Posted on 03/25/2010 1:37:55 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
NEW YORK (AFP) – The planet is overheating, under-resourced, and almost out of time, but technical innovation and green economics could save the world, experts and leaders Thursday told an international conference here.
Video-linked panels in New York, Monaco, Mexico City, Beijing, London, Nairobi and New Delhi painted an alarming picture of global poverty and environmental degradation.
They called on the United States and other rich countries to show leadership, for example by investing in carbon capture technology and other long-term methods of reducing greenhouse gasses.
But developing countries, where pollution is growing rapidly, can also play a big role -- and at the same time lift their populations from poverty, ..
"We can have prosperity this way, fighting climate change -- and a prosperity that will last a lot longer," Mexican President Felipe Calderon said by video link to the conference at New York's Columbia University.
Calderon said Mexico had ambitious plans to cut carbon emissions, replant forests and generate a quarter of electricity needs from renewable resources by 2012.
"I am further convinced that the first countries to change will gain considerable competitive advantages," he said.
Nitin Desai at the Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi said India and China were also "both being very proactive" in pursuing low-carbon technologies.
Businesses are starting to exploit a "huge, huge market" for solar and other renewable forms of energy, he told the conference by video link.
Experts credited simple innovations, such as animal-powered electricity generators in rural India and the spread of mobile phones in Africa, for bringing opportunity to isolated communities, while greening the economy.
On a bigger scale, Achim Steiner, executive director for the UN Environment Program, said Africa should stop being a "mine" for rich countries and instead turn over its natural resources to sustainable industries.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Ah yes....the always knowledgeable yet, mysterious....”Experts”.....
Aren’t you glad NASCAR is planting a few trees to help with this?
By ‘green economy’ do they mean one where most of the population is unemployed and therefore closer to being ‘carbon neutral’?
You could stop reading after the first third of the first sentence. BARF!
Eggspurts... what a pantload.
LLS
Kumbaya, my green friend .. KumF*nbaya. *-]
oops,, is the mic open?
There are experts and leaders named Thursday?
Except is was difficult to see these low-carbon technologies through all of the smog from their coal-burning power plants. LOL!
Let me guess: windmills?
Yes a “green” economy based upon cash and capitalism will save the planet.
No. An Ex is a has-been, and a spert(spurt) is a drip under pressure.
That's a good one. Let's sacrifice people (keep them impoverished) so that we can save the planet. I guess each religion has its core beliefs and gods.
Lest anyone think my post too violent sounding, in these days of democRAT panic and paranoia, THIS IS MERELY RHETORICAL! ! !
Yeah..Superman’s planet Krypton maybe. This happens to be earth.
“experts”
From the Climatic Research Unit at East Anglia?
Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s country is falling apart on his watch because he cannot control druglords and he is going to solve poverty? I don’t think so.
Comintern.
"Rhetorical" implies you asked a question, not made a statement. Expose me to all the violence you dare, but please do not butcher the King's English. (Smile)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.