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Prayer for the Environmental Common Good As we breathe the very air which sustains us, We remember your love, God, which give us life.
Fill us with your compassion for Creation. Empty us of apathy, selfishness and fear, of all pessimism and hesitation.
Breathe into us solidarity with all who suffer now and the future generations who will suffer because of our environmental irresponsibility.
Move us into action to save our earth and to build your sustainable Kingdom. Amen. |
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Introduction
Reducing poverty and achieving sustained development must be done in conjunction with a healthy planet. The Millennium Goals recognize that environmental sustainability is part of global economic and social well-being. Unfortunately exploitation of natural resources such as forests, land, water, and fisheries-often by the powerful few-have caused alarming changes in our natural world in recent decades, often harming the most vulnerable people in the world who depend on natural resources for their livelihood.
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Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability |
Target 1. Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources
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Target 2. Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation
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Target 3. Have achieved by 2020 a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers
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Did you know? > Some 1.6 billion people have gained access to safe drinking water since 1990. At this rate, the world is expected to meet the MDG target on drinking water. But about 1 billion people still do not have access to safe drinking water, and about 2.5 billion lack access to basic sanitation services. > Currently, only 22 percent of the
world's fisheries are sustainable, compared to 40 percent in 1975. Despite their importance to the sustainablity of fish stocks and coastal livelihood, only 0.7 percent of the world's oceans - about 2 million square kilometers - were put under protection. > S0me 2.4 billion people live without access to modern cooking and heating services, and 1.6 billion have no access to electricity.
Teacher Ideas 1. Use PBS Students Share Their Energy Ideas at PLANET FORWARD
Students can have their voice heard on one of the biggest challenges of our times: whether we can move away from using fossil fuels and if we should, how should we do it? PLANET FORWARD is an innovative, viewer-driven program that debuts on the Web (http://www.planetforward.org) and culminates in a primetime PBS special a week before Earth Day(check local listings for exact show times). The broadcast is driven by people’s ideas about the nation’s energy future. The most provocative and interesting submissions to the Web site will be featured
in the broadcast, taped before an audience at George Washington University and featuring experts, scientists, policy makers and business leaders, as well as the selected citizen journalists. Students must be over the age of 13 and have parental consent in order to participate.
2. Develop a Fact Sheet for your energy source Fact sheet should include:
- brief explanation of the science behind this type of energy/ how does it work?
- How has this type of energy been used elsewhere in the United States and/or around the world?
- What are the potential positive effects on the environment?
- What are the potential negative effects on the environment?
Suggested, if you can find information:
- How much would it cost to provide this type of energy? What would the cost be to consumers?
- Picture of the source
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20-22 April 2009: International Meeting on Water and Cooperation in Africa, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Casa Africa and the Uni ted Nations Office to Support the International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015 (UNO-IDfA) are co-organizing the International Meeting on Water and Cooperation in Africa. The main objective of the meeting is to reinforce cooperation tools and mechanisms that will strengthen the capacities of African countries to achieve the Millennium Development target to ‘halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation’. The meeting will provide a platform to allow relevant stakeholders to participate in a dialogue aimed at exchanging views on the role of international cooperation in the water governance field in Africa; identifying and evaluating existing coordination, information exchange
and monitoring mechanisms; identifying gaps and key obstacles impeding the achievement of water and sanitation targets in the African region; examining actions implemented by cooperating actors on non-covered needs in the areas of water governance, water supply and sanitation in Africa; and better orienting cooperation efforts in order to maximize their effectiveness in the water and sanitation fields.
The International Decade for Action Water for Life
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Alaska is a Frontier for Green Power
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