Recycling :: essays research papers

Five historic period arrive at passed since the Earth Summit. Have we made any progress? Have we travel closer to the goal of sustainable development in the last louver years? Is the world better off today than it was five years ago? A pessimist entrust say that the glass is half empty. As an optimist I prefer to say that the glass is half full. Let me think the main achievements", asserts Ambasador Tommy Koh of Singapore. The following is adapted from his article.First, the Earth Summit has brought to a lowest resolution the age-old debate between economic development and trade protection of the environment. The new wisdom is that we requirement economic progress, but we in like manner want to live in harmony with nature. To be sure, Governments have to make ruffianly choices and there are trade-offs between the two objectives. But since the Earth Summit, it is no longer possible to talk about development without considering its disturb on the environment or to talk about protecting the environment without considering its impact on sustainable development. Many countries have enacted legislation to provide for environmental impact assessment. Second, the Earth Summit has empowered the environmental movement. Within discipline Governments, the ministries of environment and environmental protection agencies have become more important. The nongovernmental organization (non-governmental organization) community has gained in stature and influence. Many countries have established study councils on sustainable development. The business community has rallied to the cause and established the subscriber line Council on Sustainable Development. Business leaders have become alive(predicate) that support for the environment is not inconsistent with profitability. Third, the Framework rule on Climate Change has come into force. The States Parties are engaged in the vexed process of negotiating a Protocol which would contain legally binding limits on th e emission of greenhouse gases. Fourth, the Convention on Biological Diversity has similarly come into force. States Parties are required to undertake inventories of their biological diversity. They are also required to publish Red Data Books containing their endangered species of flora and fauna. Although we spread over to lose about three species of flora and fauna every day, the tantrum is better today than five years ago that the world will arrest and reverse this trend. Fifth, in response to the urgent need of Africa, a Convention to Combat Desertification has been negotiated and adopted. It will enter into force in celestial latitude 1997. I hope the international community will back the Convention with the requisite political will and economic resources to make it work.