Little guys, take note.
Lorrie Goldstein, a relatively well-known Sun Media newspaper columnist, recently wrote an article entitled ‘How the UN can get its green mojo back’, and tells the organization how it can improve its handling of the global warming file after less-than stellar results were achieved at June’s Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro.
Besides writing a short intro and listing seven pieces of advice for the UN, Mr. Goldstein signs off by saying, “Anyway, United Nations, you don’t have to thank me. Just get busy.”
Cocky guy, that Goldstein. Wags his finger at the UN, thinks he can set them straight.
But I’m not so sure about that. By simply admonishing the UN (and the 50,000 delegates who attended last month’s Earth Summit), he’s ignoring ‘the little guy’, i.e., me, and you, and 99.999% of the people who have a say about the future health and sustainability of the planet, and I think that’s where a lot of the real power dwells.
Actually, ‘ignoring’ is the wrong word. Goldstein does mention the little guys when he writes, “As for the rest of the world, concerns over global recession have pushed worries about global warming to, you should pardon the expression, the back burner.”
I say, that certainly is a broad brush with which the rest of us - seven billion strong, and not employed by the United Nations - have been painted.
Admittedly, the global recession affects certain economic matters within every country of the world, and many governments, media outlets, corporations, erstwhile families and individuals have ‘THE ECONOMY’ writ large upon the top of their agendas, because they believe that is where the secret of success resides. However, in my opinion, a vast number of the planet’s citizens do wonder, and worry, if much will ever be done to develop sustainable economic practices in the here and now to ensure reasonable health and prosperity for future generations.
As well, a vast number believe when governments, media, corporations, etc. focus chiefly on economic and lifestyle concerns, thereby pushing concerns about global warming or climate instability to, ‘you should pardon the expression, the back burner’, they do so to the detriment of the environmental and quality of life files.
More to follow.
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