Blue Economy

Today I bought a coupon with which I will neutralize 4 tons a year for the next four years... I am wondering if anyone has already thought in this direction, and if you have ever heard anything about it???
It cost me 500€,
I mean I wanted to at least neutralize my footprint a little and help the planet.

Catch my latest episode of Climate Connections! 🐟🦀🪸

As you might know, Japan has completed their first round of release of treated Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the Pacific. One month on, authorities say no detectable amount of tritium has been found in the fish sample from the waters near the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.

If you’re still worried about whether it’s safe to consume seafood from Japan, do take a listen to my feature with a chemical oceanography expert - Professor Patrick Martin Nanyang Technological University Singapore who weighed in on the issue from a science perspective.

https://omny.fm/shows/moneyfm-morning-show/climate-connections-how-dang…

#environment #nuclear #oceans #marinelife #sustainability #seafood #japan #fukushima #pollution

Today I'd like to share a recent open access paper our research group (Grupo EngS - Engenharia da Sustentabilidade) did about integrating Water Footprint with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

"Linking Water Footprint with the Sustainable Development Goals: a Step-by-Step Method Description and Case Study" by the Journal of Environmental Accounting and Management

Please feel free to check it out and make comments or start a discussion on this topic.

SMILO (Small Islands Organisation) supports small islands of less than 150 km² in their sustainable development and management of their resources. It supports the integrated management of island territories in the areas of water & sanitation, waste, energy, biodiversity, landscapes and heritage.

The “Sustainable Islands” label rewards positive local dynamics and sustainable practices. SMILO provides additional support through the Islands Fund, which finances concrete and sustainable operations on the ground.

In order to strengthen cooperation and solidarity between islands, SMILO also animates an international network of islands (46 in 20 countries) and island partners located in Europe, the Mediterranean, West Africa, the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia!

SMILO joins forces with Blue to launch a new Call for proposals in cooperation with the Conservatoire du Littoral in May 2023.

The call from the SMILO Islands Fund is directed to small islands actively engaging in the labelling process. It additionally opens to the members working on small islands with identified holistic territorial approaches by island communities (membership validated with SMILO).

>> Find out more: https://smilo-program.org/blue-call-for-proposals-islands-funds/

Science is absolutely essential to ways in which the world can change for the better but, above all, it is our common belief in the future that will keep us on track.

In my own experience, there have been moments when the idea of the Blue Economy - action to ensure the health of the ocean, the political will to reduce global warming, the need to have a planet in balance to ensure the survival of life - have shone brightly, and other times when our actions or inactions have dimmed the lights. In bad times, as well as good, I have been sustained by my conviction of how much better things can be.

I have always have hope and believed in the wisdom of humanity to work towards a better future for all and ensure that we do not chose the path towards self- extinction.

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Introducing the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel); a substantial contribution to The Bluegreen Revolution...

This Ocean Panel is a unique global initiative led by serving heads of state and governments from around the world. Primary goals of the Panel are building capacity and momentum for a more sustainable ocean economy, informed by leading global experts and practitioners (Ocean Panel, 2022).

In 2020, the Ocean Panel released “Transformations;” an ambitious ocean action agenda to transform how we produce, protect and prosper from the ocean, including the shared ambition by all participating countries to sustainably manage 100% of their national ocean area. It also sets out priority actions across five critical areas – wealth, health, equity, finance, knowledge – to achieve a sustainable ocean economy by 2030 (Ocean Panel, 2022).

Ocean Panel countries have pledged significant ocean related commitments on international platforms, such as the Our Ocean Conference and the UN Ocean Conference; key to catalyzing action, driving investments, and delivering impact in priority areas. The first report of progress towards the Panel’s agenda shows the number of country commitments has continued to increase each year and that these commitments are followed by meaningful action, with the vast majority either completed (54 percent) or in progress (40 percent), sending a strong signal for effective implementation and accountability. The Ocean Panel has highlighted the link between a healthy, sustainable ocean economy and the achievement of the wider sustainable development agenda.
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https://oceanpanel.org/
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Catch the Bluegreen Wave...

Revolution is not something fixed in ideology, nor is it something fashioned to a particular decade. It is a perpetual process embedded in the human spirit. Abbie Hoffman

No real social change has ever been brought about without a revolution... revolution is but thought carried into action. Emma Goldman

In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell

The earth is what we all have in common. Wendell Berry

Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. Rachel Carson

An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment. David Attenborough

Touch the earth, feel the earth, her plains, her valleys, her hills, and her seas; rest your spirit in her solitary places. Henry Beston

The first law of ecology is that everything is related to everything else. Barry Commoner

Awareness of ecological relationships is - or should be - the basis of modern conservation programs. Rachel Carson

The highest function of ecology is the understanding of consequences. Frank Herbert

Probably the most visible example of unintended consequences, is what happens every time humans try to change the natural ecology of a place. Margaret J. Wheatley

Relationships are the core message of ecology. Frances Moore Lappé

Ecology is the overall science of which economics is a minor specialty. Garrett Hardin

The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, not the other way around. Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day Founder

We need to renegotiate our contract with nature. Ecology is a unifying force that can diminish intolerance and expand our empathy. Gregory Colbert

We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations. John Paul II

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Chief Seattle

Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our children's lifetime. The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land. Luna Leopold

We won't have a society if we destroy the environment. Margaret Mead

Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one. Marianne Williamson

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. Harriet Tubman
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Are you ready for the Bluegreen Wave (Revolution)???...

According to the World Bank Group, “the Blue Economy is sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health and encompasses many activities.”

"All economic activities related to oceans, seas and coasts. It covers a wide range of interlinked established and emerging sectors" - European Commission

"An emerging concept which encourages better stewardship of our ocean or 'blue' resources" - The Commonwealth of Nations

"Blue economy also includes economic benefits that may not be marketed, such as carbon storage, coastal protection, cultural values and biodiversity" - Conservation International

UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) is about "Life below water" and this SDG states to: "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development."

Why a New Green Revolution
Agricultural productivity gains since the 1950s have resulted from the development of farming systems that rely heavily on external inputs of energy and chemicals to replace management and on-farm resources. The intensity to which the natural environment has been modified to attain this productive capacity has directly resulted in degradation of natural resources; notably land, water, and the biodiversity, that sustain these systems.

Agroecology, Regenerative Agriculture, and Sustainable Development
The science of agroecology is rooted in our collective consideration and comprehension of agriculture and natural history and can be defined as the study of complex interactions between the components, reactions, and processes of the global (natural) environment, and human (anthropogenic) activities associated with agriculture and food systems. It provides the ecological basis for more sustainable farming, as well as the opportunity to characterize or refine the cumulative effects of agriculture activities at watershed, ecoregion, national, and global scales.

As a philosophy and approach to land management and watershed protection in agriculture and farming systems, Regenerative Agriculture explores all aspects of agricultural and food systems as connected through a web—a network of entities who grow, enhance, exchange, distribute, and consume goods and services. It’s about farming and ranching in a style that nourishes people and the earth - specific practices and holistic principles to restore soil and ecosystem health, address inequity, and leave our land, waters, and climate in better shape for future generations (NRDC, 2022).
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I am deeply grateful for especially my family, friends, and Mother Earth in all her glory...there is still time folks, and a Bluegreen Revolution is coming....

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. William Arthur Ward

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. Albert Schweitzer

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues. Cicero

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. Cynthia Ozick

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. Marcel Proust

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. Aesop

Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture. Kak Sri

He who thanks but with the lips Thanks but in part; The full, the true Thanksgiving Comes from the heart. J.A. Shedd

Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow. H. W. Beecher

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. Denis Waitley

There is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings. J. R. Moskin

I am grateful for what I am and have. My Thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite — only a sense of existence. Henry David Thoreau
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Thank You words and music by Led Zepplin. https://lnkd.in/eEf7-X8j

The United Nations (UN): Unity and Community

General Background
The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945; its Membership has grown from the original 51 Member States in 1945 to the current 193 Member States. All UN Member States are members of the General Assembly.

The UN has evolved over the years to keep pace with a rapidly changing world, and the work of the UN is guided by its basic purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter. But one thing has stayed the same: it remains the one place on Earth where all the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity.

The UN serves as a global forum where countries can raise and discuss the most difficult issues, including problems of war and peace. In addition to maintaining international peace and security, the UN protects human rights, delivers humanitarian aid, promotes sustainable development and upholds international law.

The idea of the UN was born during World War II (1939-1945). The name "United Nations", coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was first used in the Declaration by UN of 1 January 1942, during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations pledged their Governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers. World leaders who had collaborated to end the war felt a strong need for a mechanism that would help bring peace and stop future wars. They realized that this was possible only if all nations worked together through a global organization. The UN was to be that Organization (UN, 2022).

States are admitted to membership in the UN by decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. The recognition of a new State or Government is an act that only other States and Governments may grant or withhold. Members of the UN pay for everything that the Organization does, according to a scale of assessments agreed upon by all. This scale is based on a country’s ability to pay, national income and population.

The Secretary-General is Chief Administrative Officer of the UN – and is also a symbol of the Organization's ideals and an advocate for all the world's peoples, especially the poor and vulnerable. The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a 5-year, renewable term. The current Secretary-General, and the 9th occupant of the post, is António Guterres of Portugal, who took office on 1 January 2017. On the 18th of June, 2021, Guterres was re-appointed to a second term, pledging as his priority to continue helping the world chart a course out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UN is part of the UN system, which, in addition to the UN itself, comprises many funds, programs and specialized agencies, each of which have their own area of work, leadership and budget. The programs and funds are financed through voluntary rather than assessed contributions. The Specialized Agencies are independent international organizations funded by both voluntary and assessed contributions. The UN coordinates its work with these separate UN system entities, which cooperate with the Organization to help it achieve its goals.

Under the chairmanship of the UN Secretary-General, the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) provides broad guidance, coordination and strategic direction for the UN system in the areas under the responsibility of Executive Heads. Focus is placed on inter-agency priorities and initiatives while ensuring that the independent mandates of organizations are maintained.

The Executive Heads meet twice a year to consider policy and management issues impacting organizations of the UN system. The work of the Board is supported by two high-level committees: The High-level Committee on Programs (HLCP) and the High-level Committee on Management (HLCM). Under each Committee there are inter-agency mechanisms and networks to coordinate specific topics.

UN Charter
The Charter of the UN is its founding document. The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the UN Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945. The UN Charter codifies the major principles of international relations, from sovereign equality of States to the prohibition of the use of force in international relations. Since the UN's founding in 1945, the mission and work of the Organization have been guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter, which has been amended three times in 1963, 1965, and 1973.

The UN can take action on a wide variety of issues due to its unique international character and the powers vested in its Charter, which is considered an international treaty. As such, the UN Charter is an instrument of international law, and UN Member States are bound by it.

17 Goals to Transform Our World
The Sustainable Development Goals are a UN call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. More important than ever, the goals provide a critical framework for COVID-19 recovery (UN, 2022).

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. Seventeen SDGs were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; embarking on a 15-year plan to achieve these Goals.
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We are different; we are always have been and always will be. However, different shouldn't divide us, but unify us because different is an asset. Elizabeth Margo

In union there is strength. Aesop

Unity to be real must stand the severest strain without breaking. Mahatma Gandhi

Even the weak become strong when they are united. Friedrich von Schiller

The significance which is in unity is an eternal wonder. R. Tagore

So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. Baha'U'Llah

There is beauty and power in unity. We must be united in heart and mind. One world, one people. Lailah Gifty Akita

We were born to unite with our fellow men, and to join in community with the human race. Cicero

No part of the human community can live entirely on its own planet, with its own laws of motion and cut off from the rest of humanity. Hugo Chavez

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. Helen Keller

We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community. Dorothy Day

With community, comes friendship. Nikhil Parekh

As our planet grows smaller each and every day / Everyone affecting everyone in every way / We're all citizens of the world community / All here together and we're searching for unity. Adam Horovitz

We must attempt to bring people back to the warmth of community, to the worth of individual effort and responsibility...to better their lives and their children's future. Robert Kennedy

In the end, it comes down to values [...] We want the world our children inherit to be defined by the values enshrined in the UN Charter: peace, justice, respect, human rights, tolerance and solidarity. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
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https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter
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