracked by foreign aid databasesd. Several Examples:i. Non-DAC (Development Assistance Committee) BilateralDonors in AidData 1ii. Average Yearly Commitments in AidData from Non-DAC Donors: Kuwait with 535.52 millions USD in 2000,being the top donoriii. Non-DAC (Development Assistance Committee) inAidData. 2iv. Total Flows in AidData by Source: from less than$5000 millions of USD in 1947 to approximately $180000millions of USD in 20072.Improve the Quality of Development Finance Dataa.By Finding More Detailed Sources of Datai. CRS Reporting Donors with Alternative and HigherQuality Data Sources. 3b. More Specific Categorization of Aid flowsi. According to the Aid Flow’s Overall Purpose, similarto OECD CRSii. According to the specific activities funded by using anew and more detailed coding scheme and a given aid flowcan be assigned multiple activity codes, based on OECDsector codesc. All records are independently double coded by trained researchers.Disagreements are arbitrated by a senior researcher3. Improve Access to Development Finance Dataa.Introduction on how to use the search engine in AidData Websitei. Go to AidData Websiteii. Press Search AidDataiii. Three Selections. 4iv. Press the ‘Search Button’ at the bottom and beginthe searchv. Details of a donation, including the Year, Donor, Recipient,Title, Commitment, Purposes can be then be foundvi. Currency Units can be modified on the top righthand corner of the pagevii. Aggregate Financial Flows can also be found on thetop of the pageviii. The data can be exported by pressing the to a CSVFileix. For details, press the ‘View Details’ buttonx. Details can then be viewed. Should there be an error,press ‘Report an Error in this Record’xi. Glossary can be located by pressing the ‘Field Glossary’buttonxii. The page can be printed by pressing ‘Print Record’xiii. The page can be shared via e-mail, facebook ortwitterConclusionA glance on the AidData Websitea. About: Explanation of AidData, its origins and its futuregoalsb. Blog: Use of the data to inform the public discourse on developmentfinance in real timec. Research: Assembling public research that makes use of ourdatasetd. Help: A comprehensive User’s Guide to AidData.org.1. All include: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, India,Israel, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Monaco, Poland, Qatar,Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates2. All include: African Capacity Building Foundation, BADEA, AFESD,CAF, CDB, CERF, EBRD, UNDEF, IFC, ISDB, IMF, NDF, NADB, MontrealProtocol Fund, OPEC3. All include: African Development Bank Group (AFDB, AFDF, NTF),Asian Development Bank (ASDF, ASDB), Global Environment Facility,Global Fund, Inter-American Development Bank, International Fund forAgricultural Development World Bank Group (IBRD, IDA), South Korea4. The three selections are: 1. In the ‘Select donor by name’, type thedonor name, e.g. United States; 2.In the ‘Select a group of donors’,select a box, e.g. Non-DAC Bilateral; 3.In the ‘Select donor(s) by region’,Select a region, e.g. AfricaWorld Information TransferWorld Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 201015

Nuclear Energy Update – Chornobyl ReviewAFTERNOON SESSION - Dr. Hanna Kapustyan, Mr. Denis Zdorov, H.E. Mr. Valeriy Kuchinsky, Dr. Christine K. Durbak,Prof. Karl Grossman, Ms. Jessica Williamson, Ms. Bahar Shahpar, Mr. Remy ChevalierWorld Information Transfer16 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010H.E. Mr. ValeriyKuchinskyFormer Permanent Representativeof Ukraine to the United NationsYour Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, students,Ladies and Gentlemen, I think that by holdingtoday’s conference, we are marking the 24th anniversaryof the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, theworst nuclear accident in the history of mankind. Weare remembering numerous victims of this terrible catastropheand are paying tribute to the governmentsof Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, the most severely affectedcountries, and in fact to the whole internationalcommunity for their strenuous efforts in minimizingthe after effects of this terrible tragedy. There is yet anotheropportunity for me to express our sincere gratitudeto the World Information Transfer, its chair andCEO Dr. Christine Durbak, and her staff, for keepingthe Chernobyl issue alive and for disseminating formany years expertise and profound knowledge of thesubject worldwide and for educating the younger generation.H. E. Mr. MykhajloBolotskyhActing Minister of Emergencyof the Government of UkraineDistinguished Participants, on behalf of the Governmentof Ukraine, let me forward the most sinceregreetings to you. I would like to remind you that on the26th of April we will mark the twenty-fourth anniversaryof the Chernobyl disaster. The destroyed reactor ofthe Chernobyl power plant cast a bleak shadow on theentire civilization. This technological disaster joineda list of huge devastating tragedies; consequently thewords “Chernobyl NPP” illustrate an unprecedentedphenomenon: nuclear energy that got out of man’scontrol.What does Chernobyl mean for Ukraine? It is aboutmore than 2 million people affected by the catastropheand its consequences; almost 10 percent of the territoryis directly contaminated by the radiation; 160,000people were forced to move from their homes and toother cities. The Chernobyl disaster became a nationaltragedy, the consequences of which are still visible. Ithas created social and economic problems that havenot diminished; they could be solved only by a complexapproach and through the joint effort of the state, science,NGOs, and of the people affected by Chernobyl,and the whole society, with the involvement of internationalassistance.Ukraine is grateful to all donor states of the NuclearSafety Account and the Chernobyl Shelter Fund thatare providing financial assistance for the constructionof storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel and the transformationof the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Shelterto an environmentally safe system. The constructionof the new safe confinement structure is ready tobe started this summer. It is also important to finalizethe project on the construction of the storage for spentnuclear fuel as well.The President of Ukraine, during his visit to theUnited States, appealed to the leaders of the G8 andthe European Union, with a proposal to renew the supportin dealing with Chernobyl related issues in such adifficult time for Ukraine, and to put forward efforts toensure continuous progress in the completion of necessaryprojects. We believe that the solidarity of nationsand states and the humanism of modern civilizationwill not leave Ukraine alone without international aid.By common effort, we have to overcome horrible consequencesof the disaster and to make sure that this willnever happen again.

Mr. Denis ZdorovBelarus Counsellor, Economic andenvironmental issues, ECOSOC,UNDP, Second CommitteeStatement of the Missionof the Republic of BelarusMadame, Chairman, Excellencies, Delegates, Colleagues,Students, Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me tobegin by thanking Dr. Christine Durbak and her teamfor her efforts to keep international attention focusedon the Chernobyl issues. Almost 24 years have passedsince the worst manmade disaster of last century, thecatastrophe at the Chernobyl power plant. But to thisday, thousands of citizens of Belarus, the Russian federation,and Ukraine, still suffer from its consequences.The 26 April 1986 became a tragic day for the wholeinternational community. From that very day, a new erahas begun: the post-Chernobyl Period.Thanks to the efforts of the Government of theRepublic of Belarus and the assistance of our internationalpartners, we have made considerable progressin solving the most urgent issues of emergencyassistance to the affected population of Belarus duringthe past two decades. Nevertheless, there are stilla number of factors that impede quick and full-scaletransition to normal life and determine the necessityfor further international cooperation. During the pastfew years, Belarus has implemented a number of stateand private programs designed to eliminate the consequencesof the Chernobyl catastrophe. Their implementationhas allowed Belarus to move forward fromthe stage of minimization of the effects of Chernobylcatastrophe to the stage of sustainable developmentof the affected territories. In this regard, cooperationwith foreign partners, especially in fields such ashealth care, socioeconomic development, and scientificstudy of the effects of the atomic radiation, acquiresadditional importance.Belarus has made considerable progress in protectingthe health of 1.3 million of its citizens, who continueto live in the contaminated areas amongst 115,000liquidators. To achieve this goal, Belarus is persistentlyimplementing a wide range of measures aimed at improvingthe quality of health services. The governmentof Belarus allocated considerable funds to constructhospitals and medical centers equipped with modernmedical equipment. The improvement of the nationalhealth care system was accompanied by regular prolificexamination of the affected population. One of the visibleresults of these measures is the stabilization of themobility rate of the affected populations, and, startingfrom 1999, the decrease of primary mobility rate betweenboth adult and children populations.To improve the health of people from the affected territories,Belarusian authorities took vigorous measuresto arrange adequate nutrition and health rehabilitationfor more than 200,000 school students. The renaissanceof the Belarusian economy and its provisions in sustainabledevelopment of the affected territories is one of thepriorities of Belarusian state policy. Presently, the governmentof Belarus has focused its main efforts on providingnormal conditions for life and work for the affectedpopulation. Therefore, in recent years, particular attentionin the Chernobyl-affected territories was paid whensupplying gasoline, quality drinking water, constructedpreschool institutions, schools, hospitals, and other socio-culturalfacilities. A generation of clean products thatmeet generally accepted standards is a necessary requirementfor sustainable development in the affected territories.To this end, a number of comprehensive programsfor the recapitalization of agricultural and forest enterprisesin the affected Gomil and Mogulov regions werecarried out. Procurement of dosimeters of livestock andfertilizers for crops has been arranged. Several steps havebeen taken to provide treatment and establishment ofcultivated lands for raising livestock at an area of almost40,000 hectares.Sustainable development is a long-term process,which requires considerable investments. It is connectednot only to the economic development, butalso to the social and psychological adaptation of peopleto new conditions of life. At the same time, thesustainable development of affected territories, withtheir unique specificities, is impossible without seriousinternational assistance. Such assistance shouldbe comprehensive, and the financially and scientificallygrounded methodological assistance becomes ofgreat importance. In this context, we highly appreciatethe work on atomic radiation effects by the UnitedNations Scientific Committee, a project aimed at thescientific systematization of experienced gained andof recommendations given to rehabilitate and providesustainable development in the affected territoriessurrounding Chernobyl.We are convinced that participation in this committeeof full-fledged members and representatives fromBelarus and Ukraine will increase its efficiency, especiallyin the “Chernobyl Direction.” Belarus, togetherwith the Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and otherUN member-states and agencies involved, stands forkeeping Chernobyl towards the top of the UN agenda.The Republic of Belarus intends to continue close cooperationwith foreign partners on the whole spectrumof prevalent Chernobyl issues.Thank you for your attention.World Information TransferWorld Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 201017

World Information Transfer18 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010Dr. Hanna KapustyanProfessor Kremenchuk StatePolytechnic University, UkraineChornobyl: Power and SocietyYour Excellencies, dear colleagues and welcomedguests, I would like to thank World International Transferand its President Dr. Christine Durbak for inviting me topresent our Project at this respected international forum!The Ukrainians paid an incredibly high price for thatmindless experiment and incident at the Chornobyl NuclearPower Station. This disaster revealed the continueddisregard for human lives by the Soviet government andthe Communist leadership. They tried, similar to the1941-1945 Soviet-German battles to eliminate the radioactiveproblem by manipulating human lives. The Chornobyldisaster is a very complicated and prolonged phenomenon.The National Report «20 years of the Chornobyldisaster: view into the future» stated that 2,307,000 peoplein Ukraine have victim status, among them there are nearly267,000 of direct participants of the disaster after-effectsliquidation, among the victims more than half a millionare children. The Chornobyl problem demands constantprolonged attention from the government, cooperationwith other states and the international community.In 2009 during the Parliamentary hearings the governmentdeclared that 23 years after the Chornobyl disasterthe state hadn’t provided the fulfillment of social guarantees,the complex solution of ecological and technical problems,and the transformation of the Shelter object into anecologically safety system. The reason for this is the absenceof concrete responsibility in the system of organization andfulfillment of the adopted decisions at the state level. Thepresent condition demands a new, more efficient policy tocope with the after-effects of the Chornobyl disaster concerninghealth care, environment, employment, and economicreforms. While trying to solve these complex problems,the individual’s health and future life were ignored.Chornobyl emphasized another significant problemwhich is prevalent in Ukraine, a total distrust of citizensof its political system. The unprecedented blockade of informationby the Communist regime regarding the situationon the Chornobyl station, the nearby districts and themisinformation of society resulted in loss of trust from thecitizen’s side towards the Soviet Communist social and politicalsystem. It had become one of the fundamental reasonsof the Soviet Union disintegration.A small untruth makes a big lie. A big lie turns into abig tragedy. The lie of the period of the Soviet Communistconstruction hid the truth about the 1932-1933 Genocide-Famine of the Ukrainian people, about political repressions,about ungrounded numerous war losses during the1941-1945 Soviet - German battles, and about the dangerousChornobyl explosion. Disregard of human values inevitablyresults in social tragedy. To eliminate global socialdefects is an arduous task which requires discipline anddedication.The Chornobyl disaster stimulated the formation of civilsociety in Ukraine, which demanded the truth from thestate. The substantial role of the civil society in the 21st centuryraised the questions about trust and cooperation betweenthe state institutions and public organizations. Themany-sided international activity of WIT in spreading theinformation about the real state of environment and questionsconnected with the Chernobyl disaster and its aftereffectsdeserves much worth attention and commendation.The Chornobyl disaster summed up the proletarianpolicy of the Soviet political regime formed by StalinUkraine’s breaking from the Soviet society and the atmosphereof horror and anxiety it created is a complicatedprocess. On one hand it was an objective demand of theprogressive part of society to live in a European community,where the roots and traditions of legal and democratic stateof Ukraine began. I remind you that in the Middle Agesmany Ukrainian cities were ruled under the MagdeburgLaw. (Magdeburg Law is a culture of social governmentwith feudal power restriction, the participation of differentsocial categories of population in social, economical andpolitical life of a city.) Then in 1710 Hetman of Ukraine PylypOrlyk wrote the first, in the existing world, Constitutionand it was written for Ukraine. The Pylyp Orlyk’s Constitutiondefined the principles of various power branches: legislative,executive and judicial. By the way, the Orly airportin Paris was named after our compatriot Pylyp Orlyk.Historical traditions of democracy and public participationfavor the European political system for Ukraine. Howeverthe great obstacle is the Ukrainian politicians. Theyconsideration only the material aspects of the West, such ascars, life styles, villas, and clothes. They absolutely ignorethe intellectual and moral heritage of Europe from ancienttimes to the present. That was the factor that formed Europeas a unique civilization focusing on human values.That is another reason «Why has Chornobyl happened? »The Chornobyl disaster summed up the proletarian policyof the Soviet political regime formed by Stalin; a civilization,unique in its cruelty to destroy all human values andmorals and focus only on its own elite.After the Soviet Union disintegrated, Ukraine revivedits independent state; but it didn’t cope with the nationalbureaucracy, which impedes any progressive projects fromrealization. For example, the international public organizationWIT, its founder and head, Dr. Christine K. Durbakauthorized me to appeal to the representatives of theUkrainian authority with the proposal of carrying out the«Children’s Recovery» Project in Ukraine. The group of

highly qualified American doctors were to give free medicalaid to sick Ukrainian children with modern medicalequipment that was to be left in Ukraine. The Governor ofPoltava region, Mr Valeriy Asadchev, was interested in thisProject, which was to be held in the Poltava regional children’shospital. He applied with a petition to the appropriatestate authorities to get permission for American doctorsto give medical services to Ukrainian children. However,the Ministry of Health Care of Ukraine demanded that theAmerican doctors to validate their educational certificatesin Ukraine. Finally the Ministry officials refused to carryout the procedures saying that they are too busy! This typeof bureaucracy, which was originated by the Soviet systemimpedes the realization of progressive ideas in any society.Sick children can not wait. They need medical aid. Thisis verified by statistics. However, currently the Ukrainianbureaucracy is not interested in the health of futureUkrainian nation.How can we progress? First, we should stop thinkingthat all obligations depend on politicians. In reality, everythingbegins and finishes with a particular person or groupas is mentioned in the issues of the «World Ecology Report»journal with the words of Margaret Mead «Never doubt thata small group of thoughtful committed citizens can changethe world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has».It is vitally important for the current Ukrainians and forthe future Ukrainian youth to realize the importance of respectfor human values and morals which were the characteristicsof the Ukrainian people since its founding in the9th century. One part of the national educational system isto learn the historical experience of previous generations,and the formation and upholding of Ukrainian state systemfor the future.The Chornobyl disaster stimulated the formationof civil society in Ukraine, which demandedthe truth from the state.The educational project «The stages of Ukrainian statesystem» which is a project of the Mykhailo OstrogradskyKremenchuk State University includes the the areas ofKremenchuk – Chyhyryn - the village of Subbotov – HolodnyiYar. It reviews the stereotypes born during the sovietregime and focuses of the value of democracy in theUkrainian society. The details of this project are in the formerissue of the World Ecology Report. As the head of thisProject, I would like to give thanks to the Board of Directorsof the journal and to Dr. Christine K. Durbak for theopportunity to inform the public about this Project.Dear colleagues, I wish you good health and happiness.I wish your impression of Ukraine will extend past the disasterin Chornobyl and include with the future HolodnyiYar, which is one of the most beautiful places in Ukraine.I am sure this project will help us become better Ukrainians.Thank you for your attention.PANEL DISCUSSIONNuclear Energy, Media, and Activism:Shaping the Opinion of Youth,Government, and Society.Ms. Jessica WilliamsonModeratorLeader in Green Media Movement,host of “ZapRoot”, and NewFilmmakers Series in HollywoodI’m going to start with a story of the Rainbow Warrior.In 1985, the Rainbow Warrior, the flagship boat for theGreenpeace fleet sailed into Auckland Harbor. The shipwas in Auckland, New Zealand, preparing to visit MuroroaAtoll for a major campaign against French nuclear testingin the South Pacific. But the voyage was not to be. SinceApril 29th, 1978, the Rainbow Warrior sailed all aroundthe world drawing attention to the destructive horrors ofwaling, seal clubbing, nuclear testing and other environmentallyunfriendly issues. While igniting enthusiastic activismagainst these atrocities, the Rainbow Warrior hadnot previously visited New Zealand but decided to launchits journey to French Polynesia from there.At the time, New Zealand was massively anti-nuclear.America threatened to suspend their obligations to theANZUS Treaty, which basically provided the tiny countryof New Zealand with American military support andmilitary intelligence, in order to allow nuclear ships intoNew Zealand waters. The code name for this was “OperationSatanic.” In April of 1985, a French, woman knownas Frederique Bonlieu was helping out in the Greenpeaceoffice in Auckland. Her real name was ChristineCabon and she was, in fact, a secret service agent. Hermission was to infiltrate Greenpeace and lay the groundworkfor the French saboteurs who were planning tobomb the Rainbow Warrior. The first bomb exploded at11:38 PM. Everyone was ordered off the ship but somedashed back to save their possessions and drowned.The story swept the headlines. New Zealanders mournedthe deaths of their fellow countrymen and the New Zealandgovernment declared the bombing an act of terrorism.The French government denied all knowledge but, as theevidence mounted, acknowledged their role. The Frenchgovernment ceased all nuclear testing in the South Pacific.The sinking of the Rainbow Warrior became the crucialtipping point in New Zealand’s nuclear-free policy.The onslaught of media attention from the story thatwould not go away combined with ensuing public outragehelped to transform New Zealand’s nuclear-freepolicy from a minority position to a national policy. Be-World Information TransferWorld Ecology Report 19Summer-Fall 2010

operation around the globe, and there’s about 103-104in the U.S. and some of the oldest ones happen to bebased in New England. One of the oldest nuclear powerplants in the country is about 30 miles north of hereon the Hudson River. It was built back in the 1960s,it started with one reactor which has been decommissionedquite a while back.That decommissioning process for this first reactorthat was built took about ten years. About a year agopart of the decommissioning process was to take all ofthe radioactive water that was still in the cooling pooland literally dump 800,000 gallons of this nuclear radioactivewater into the Hudson River with very littlefanfare.Out of the 103-104 reactors that are still operationalin the U.S. about 60% of them are leaking and that’sbecause all these cooling pools are made out of 5 feetthick concrete. Concrete ultimately gets porous, backthen the concrete also wasn’t very good. So these coolingpools are leaking because they are porous and thewater literally goes to the ground and one has to keepon putting more and more water into these coolingpools to keep these reactors cool.At the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, in NewYork at Indian Point, nuclear waste has literally beenleaking into the groundwater and sometimes it getspumped out. In Vermont the people were so outragedby the company that ran the reactor, (the company hadbeen lying for a long time about the extent of the leakage)that the legislature got together and 26 to 4 votedto shut down the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plantdespite the protest of the NRC and Entergy which ownsthe facility. At Indian Point the same kind of leakageis taking place and the Department of EnvironmentalConservation in New York, voted not to renew the waterpermit for the plant until they build a new coolingsystem.The type of resistance, against the old nuclear powerplants being decommissioned, that has emerged is ingreat part due to people getting organized again. TheNRC started the re-licensing process for all the nuclearpower plants in 2000 and it had been going aroundfrom state to state, basically divide and conquer with alot of small citizen groups trying to fight their nuclearreactors on a regional/local level. The NRC has managedto rubber stamp all these old reactors. We’re nowat the point where it will not take much to prevent there-licensing of Indian Point, to prevent the re-licensingof Vermont Yankee and to get to where Karl wants toget to - a complete reanalysis and new debate over thefuture of nuclear power.I came from the fashion industry, my father was a famousphotographer and he co-created “Elle Magazine.”I was raised in the editorial offices of Elle. The fashionindustry in New York City is one of the most influentialindustries in the city. Rock the Reactors was created tobring fashion designers to influence the political decision-making process that would ultimately get the politiciansin the district where the nuclear power plant isin to work very hard to refuse a new license for the oldplant.Ms. Bahar ShahparNew York Fashion designerI work in fashion, I’ve worked in mainstream fashionfor over a decade and I was never an activist, bydefinition. When I started out I did a thesis on the historyof the American farm and really just researchedhow we got to where we are and it didn’t take us verylong. There was a time not long ago when systems werecleaner when life was simpler and that’s not to say thattechnology is a bad thing its just that we’ve allowed theconvenience of modern technology to overshadow thepotential destructive elements. Fashion and politicshave always been inextricably intertwined throughoutthe ages because people throughout history have allhave visual identifiers to portray their message.Clothing and the textile industry are two of the oldestindustries on the earth and in terms of agricultureand in terms of the manufacturing processing it affectsair, land, water, soil. Right now there is an incredibleamount of momentum behind green, behind environmentalactivism and a lot of what is being said here todayis because of the politics of the last 20-30 years. Theanti nuclear message has been quieted for more cheerfulenvironmental activism but one thing that I alwaystry to put out there is that it’s not all about politics. It’sabout a good life, it’s about a clean life, it’s about somethingthat every one of us has a right to and that is tonot be inundated with toxins.World Information Transfer22 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010

From left to right is Dr. Christine K. Durbak,Mrs. Carolyn T. Comitta and Judge Arnaud LaFlecheDr. Oksana Baczynskyj and Deputy Permanent Representativeof Ukraine to the UN Mr. Yevhenii TsymbaliukDr. Claudia M. Strauss, Ms. Danika Dahlin andMs. Kristina DahlinMs. Bahar Shahpar, Ms. Lindita Bodjani and Ms. Sarah TrepelDistinguished guests and WIT interns during lunch.World Information TransferWorld Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 201023

Mr. Werner Obermeyer and Dr. Christine K. DurbakDr. Hanna Kapustyan, Dr. Christine K. Durbak and Mr. Kurt DahlinH.E. Mr. Yuriy A. SergeyevLUNCHEON SPEAKER, continuing, beginning on page 28Contradictory evidence: Plenty of verified data directlycontradicts the blanket generalization that “ourplanet is getting warmer.” We’ve all seen the polar bearpictures from North Pole area. The ice is melting…at least right now. But did you know that there is 43%more ice in the Antarctic today than there was 30 yearsago in 1980? These aren’t guesses. This is hard datafrom the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationand the National Snow and Ice Data Centerat the University of Colorado, funded by the NationalScience Foundation.Global (or regional) cooling? These same scientificmeasurements report that winter temperatures inthe Antarctic have actually fallen by 1°F since 1957. Thecoldest year ever measured in Antarctica in our lifetimeswas 2004. And there are lots more contradictoryand confusing measurements – Hotter and colder.Wetter and dryer. Windier and calmer.World Information Transfer24 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010Mr. Barnett S. Koven, Ms. Sarah Trepel, Dr. Claudia M. Strauss,Mr. Sergei Kapustyan, Ms. Lindita BojdaniQuestion two:Real trends? Within a broad historically accuraterecord, are there real trends revealed by our measurements?And, are these trends statistically verifiedand likely to continue? Humans are easy to fooland think there are trends.Answer: Within a broad historically accurate record,are there real trends revealed by the measurements...and are these trends statistically verified and likely tocontinue? A trend is a tricky thing to the human mind.Flip a coin 6 heads in a row and we all see a trend. Have27 hurricanes in one season – must be a trend. Nevermind there are almost none the next year.The human brain is wired to see and believe trends.But real trends are statistically verified. They are oftenmuch harder to discern especially in climates that arealways changing over thousands of years. Climate trendforecasts are based on computer models. So if the questionis, are we seeing real trends? Then we have to askanother question, how are we confirming any suchtrends?To project trends, climate scientists make computermodels. They’re sort of like super video games that predictthe future… based on hundreds of variables andmillions of measurements.But how good are these computer games at predictingthe future of our climate? Many climate scientistsbelieve they are worthless.

Question three:Potentially catastrophic? If there are real trends,how likely are they to be potentially catastrophic?Or, are these trends part of an ever-changing fluctuationin our climate?Answer: The single most famous graph of the wholeglobal warming controversy is the infamous ‘hockeystick’ chart. It was created by Penn State climatologistMichael Mann. However, Professor David Hand, Presidentof Great Britain’s Royal Statistical Society, largelyinvalidated the infamous ‘hockey stick’ graph. Hesaid this graph strongly “exaggerated” warming trendsacross the whole 20th century. He said that the data, ifaccurate, shows that the 20th century was slightly warmer…but nowhere near the alarmist numbers.Trends take time to see. One reason we don’t knowif trends are meaningful is because climate trends takecenturies to really become clear. When you try to makepredictions based on a few decades, you risk beingwildly wrong. History proves this.History tells us that the climate alarmists have beenwrong before about supposedly dire “trends.” Theycan be wrong again. And if you were to make a bet, thesmart money would say they are wrong again.If we can’t verify significant trends, then we certainlycan’t know if we face potential catastrophe. You can’tbuild certainty on top of uncertainty. Yes, we can allforecast that a 6-degree temperature increase wouldmean melting ice and rising seas. But if it’s not basedon facts, it’s not a useful projection.Question four:How much human impact? If there is a potentiallycatastrophic trend, how much of trend is likely to beattributable to human activity? We could be largelyresponsible or a minor element.Answer: Carbon dioxide (CO 2) is the most importantgreenhouse gas; Human beings are mostly responsiblefor the steady increase in CO 2measurements inthe atmosphere. This argument is unproven at everypoint. Ounce for ounce, a molecule of methane is 20xmore effective at trapping heat than CO 2. Methane productionmay be far more important than CO 2. Amongother things, enormous amounts of methane are producedby the billions of cows, pigs, and other animalswe farm to eat. Also, 60% or more of CO 2in the air isnot human-caused but is naturally caused by the biologyof the earth. CO 2increased dramatically in Europe600 years ago. This was not due to cars or industrialmanufacturing.Question five:What can we do? If human activity is a significantpart of a catastrophic trend toward potentially catastrophicclimate change, specifically more globalwarming… What can we do to help reduce the potentialfor serious global harm?As individuals?As companies?As economies?As nations?Answer: We don’t need policies unless we can clearlyidentify the problems. You know who loves big newtrillion-dollar programs? Bureaucrats who administerthem, politicians who tell us we need them and companiesand especially consultants who want to sell usthings.“Extraordinary claims requireextraordinary evidence.”- 20th century astronomer Carl SaganQuestion six:If there are things we can do to reduce the chancesof climate catastrophe, what are the costs andtradeoffs in doing so?Financial resources aren’t infinite so there are alwaystradeoffs. Classic tradeoffs are more schools vs.more hospitals…More drug research vs. more clean waterplants.Answer: Now it’s about lives, not science. Up untilnow, the discussion has been about science.From here on out, it becomes about life and death.We have to weigh the potential risk of “killing the planet”against the potential risk of condemning millionsof people who could be saved with that money. Moneyused properly can feed children, discover cures, buildhospitals and provide clean water.Question seven:Does our normal calculus apply? When we evaluatethe possible tradeoffs, do we use an ordinaryWorld Information TransferWorld Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 201025

calculation or an extraordinary one…since one possibleoutcome of a wrong choice could be “planetarydeath?” In other words, even if there is only a 1%chance of planetary disaster,…don’t all other considerationsgo out the window?Answer: Saving the planet could be deadly. The answeris: no, we can’t forget all other considerations. Anaggressive policy to reduce, halt or reverse global warmingcould kill millions of children. In other words, theclimate is not the only planetary threat because globalwarming is not the only threat of planetary disaster facingus.“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep thepopulace alarmed — and hence clamorous to be ledto safety — by menacing it with an endless series ofhobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”- Political writer H.L. MenckenFor example, asteroid collision is an absolute certainty.At some point an asteroid is going to strike theearth and wipe out all life as we know it. Scientists callthis an “Extinction Event.” And unquestionably, it willhappen again. Every single day about 100 million tonsof asteroid material hits the earth’s atmosphere. Wecould take precautions. We are the first generation inhistory that has the ability and the choice to preventthis. It would cost trillions of dollars and force us tocancel many socially positive programs. But remember– we’re talking about something that is absolutely goingto happen.Another planetary risk would be a super-virus.A virus could run through the planet’s population ina few days and wipe out the entire human race. Pastpandemics killed millions and we are more vulnerabletoday. It is possible that the next super-virus pandemiccould wipe out the entire human population.In conclusion, what we need is level headed thinkingand not hysteria. Planetary threats require analyticalthinking…not emotional appeals.Conclusion:When I was asked to address this gathering, I toldDr. Durbak that I wanted to talk about “the climate wedeserve.” And yes, we all deserve clean water, clean airand a livable planet. And we all have a responsibility tohelp bring them about. But we also deserve a climateof healthy debate. We deserve a climate of open mindsand honest facts. We deserve a climate of free and independentinquiry. We deserve an environment wheredissent is welcome and where disagreement is seen as asign of a healthy, vital democracy.Ladies and gentlemen, this is the climate we deserve.We owe it to ourselves. As citizens of a free country,as citizens of an interdependent world, this is theclimate that we owe to each other. And, for you youngpeople in the audience: as citizens of the future, this isthe climate you owe to yourselves.One hundred years ago, we were told that the “science”of eugenics proved some races were smarter than others.Just 60 years ago there was no proven links between smokingand cancer. Just 40 years ago they told us a scientific“consensus” proved the world was heading toward a newIce Age. Just 10 years ago the scientific consensus wasthat the universe was expanding steadily and might slowdown. Now we know it’s expanding faster and faster.Every single one of the most fundamental scientificquestions is open to debate today… and every day.The jury is still out on so many scientific questions. Butthat’s the point: in science, the jury is always out.Young people should be prepared. As a young personyou’ll be confronted all your life with “this is true;this is settled; you don’t have to think about it …we’vedone all the thinking for you.” Don’t believe it. Themore you hear this, the more you have to look into itfor yourself.I’m not here to reject evolution, relativity, or quantumphysics. And yes, human beings have put moreCO 2into the air than ever before in history, so far as wecan tell. But I am here to say that you should watch forprivate agendas. Watch for attempts to stampede publicopinion and shut down debate. Watch for peoplewho have a vested interest.Demand evidence. Question motives. When youhear “it’s agreed,” when there is a potential politicalor economic agenda, that’s the time to look moreclosely. Ask: who is making this claim? What are theirsources? Why might they have their own reasons forsaying these things? Nowhere is this truer than of climatechange.I am confident that you – the free young mindsof tomorrow – will solve our political problems. Yourimagination, your ingenuity and your idealism havealways been our greatest natural resources… and theyalways will be. Thank you very much.World Information Transfer26 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010

World Information TransferWorld Ecology ReportWorld Information Transfer, Inc.(ISSN #1080-3092)475 Park Avenue South, 22nd FloorNew York, NY 10016TELEPHONE: (212) 686-1996FAX (212)686-2172E-MAIL: wit@worldinfo.orgELECTRONIC EDITION AVAILABLE ON:http://www.worldinfo. orgFOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:Dr. Christine K. DurbakMANAGING EDITOR:Dr. Claudia StraussCONTRIBUTING EDITORS:WIT summer 2010 InternsCIRCULATION MANAGER:Carolyn ComittaLANGUAGE EDITORS:CHINESE - Au Yin Yu, Liao JinghuaSPANISH - Patricia Munoz TaviraUKRAINIAN/RUSSIAN - Oleh HarasevychREGIONAL DIRECTORSAFRICA:Dr. Mohamed El-Banna74 Sawra St. Heliopolis, 11341 Cairo, EgyptTel: (202) 368-2887; Fax: (202) 365-0492E-mail: mbanna@starnet.com.egCANADA:Martha B. 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RomJay WalkerWorld Information Transfer, Inc., (WIT) is a not-for-profit, non-governmentalorganization in General Consultative Status with the United Nations,promoting environmental health and literacy. In 1987, inspired bythe Chornobyl nuclear tragedy, WIT was formed in recognition of the pressingneed to provide accurate actionable information about our deterioratingglobal environment and its effect on human health. WIT exercises itsmandate through:• World Ecology Report (WER). Published since 1989, the World EcologyReport is a quarterly digest of critical issues in health and environment,produced in four languages and distributed to thousands of citizensthroughout the developing and developed world.• Health and Environment: Global Partners for Global Solutions Conference.Since l992, WIT has convened what we believe to be one of theworld’s premier forums for the presentation of scientific papers by internationalexperts on the growing clinical evidence supporting the linkbetween degrading environments and diminished human health. Theconference has been convened as a parallel event to the annual meetingof the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. The scientific paperspresented at the conference are available on WIT’s web site.• Health and Development CD ROM Library. This project consists of alibrary of CDs each of which focuses on a subject within the overall topicof Development and Health information. Our Human Information CDROM Library offers one bridge across the “digital divide” for both developedand developing countries. The project is continuous with futuretopics being developed.• Health and Development CD ROM Library for Ukraine. In conjunctionwith UNDP, WIT has developed a country specific library disc fordistribution in schools and centers in Ukraine.• Humanitarian Aid. In conjunction with the K.Kovshevych Foundation,WIT provides humanitarian aid to schools, hospitals and orphanages inareas devastated by environmental degradation. Shipments include computers,clothing, toys and medical equipment.• Internship. World Information Transfer (WIT) offers internships inNew York City, where our main office is located. Our goal is to encouragefuture leaders in health and environment. Our interns spend themajority of their time at the United Nations.• Scholarship Program. With the support of the K. Kovshevych Foundation,WIT offers scholarships to intellectually gifted university studentsin need of financial assistance to continue their studies in areas related tohealth and environment.• www.worldinfo.org WIT provides through its web site up to date sciencebased information on the relationship between human health and thenatural environment, including the papers from the WIT’s annual conference,the archived World Ecology Reports, and our new Ecology Enquirer,an e-newsletter written by our Interns targeted to young people.• Centers for Health & Environment. The aim of the Centers is to promoteresearch, education and solutions. The first center was opened inUkraine in 1992.EUROPEAN UNION:Dr. Michel LootsOosterveldlaan 196B-2610 Antwerp, BelgiumTel: 32-3-448-05-54; Fax: 32-3-449-75-74E-Mail: mloots@humaninfo.orgLATIN AMERICA:Patricia Munoz TaviraSleutelstraat 38,2000, Antwerp, BelgiumTel: 32 (0) 48 66 79006E-mail: witbelgium@gmail.comUSA:Dmitry Beyder3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd.Portland, OR 97239Tel: 646-924-8464E-mail: dbeyder@gmail.comWorld Information TransferWorld Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 201027

LUNCHEON SPEAKERMr. Jay S. WalkerPresident,Walker DigitalThe Climate We DeserveThank you, Dr. Durbak, for inviting me to addressthis group. The title of my talk today is, “The ClimateWe Deserve.” Climate change is an issue that affectseveryone alive today and everyone who will live on thisplanet in the future. After all, the environment is thegreatest resource that we pass on to future generations.Young people will live with consequences. I’m especiallyglad to be able to discuss this subject with you – becauseI know there are a lot of young people here today.Whatever society decides to do about climate change,you are the ones who will live with the consequences.Climate change is an issue that demands answers. Butto get the right answers, we have to use the right tools.The right tools are the scientific method – transparentdata, open research, peer review, and honest debate.The wrong tools are emotions, guesses, hypotheticalscenarios and anecdotal examples like polar bearsfloating on the ice, or the melting snows of Kilimanjaro.And, if we want the right answers using science,we have to ask the right scientists – truly independentexperts in climate studies. Not scientists from otherdisciplines. And, not scientists with vested interests intheir version of the answers. The worst people to askwould be politicians and political leaders – for reasonsthat I will explain later. Lastly, we must ask the rightquestions. There are seven of them.Question one:What is really happening to the earth’s overall climate?And how sure are we that we are measuring itcorrectly?Answer: We don’t know. A planet is very big andcomplicated. The global climate has a million variables.You can measure the atmosphere at 5k, 10k, 20kfeet… You can measure ice at the North Pole, the SouthPole… You can measure wind speeds of storms, rain inthe desert, the temperature of the oceans, the gassesin the atmosphere… and on and on. And however youmeasure it, the system as a whole almost always takes avery long time to change. 100 years is nothing to a planetaryclimate. Measuring a planetary climate is confusingand difficult.Continuing on page 24World Information Transfer28 World Ecology ReportSummer-Fall 2010