November Sustainable Development

Read the articles selected in November 2016

World energy outlook 2016

Source: http://www.asvis.it/, 17 November

Although renewables and natural gas are more and more important sources in the global energy landscape, to limit the rise in global temperature to 2°C are needed government policies that would accelerate from now innovation in low carbon technologies and expand renewables use in industry and transports.

Harnessing bacteria to fight ocean pollution

by Adam Zewe

Source: green.harvard.edu, 17 November

A students team has presented Plastiback, a project to quantify micro-plastic pollution in the oceans, using bacteria like E.coli that identify and degrade PET, spotting the areas with largest concentrations of microplastic, where fishing is dangerous for public health.

Anthropogenic debris in seafood: plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption

by Chelsea M. Rochman, Akbar Tahir, Susan L. Williams, Dolores V. Baxa, Rosalyn Lam, Jeffrey T. Miller, Foo-Ching Teh, Shinta Werorilangi & Swee J. Teh

Source: Nature, 24 September 2015

This study that analyzes fish bought in markets of Makassar, Indonesia, and California, assesses the presence of plastic and textile debris in seafood. These can elicit a biological reaction to toxicity, that leads to inflammation and cellular necrosis and increases the hazardous potential of chemicals presence in humans.

New view: carbon is not the enemy

by Mark Fischetti

Source: Scientific American, 14 November

If right exploited, carbon is a resource and not a danger. Instead of releasing it to the atmosphere, we should use it as a raw material, living and durable, to create reusable products such paper, fiber and recyclable plastics, and in the soils, to have healthier crops and forests.

Violence against women “serious obstacle” to sustainable development, Ban says on World Day

Source: http://www.un.org/, 25 November

Violence against women as a result of discrimination with the aim to exclude them from playing their role in society is not only a violation of human rights causing enormous suffering but also a serious obstacle to sustainable development, that governments must remove with strong policies and adequate funding.

Military leaders urgeTrump to see climate as a security threat

by Erika Bolstad

Source: Scientific American, 15 November

USA defense experts and intelligence agencies are pressing Trump to consider policies for climate as an issue in the national and international interest of the United States, given the relationship between global warming and catastrophic climate scenarios, mass migration, and international instability.

Taking on inequality

Source: http://www.asvis.it/

This report provides a frame of extreme poverty and shared prosperity in the world, given the end-poverty goal adopted by the Word Bank by 2030. Although 1.1 billion people have emerged from extreme poverty, inequality persists across societies destabilizing global collaboration.

Paris Climate Agreement enters into force sending powerful market signal

Source: http://www.unglobalcompact.org/, 4 November

UN Global Compact, that for the first time recognized the role of non-state actors, like the business, investors, civil societies in the action to fight the climate change, has called on companies to set the minimum price for coal at 100 dollars in order to spur innovation and investments.

INTERVIEW: What extreme weather and global temperature rise mean for humanity-WMO chief

Source: http://www.un.org/, 15 November

One degree more in global temperature doesn’t sound a big number but over a long period of time, it produces devastating changes that we see only when catastrophes happen affecting lives of people and economies.The national plans adopted until now are scarcely sufficient to prevent further disasters.

Global concerns on climate change

by Alvin Powell

Source: https://green.harvard.edu/ , 17 Novembre

It is possible to construct a causal, cascading chain between climate change and political changes at a global level. The great drought in Siria that led to civil war and massive migrations to Europe, can be read as the phenomenon triggering Brexit, which pushed the result of last elections in the USA.

The global climate 2011-2015: hot and wild

Source: http://www.asvis.it/

The World Meteorological Organization has published a report on the global long-term warming caused by greenhouse gases, that have reached 400 parts per million in the atmosphere. This trend turns out to be directly linked with the extreme weather and climate events of the last years.

Nations meet to turn climate pledges into action

by Annie Sneed

Source: Scientific American, 7 November

The topic of COP22, that has taken place just after the entry into force of Paris Agreement is how to implement the Deal, monitoring everyone’s efforts in cutting emissions of greenhouse gases, trying to limit the global temperature increase more below the threshold agreed in Paris.

Emissions-Impacts-Climate Change

Source: http://uneplive.unep.org/

In a recent report, the UN Environment Programme warned that even if every country fulfilled the Paris Agreement, the global temperature would be kept below 3, and not 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Thus it is needed a stronger action.

General Assembly President outlines strategy for stepped-up implementing UN 2030 Agenda

Source: http://www.un.org/, 8 November

President Peter Thompson in a briefing to the UN General Assembly reaffirmed his commitment for peace and the full realization of human rights, that the 2030 Agenda intends to pursue on the principle of “leaving no-one behind”, facing inequalities that incentivize poverty and discriminations.

Guiding Principles on business and human rights

Source: https://www.unglobalcompact.org/,14 November

Recognizing the role of business in the tissue of civil society and the obligations of governments in requiring from business enterprises the respect of human rights, the United Nations have framed a set of guidelines and operational principles that apply to all business enterprises regardless of their location and size.

Living planet report 2016

Source: http://www.worldwildlife.org/

Earth is getting less and less hospitable. The exploitation of its resources in the Anthropocene has killed 58% of vertebrate animals population. Crossing the Planet Boundaries puts an increasing risk for animals and humans. A prosperous and just future can’t happen in a destroyed environment.

Planetary boundaries: guiding human development on a changing planet

by Will Steffen, Katherine Richardson, Johan Rockstroem, Sarah E. Cornell, Ingo Fetzer, Elena M. Bennet, R. Biggs, Stephen R. Carpenter, Wim de Vries, Cynthia A. de Wit, Carl Folke, Dieter Gerten, Jens Heinke, Georgina M. Mace, Linn M. Persson, Veerabhadran Ramanathan, B. Reyers, Sverker Soerlin

Source: Science, 15 Januar 2015

The planetary boundaries framework describes nine processes, fundamental to Earth System functioning and resilience and modifiable by human action. The boundaries conceived not as thresholds but as early warning signs, define a safe space within human activity can operate and thrive.

Development Co-operation Report 2016

Source: http://www.asvis.it/, 21 October

Economic and social development has become more and more global and interlinked. An entrepreneurial leadership can’t be but promotor of sustainable development. The public sector is required to help private companies to invest in developing countries.

Can wind and solar fuel Africa’s future?

by Erica Gies

Source: Nature, 2 November

Africa is moving towards clean energy. Several nations are investing in renewables, because of the dropping cost of these technologies, the unreliability of hydroelectric energy and the price volatility of oil, coal, and gas. For green entrepreneurs, this is a great opportunity of business.

Oil production could have caused century-old California earthquakes

by Annie Sneed

Source: Scientific American, 31 October

A study on the earthquakes that hit California between 1900 and 1935 established a connection between the quakes and the oil and gas companies’ production volume and the locations and depth of their activity. Although any direct causation is not yet proved, it is evident that there are induced earthquake

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Pubblicato il : 20/12/2017
Modificato il : 04/04/2019

November Sustainable Development

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