An African American Opinion on the Climate Change Global Summit in Copenhagen
(New American Media radio interview)
“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Winston Churchill
Last week (December 11, 2009) I had the pleasure of being interviewed by New America Media for my opinion on COP15 through an African American lens. In summary, I am pleased and proud that President Obama was able to “rescue” some value from the conference. However, taking Churchill’s words to heart, I believe that in waiting for the “powers that be” to take action we are missing a significant opportunity. As I have written in earlier posts, to make sustainability sustainable, it must be useful. To make it useful, it must be put to work. This means to move beyond the regulatory framework and apply sustainability, including actions to reduce our CO2 footprint, as development tools to reach our short and long term societal and economic goals. This will encourage innovation, build competitive advantage and create jobs. It will also allow us to capture additional economic and social value from the CO2 regulations as they are implemented.
Americans normally seek the better mouse trap. As we are now seeing more and more across the nation, 40 years of Green innovations are now providing the best and most cost effective means of achieving our goals and desires. The more individuals and businesses understand that Green solutions can best meet their needs today, the faster these practices will be adopted and the faster our CO2 footprint will drop.
Additional Reading:
“KEYS TO THE KINGDOM” Putting Green to Work in the African American Community: FROM THE STATE OF BLACK ARIZONA REPORT Vol. II (CLICK HERE TO READ)
FULL ARTICLE FROM NEW AMERICAN MEDIA FOLLOWS
Ethnic & Local Lens on Climate Change Global Summit in Copenhagen
New America Now, 
, Odette Keeley, Posted: Dec 11, 2009
, Odette Keeley, Posted: Dec 11, 2009 Editor's Note: Odette Keeley, news anchor for "Stories From The Ethnic Media" on NAM's radio program, "New America Now" on 91.7 FM KALW, talks to ethnic media professionals about their outlets' news headlines and their take on the news of the day.
This week on "Stories from the Ethnic Media": The local and ethnic lens on Copenhagen’s global summit on climate change.
This week on "Stories from the Ethnic Media": The local and ethnic lens on Copenhagen’s global summit on climate change.
Almost 200 country representatives have gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark discussing initiatives to help minimize global warming’s potentially devastating effects. More than a hundred world leaders are expected to attend by the end of the summit, on December 18th. Bangla Patrika newspaper’s acting editor Abu Taher says Bangladeshi-Americans are keenly monitoring the outcome of this climate change conference because they have seen the ravages of natural disasters on their homeland, particularly Tropical Cyclone Sidr. The cyclone struck Bangladesh late last year, killing almost 2,000 people, and; In Phoenix, Southwest Green Magazine publisher Dr. George Brooks says they are highlighting the critical long-term impacts of global warming and how it could directly affect the African-American community.
FOR SUSTAINABILITY TO BE SUSTAINABLE, IT IS TIME TO PUT GREEN TO WORK!
Green Forward Blog
Sunday, December 20, 2009
