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Sustainable Development, the New International Scientific Order, and UN Reform

Sustainable Development, the New International Scientific Order, and UN Reform. Roger Dittmann President, U.S. Federation of Scholars and Scientists U.S. Affiliate of the World Federation of Scientific Workers UN Representative of the WFSW Professor of Physics Emeritus

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Sustainable Development, the New International Scientific Order, and UN Reform

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  1. Sustainable Development, the New International Scientific Order, and UN Reform Roger Dittmann President, U.S. Federation of Scholars and Scientists U.S. Affiliate of the World Federation of Scientific Workers UN Representative of the WFSW Professor of Physics Emeritus California State University Fullerton, CA 92834-6866 RDittmann@Fullerton.edu Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  2. Sustainable Development The Law locks up the man who steals the goose from the commons, but leaves the greater villian loose who steals the commons from the goose. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  3. The Road to “Rio+10” [WSSD] • The History • Developing Countries Ministerial Conference Beijing June 1991 • ICUNP Victoria British Columbia, February 1992 “The Road to Brazil ‘92” • UN Conference on Environment and Development [UNCED] Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 • UN Conference on Population and Development [ICPD] Cairo, Egypt , 5-13 September 1994 • UN World Summit on Sustainable Development [WSSD] “Rio +10” [Johannesburg] 26 August - 4 September 2002 Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  4. Sustainable Development • Problem #1: Population Control “No matter what your cause, it’s a lost cause without population control.”—Elaine Stansfield “The rich get rich—the poor get children”—Pop song from the ’30s Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  5. Sustainable Development • Prognosis: • Rising global temperature and greenhouse gases. • Shrinking amount of cropland per person. • Decline in amount of wheat and rice/person. • Shrinking area of tropical moist forests. • Decreasing oceanic fish harvest per person. • Increasing number of people dying of AIDS. • Declining human sperm count. • Growing gap between rich and poor • Reduced biodiversity • Ehrich and Schneider Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  6. Sustainable Development • Prognosis: • Slowing, but continuing population growth, already far beyond what is estimated to be the earth’s maximum carrying capacity. • Continuing unsustainable economic growth, e.g, fossil fuel agriculture. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  7. Sustainable Development Sustainable Development • Maximum Carrying Capacity vs. Optimum Population • “The greater the population the greater the restrictions necessary to achieve sustainability. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  8. Sustainable Development • The Perfect Correlation • All industrialized countries have less than replacement birth rates. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  9. Sustainable Development • Economic Development = Low Birth Rates [coupled with women’s liberation, social security, and child labor laws] • Spain. • 99% Roman Catholic • >44% Reduction/Generation (.55 female children/woman) • Italy • Home of the Vatican • >42% Reduction/Generation (.427 female children/woman) Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  10. Sustainable Development • The Dilemma • The habitat cannot sustain the environmental impact of traditional development for the exploding population. • Direct birth control meets opposition. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  11. Sustainable Development • The Remedy • “Sustainable Development” Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  12. The Three [official] Components of Sustainable Development • Components • Economic development • Social development • Environmental protection Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  13. Sustainable Development Definitions of Sustainable Development • Official “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." • World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission), 1987 [emphasis added]. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  14. Definitions of Sustainable Development • My Definition “Economic [and other] development that leads to reduction in population toward an optimum level for maximization of the quality of life, i.e. environmentally benign development that reduces the birth rate. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  15. Elements of Sustainable Development Environmental “The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Population “.. consistent with ...The United Nations International Conference on Population and Development…”“…population policies and programmes to support the objectives and actions agreed upon in Agenda 21…” [Rio 1992] • The United Nations International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) 5-13 September 1994, Cairo, Egypt. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  16. One Path Reminders “If one stays the course one will end up where one is headed”: “Ecocatastrophe” “Things that can’t last forever, won’t”. There is always a remedy: “Nature Bats Last” The Big Die Off has already begun. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  17. New International Scientific Order Elements: Science and space exploration as common adventures and common heritages of the family of humanity to which all are allowed to contribute. Realize the fullness of human rational potential in all countries. Divert science from the dispatch of death and destruction to humanistic goals, including sustainable development. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  18. New International Scientific Order The Strategy: Since this is a global effort, it requires global organization, both governmental and popular. Corollary: Not only do people require organization about their (multiple) identities (including professional, scholarly, and scientific), they need international, even supranational affiliation, facing a common adversary. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  19. New International Scientific Order Organization: World Federation of Scientific Workers U.S. Federation of Scholars and Scientists [formerly American Association of Scientific Workers, formed in 1938 of anti-fascist scientists] Southern California Federation of Scientists [formerly LA Chapter of the FAS, formed after WWII to oppose nuclear war] Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  20. New International Scientific Order Relevant UN GA Agencies: UNEP UNDP UNCTAD UNIFEM Population Fund Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  21. New International Scientific Order UN GA Agencies Relevant to Sustainable Development: UNEP UNDP UNCTAD UNIFEM Population Fund Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  22. New International Scientific Order ECOSOC Commissions: Social Development Human Rights S&T for Development Sustainable Development Status of Women Population and Development Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  23. New International Scientific Order ECOSOC Specialized Agencies: ILO UNESCO WIPO FAO UNIDO Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  24. New International Scientific Order Proposed UN GA Agencies: Space Agency [Direct Revenue Source] [Remote sensing-environmental monitoring] Science Foundation [NRC] [Not the IAEA Safeguards Program] [Food and Drug Administration] Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  25. UN Reform Structural: Blocked by Article 108, unless • Philadelphia II can be implemented, or • Substantial regime change can be achieved in support of world rule of law. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  26. UN Reform Functional: Strengthen, reform, and add UN GA agencies. Organize NGO’s, reform them into SVDO’s. Found a UN People’s Assembly. Model Reformed UN’s. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

  27. What Can Everyone Do? Vote with your consumer dollar. [Don’t buy from countries with rogue governments.] Study and stay informed. Join organizations, especially global ones. • Be active in them. Contribute your expertise and talents. • Insist that they develop international affiliations. Midnight Special Bookstore/Southern California Federation of Scientists

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