Karlberg: Meaning, Religion and a Great Transition - review

Submitted by Arthur Dahl on 9. January 2015 - 9:40

Meaning, Religion and a Great Transition

by Michael Karlberg
a review and commentary by Arthur Dahl

The Great Transition Initiative is an international collaboration for charting pathways to a planetary civilization rooted in solidarity, sustainability, and human well-being. It operates an on-line forum of leading intellectuals moderated by the Tellus Institute in Boston. Papers are commissioned for discussion, and then published. A couple of IEF members take part in these discussions, which have been largely on scientific, political and institutional themes. In November, for the first time, the topic was "Meaning, Religion and a Great Transition" with a paper prepared by Michael Karlberg which has now been published on line. The discussion was lively and controversial, with the more secular scientists contesting that religion could be considered a knowledge system or be anything more than subjective and not worthy of serious consideration, while others welcomed this as an essential part of any transition. At the end of the month, Michael responded to the debate, and his commentary is also on line.

The Challenge of the Sustainable Development Goals

Submitted by Arthur Dahl on 15. December 2014 - 1:04

The Challenge of the Sustainable Development Goals

Arthur Lyon Dahl
International Environment Forum

Rio+20 called for the preparation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), building on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which focussed on reducing poverty, but including a wider set of sustainability issues relevant to all countries. An intergovernmental Open Working Group built on an inclusive process to issue a set of proposed SDGs in July 2014 (OWG 2014), and these are now under intergovernmental negotiation for approval by a UN summit of Heads of State on 25-27 September 2015. The Open Working Group proposed 17 Sustainable Development Goals with a number of targets under each goal, 169 targets in all (OWG 2014). The UN General Assembly and the UN Secretary-General have accepted that the proposals of the Group be the main basis for the post-2015 intergovernmental process (UN 2014). Indicators still need to be developed for these targets.

Lima Call for Climate Action

Submitted by admin on 14. December 2014 - 19:55

Lima Call for Climate Action Puts World on Track to Paris 2015

Based on UNFCCC Press Release / 14 December 2014

World on Track to New Universal Climate Agreement with Lima Call for Climate Action

Governments Agree Ground Rules on Contributions to Paris 2015 Agreement and Boost Adaptation

Clearer Elements of New Agreement Evolved in Peruvian Capital

IEF authors featured in two new academic books

Submitted by admin on 14. December 2014 - 18:09

IEF authors featured in two new academic books

Two books just published in the month of November by leading academic publishers include chapters by members of the International Environment Forum.

Review of Paul Hanley's new book "Eleven"

Submitted by Arthur Dahl on 20. November 2014 - 19:28

Review of Paul Hanley's new book Eleven

by Arthur Dahl

Eleven by Paul Hanley. Friesen Press, Victoria, BC, Canada, 2014. 400 p.

Eleven

"Eleven billion people will populate this marvelous planet by the end of this century. Adding almost 4 billion to an already overburdened world will force everyone to change everything. The sweeping changes that make an 11 billion-world work will wholly transform humankind, reshaping its inner life and external conditions. This process will result in the emergence of a new culture, a new agriculture, and ultimately a new human race." This is how Paul Hanley introduces his new book and explains the title "Eleven".

The latest on climate change from IPCC

Submitted by Arthur Dahl on 4. November 2014 - 1:50

The latest on climate change from IPCC

report by Arthur Dahl

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) completed the work on its Fifth Assessment Report with the approval of the Synthesis Report in Copenhagen on 1 November 2014. On 3 November I was able to attend a presentation of the most important findings of the report during four hours at the University of Bern, Switzerland, by the Chair of the IPCC, the Co-Chairs of Working Group I and key contributors to the report, in the presence of the Swiss Minister for the Environment, Transportation, Energy and Communication.

A week of climate change action

Submitted by admin on 24. September 2014 - 1:03

Action on Climate Change

Mid-September has been an important time for action on climate change, with a report on the New Climate Economy, People's Climate Marches around the world, and a Climate Summit at the United Nations.

Small Island Developing States

Submitted by admin on 23. September 2014 - 23:27

Small Island Developing States

Representatives from 115 countries attended the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, held in Apia, Samoa, on 1-4 September 2014. This was the third global conference to tackle sustainable development on islands, and the first to be held in the Pacific region, after conferences in Barbados in 1994 and Mauritius in 2005, where IEF was active (see http://iefworld.org/mim05.htm). IEF President Arthur Dahl included the proposal for international conferences on Small Island Developing States when he was drafting chapter 17 of Agenda 21, adopted at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, and contributed to the two previous conferences.

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