[GreenYes] Fwd: GAIA at the Earth Summit

[Gary Liss <gary@garyliss.com>]

> From: "Manny Calonzo"
> <manny.gaia@no-burn.org>
> Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 13:01:55 +0800
>
> Greetings to all of you and a warm welcome to our new
> friends who have recently joined the GAIA family 
>
> We are pleased to report back on GAIA’s participation at the recent
> Johannesburg Earth Summit.  
>
>  
>
> 1.  Zero Waste Project at the
> Global Forum.  Based on initial
> reports, we achieved 70-80% waste reduction in Nasrec, site of the Global
> Forum, outperforming other Summit venues by 300-400%!  The
> significant waste reduction at the Global Forum is attributed to the
> following factors:
>
> a.  Designed More Waste Out of the System.  The Global Forum
> site has restricted the use of most plastics (particularly PVC plastic),
> while other Summit venues have only restricted polysterene.
>
> b.  Diverted Organic Waste.  The Global Forum site has diverted
> discarded food and other organic materials while other Summit venues have
> not.
>
> c.  Invested in Education and Outreach.  The Zero Waste project
> was actively promoted at the Global Forum using different promotional
> tools, particularly the use of posters, flyers and TV monitors to
> encourage and guide participants on waste reduction and separation. 
> (See ELA-GAIA press releases for more information.)
>
>  
>
> The Zero Waste project tremendously helped in raising the profile of GAIA
> among NGOs attending the Summit.  The accredited NGO delegates from
> all over the world received the Zero Waste information, which ELA and
> GAIA published.  Brochures, stickers and bookmarks – creatively
> designed by our colleague Gigie Cruz - were also distributed at various
> meetings and places, including the exhibition booths of ELA, Cape Town
> (thanks to Marie-Lou Roux of the Cape Town Anti-Incineration
> Alliance/Habitat Council) and the Butterfly Taiwan (thanks to Herlin
> Hsieh of the Taiwan Watch Institute). The recycling stations as well as
> the locally designed bicycles for collecting materials were marked with
> the logos of ELA, GAIA and the Zero Waste project.  We thank Muna
> Lakhani for his foresight, energy and creativity.  
>
>  
>
> A round of applause to Muna, Zini, Thebogo and the 90-strong Zero Waste
> Team.  They have done an excellent job in proving to the world that
> Zero Waste works. Indeed, the Zero Waste  project "shines out
> like a beacon in the dark" for a Summit that has been heavily
> criticized for failing to address the environmental challenges facing the
> planet and humanity.  Thank you so much Muna and the Team for a job
> well done!
>
>  
>
> 2.  Zero Waste
> Forum.  The ELA-GAIA Forum on 27
> August 2002 brought together about a hundred people from Argentina,
> Armenia, Cambodia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Lebanon,
> Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea,
> Spain, Tanzania, Taiwan, Uganda, making it one of the best attended
> parallel events at the Global Forum.  There were nine main
> presentors who spoke about the problems of incineration and the
> determined efforts of communities and public interest groups to advance
> real solutions.  Thank you to the 20 GAIA members who came to the
> meeting, most especially to our resource persons:  Raul Montenegro,
> FUNAM; Ravi Agarwal, Sristhi/Toxics Link; Zeina Al-Hajj, Greenpeace
> Mediterranean; Von Hernandez, Greenpeace International; Muna Lakhani,
> Earthlife Africa; Llewelyn Leonard, groundWork; Suyol Hong, KWMN; Herlin
> Hsieh, TWI; Josep Puig, Alternativa Verda; and, last but not the least,
> Laila Iskander Kamel of Egypt.  (See the listserv next week for
> the highlights of the Forum)
>
>  
>
> 3.  Incineration
> Meeting.  Through the kind initiative
> of our colleague Marie-Lou Roux, a meeting on incineration and its
> impacts to public health and the environment was held on 26 August 2002,
> with Nicholas Kasa of the Sasolburg Environmental Committee and Manny
> Calonzo of the GAIA Secretariat as discussants.  The meeting drew
> some 30 people, mostly from South Africa who were very concerned with the
> use of the polluting waste disposal technology in the country.  A
> BIG thanks to Marie-Lou for her great enthusiasm and activism.
>
>  
>
> 4.  Statement on Incineration
> by Summit Participants.  The official
> Earth Summit failed to make a categorical rejection of incineration as a
> waste disposal option.  The Plan of Implementation adopted by
> governments even classified waste-to-energy incinerators as a favorable
> option for managing waste.  Nonetheless, concerned Summit
> participants signed a GAIA-drafted statement asking governments and their
> business and funding partners to stop the destructive practice of
> incinerating waste and shift instead to least-cost waste prevention
> systems and non-burn alternatives.  The statement cited proposed
> incinerator projects in Bangkok (Thailand), Beveren (Belgium), Kampung
> Bohol (Malaysia), Kirkland Lake (Canada), Ringaskiddy (Ireland) and
> Sasolburg (South Africa).  Colleagues from South Africa, Taiwan and
> Uganda helped in gathering signatures.  The statement circulated at
> groundWork’s Corporate Accountability Conference, for instance, were
> signed by 100 people, including 13 Goldman Environmental Prize awardees
> from Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Egypt, El Salvador, Honduras, Ivory Coast,
> Liberia, Madagascar, Slovakia, Somalia, South Africa and South
> Korea.  (See the GAIA listserv for copy of the
> statement.)
>
>  
>
> 5.  Networking
> Efforts.  Our presence at the Summit
> has allowed us to interact with potential GAIA members.  Those who
> have signified their intention to join either as individual or
> organizational members include the following:
>
>  
>
> Environmental Development Action, Ethiopia
>
> Stree Mukti Sanghatana (a program for women ragpickers), India
>
> Tamil Nadu Environmental Council, India
>
> Bali Fokus/Indonesian People’s Forum, Indonesia
>
> Hasviva/Israel Association to Preserve the Environment, Israel
>
> Intermediate Technology Development Group, Kenya
>
> Jihad-Al-Binaa Development Association, Lebanon
>
> Dr. Nat Quansah (Goldman Environmental Prize awardee), Madagascar
>
> Greenline Movement, Malawi
>
> Brad Smith/Greenpeace Nordic, Norway
>
> Fatima Jibrell (Goldman Environmental Prize awardee)/Horn Relief,
> Somalia
>
> Chatsworth Steering Committee, South Africa
>
> Highveld East Community Environment Monitoring Association, South
> Africa
>
> Kat River Valley Catchment Forum, South Africa
>
> Mafube Youth Enterprise, South Africa
>
> Mochnai Residents’ Association, South Africa 
>
> SADC Youth Movement, South Africa
>
> South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, South Africa
>
> Tlhago-Bontle Environmental Organization, South Africa
>
> Jabulile Nene (nurse), South Africa
>
> Judith Dinky Halimana (nurse), South Africa
>
> Yujin Lee/Green Korea United, South Korea
>
> Josep Puig/Alternativa Verda, Spain
>
> Joseph Mutsigwa/Yonge Nawe, Swaziland
>
> LEAT, Tanzania
>
> Tsering Yangkey (Head, Environment and Development Desk, Central Tibetan
> Administration), Tibet
>
> Environmental NGOs Lobby Group, Uganda
>
> Denny Larson/Global Community Monitor, USA
>
>  
>
> In addition, contacts were made with the following groups who are all
> working on waste issues:
>
>  
>
> NGO Forum on Cambodia, Cambodia
>
> Friends of the Earth, El Salvador 
>
> Israel Union for Environmental Defense, Israel 
>
> Okinawa Environment Network, Japan
>
> Friends of Environment Society, Lebanon 
>
> Earthlife, Namibia 
>
> Oniipa Environmental Project, Namibia 
>
> Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network, Palestine
>
> Citizens’ Movement for Environmental Justice, South Korea
>
> Homemakers Union and Foundation, Taiwan
>
>  
>
> We will follow them up and
> "formalize" their membership in our growing family.
>
>  
>
> We welcome your comments and suggestions as to how we can further our
> gains at the Summit.
>
>  
>
> Finally,
> THANK
> YOU to all who took care and supported us
> in Johannesburg, particularly our beloved friends and colleagues at
> groundWork, Greenpeace International and Earthlife Africa.
>
>  
>
> Warmest regards.
>
>  
>
> Manny C. Calonzo
>
> GAIA Secretariat
> Unit 320, Eagle Court Condominium
> 26 Matalino St., Barangay Central
> Quezon City, PHILIPPINES
> Tel. + 632 9290376
> Tel/Fax: +632 4364733

Gary Liss

916-652-7850

Fax: 916-652-0485