Tag Archives: Environment

A Libyan Refugee Crisis / Libya Ousted From Human Rights Council / Green Dentists

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A refugee crisis is boiling over at Libya’s border. The United Nations votes Libya out of the the U.N. Human Rights Council. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urges Congress to approve the administration’s budget for the State Department. The U.S. and China must cooperate on a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. Some U.S. dentists are going green. And, finally, International Women’s Day is March 8.

Refugee Crisis at Libya Borders
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The situation in Libya has become not just a political crisis, but a potential humanitarian crisis as well, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says. Foreign workers and frightened Libyans are pouring to the borders to escape the turmoil, and international aid agencies are gearing up resources to cope with needs for food, shelter and clothing.

UNGA Suspends Libya
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All 192 member nations of the United Nations General Assembly have voted to suspend Libya from the U.N. Human Rights Council due to its government’s violent attacks on protesters opposed to Muammar Qadhafi’s rule. U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan Rice describes the vote as “unprecedented” and “a harsh rebuke – but one that Libya’s leaders have brought down upon themselves.”

Pass Obama Budget, Clinton Says
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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urges Congress to approve President Obama’s budget request for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, and warned that cutting funding could harm key investments in countries across the Middle East. “The entire region is changing, and a strong and strategic American response is essential,” Clinton says in testimony to the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.

North Korea’s Nuclear Activities
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Senior State Department officials say China and the United States share the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons programs from the Korean Peninsula and that both countries will need to work together to resolve North Korea’s status as a nuclear weapons state. North Korean nuclear activity “is an issue which is at the very center of the U.S.-China relationship,” says Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth.

When Your Dentist Turns Green
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A movement is building to “green” America’s 125,000-plus dental offices. Since Ina and Fred Pockrass founded the Eco-Dentistry Association in 2008, dental offices in 45 states and 13 other countries have pledged to reduce their impact on the environment.

Shirley Chisolm “Broad Shouldered” Women
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This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first , which recognizes women’s past struggles and accomplishments and focuses on what needs to be done to provide greater opportunities for women today. At right, Shirley Chisholm, who in 1968 became the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress.

U.S.-Brazil Talks / From Egypt, Inspiration / Drumming for the Deaf

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton holds bilateral talks with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota and previews President Obama’s trip to South America. Clinton also calls peaceful protests in Egypt inspirational. A group of Russian national park and nature reserve managers is visiting the U.S. to exchange ideas about managing protected areas. And, we have two reports on a program that brought Louisiana’s Southern University Marching Band drum line to North Africa.

Secretary Clinton speaking

U.S.-Brazilian Talks
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Secretary Clinton, above, and Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota held broad-ranging talks on U.S.-Brazilian issues, regional concerns and President Obama’s upcoming trip to South America in March. Obama’s trip “comes at a time when we are cooperating closely, and our bilateral work on issues and global challenges, including food security and human rights and clean energy and global inequality, is key to both of us,” says Clinton.

From Egypt, Inspiration
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Secretary Clinton says Egyptians have inspired Americans through their “extraordinary example of nonviolent, peaceful protest.” In a social media dialogue, she urges Egyptians to remain vigilant, but says the United States stands ready to assist them.

U.S. and Russia Talk Parks
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A group of Russian national park and nature reserve managers is visiting the U.S. to exchange professional information and experience about managing protected areas. Vsevolod Stepanitsky, the delegation leader and a deputy director in the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, says that Russia might find U.S. practices in wildlife management, environmental education and public outreach applicable.

American Drummers in Algiers
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In a program sponsored by the U.S. Embassy and supported by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, drummers from Louisiana’s Southern University Marching Band entertained residents in Algiers, Benthala, Sidi Fredj, and Tiaret, from January 31 to February 5.

Louisiana’s Southern University Marching Band drum lineDrumming for the Deaf
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Members of Louisiana’s Southern University Marching Band drum line, right, performed before several hundred people at the Mohamed V National Theatre in Morocco with Moroccan musicians who, like many members of the audience, were deaf. “It really gives new meaning that if you are deaf, blind, come from a different country or speak a different language, music is basically a universal language,” says drummer Alexander Riggins.

Counterterrorism Techniques / The U.S. Economy / Chinese-American Mayors

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The United States is continually adapting its counterterrorism techniques to respond to evolving terrorist threats, says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the U.S. economy continues to strengthen but that unemployment remains stubbornly high. What is more important for the environment and for humans in the long run: clean energy or trees? And there are approximately 40 Asian-Americans currently serving as mayors of U.S. cities.

Janet Napolitano speakingPreventing Terror Threats
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The United States is continually adapting its “counterterrorism techniques to effectively detect, deter and prevent terrorist acts,” says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. “Working with our federal partners, law enforcement across the country, the private sector, and the American public, we are making great progress in addressing today’s evolving terrorist threats,” Napolitano, right, says.

Bernanke on Economic Recovery
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The U.S. economy continues to strengthen as greater consumer and business spending take hold, but unemployment remains stubbornly high, says Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. “Until we see a sustained period of stronger job creation, we cannot consider the recovery to be truly established,” Bernanke said during a February 9 House Budget Committee hearing.

Solar Panels Versus Trees
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What is more important for the environment and for humans in the long run: clean energy or trees? As the United States continues to develop renewable power sources and encourage homeowners to take advantage of solar and wind power tax credits, clean energy advocates increasingly run into opposition from environmentalists who fear for the trees that are often lost to allow better access to sun and wind.

Chinese-American Mayors
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The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies says approximately 40 Asian-Americans currently serve as mayors of U.S. cities, with San Francisco and Oakland the two largest. At right, San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee (left) and Oakland Mayor Jean Quan (right) join other prominent Chinese-American guests at a White House state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Obama in South Korea / Sharing Power in Iraq / Trying to Explain Iran

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President Obama discusses new G20 regulations and urges North Korea to get serious about nuclear disarmament. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton applauds a new Iraq power-sharing deal. In China, clean energy policies are a priority. A new food security fund aims to reduce global poverty. Pakistani Peace Builders help with flood relief. And finally, meet Hooman Majd, an Iranian-American author whose goal is to explain the sometimes baffling Iranian landscape.

G20 Agrees on Regulations, Trade
The Group of 20 major economies agrees to implement tighter financial controls to prevent another global financial crisis and to achieve more sustainable and balanced economic growth. “For the first time, we spelled out the actions that are required … to achieve the sustained and balanced growth that we need,” says President Obama, right.



Obama to N. Korea: Get Serious
North Korea must show “a seriousness of purpose” before nuclear disarmament talks can resume, President Obama says. “We’re not interested in just going through the motions with the same result.” 

In Iraq, New Power Sharing
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praises Iraq’s new power-sharing agreement, which was struck by rival factions after eight months of negotiations. “Iraq’s political leaders have worked together to agree on an inclusive government that represents the will of the Iraqi people,” says Clinton

Toward A Greener China
China will aggressively pursue clean energy policies for the foreseeable future, driven mostly by the desire to reduce its dependence on overseas energy supplies, according to U.S. experts.

A New Food Security Fund
Partners in the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program is a new fund set up to increase agriculture productivity and reduce poverty. Ethiopia, Niger and Mongolia will receive the fund’s second round of grants totaling $97 million. The fund is supported by the United States, Canada, South Korea, Spain, Australia and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Pakistani Peace Builders
Pakistani Peace Builders (PPB), an independent cultural diplomacy campaign launched in May, aims to counteract American stereotypes and misperceptions of Pakistanis. Following the devastating floods that struck Pakistan in late July, PPB added a humanitarian angle to its cultural mission and cofounded Relief4Pakistan to mobilize flood relief funds.

Explaining Iran
Hooman Majd, an Iranian-American author, has spent years writing about the complicated relationship between the United States and an Iranian political, social and religious landscape that outsiders find baffling. In his latest book, The Ayatollahs’ Democracy, Majd, right, interviews Iranian figures of all stripes to explain a pivotal and dramatic moment in modern Iranian history, the highly contested 2009 election in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner.

Justice in Cambodia / A Storm Watch in Haiti / The Shahnameh

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During a visit to Cambodia, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton calls for justice. Preparing for his own trip to Asia, President Obama will focus on the economy at the upcoming G20 Summit and APEC Forum. In Haiti, aid workers prepare for a tropical storm. Find out what Islam teaches about protecting the planet. And finally, a 1,000-year-old book commissioned by Iranian kings is now on display at the Smithsonian.

Seeking Justice in Cambodia
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urges Cambodian leaders to confront their country’s troubled past by bringing to justice Khmer Rouge leaders for crimes against humanity in the 1970s. Clinton’s visit to Cambodia is part of her 13-day trip to meet with leaders of at least eight East Asian and Pacific nations. At right, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong greets Secretary Clinton at the Phnom Penh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


Economy the Issue at APEC, G20
Fostering global economic growth through the Group of 20 (G20) advanced economies is fundamental to a lasting recovery at home, says a senior Obama administration official. The economy figures strongly into President Obama’s four-nation Asian trip that includes stops in India and Indonesia before the G20 in South Korea and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Japan.

Haiti’s Tropical Storm Watch
The U.S. Agency for International Development has 20 members of its Disaster Assistance Response Team in Haiti to help prepare the country for Tropical Storm Tomas, which could hit the island this week.

Islam and the Environment
Ibrahim Abdul-Matin was recently in Washington to talk about his upcoming book, Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet. Abdul-Matin says his book is written not only with the Muslim reader in mind, but for anyone interested in learning more about Islam’s connection to the environment.

Photo Gallery: The Art of the Shahnameh
The Poet Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh combines myth and history in the epic tale of a nation. The Smithsonian Institution’s Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C. is celebrating the book’s 1,000th anniversary by showing illustrations from grand editions commissioned by kings of Iran. At left, after a journey to the end of the world, Alexander (an important figure in the Shahnameh, known to others as Alexander the Great), encounters a talking tree that foretells his death. Explore this photo gallery featuring other such images from the Shahnameh.

A Busy Day in Brussels || An Environmental Success Story || A “Paradigm Shift” in Health Care

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Busy in Brussels, Secretary Clinton discusses NATO and Pakistan. There’s hope ahead of a crucial vote in Sudan. A new initiative is spurring interfaith action to improve Muslim countries. China and the U.S. are partnering on air quality. Counterfeit drugs are a pandemic. And finally, experts call for a “paradigm shift” in health care in Africa.


NATO’s 21st Century Threats
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates urges members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to focus on 21st century threats such as terrorism, cyber attacks and ballistic missiles. “Relying on the strategies of the past simply will not suffice” says Clinton, right with Gates. The two also express support for the alliance’s proposed Strategic Concept.


Taxing Pakistan’s Wealthy
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urges Pakistan to collect taxes on its wealthier citizens in order to help pay for the country’s recovery from flooding that could ultimately cost tens of billions of dollars.

The Timeline in Sudan
Following a week-long visit to southern Sudan, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice reports that the Sudanese people remain hopeful ahead of a January 9, 2011 referendum on the region’s independence.

“Partners for a New Beginning”
Partners for a New Beginning (PNB), an initiative joining American private sector and civil society leaders to strengthen opportunities in Muslim countries, adds further support to President Obama’s vision of “a new beginning” for the United States and Muslim communities across the globe.

A U.S.-China Success Story
AirNow International, a joint U.S.-China air quality program, is cited as a bilateral success by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson during a visit to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.

The Danger of Counterfeit Drugs
The key to fighting a global “pandemic” of counterfeit drugs is building partnerships among drug companies, pharmaceutical trade groups, law enforcement and customs officials worldwide, experts say. Rubie Mages, a security official with U.S. drug manufacturer Pfizer, says pharmaceutical companies must “monitor the supply chain” and report counterfeit drugs to authorities.

Changing Health Care in Africa
Experts say a “paradigm shift” is needed in health care in Africa to include greater focus on the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and not just infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS. Silver Bahendeka, chair of the International Diabetes Association’s Africa region, predicts that “Africa will have the highest percentage of increase in the number of people with diabetes over the next 20 years.” Left, Archbishop Desmond Tutu is examined for diabetes in South Africa.

Can Ghanaian Pineapples Generate Jobs and Services?

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[guest name="Phoenix Maat and Michael Ducker" biography="Phoenix Maat oversees U.S. operations of Sardis Enterprises International Inc., a Ghanaian-American company, from her office in Denver. Michael Ducker is a market development specialist employed by J.E. Austin Associates, a business consultancy firm that focuses on helping developing economies."]

America.gov asked finalists from among the more than 700 African immigrants who submitted business plans to the “African Diaspora Marketplace” to blog about their ideas. Sponsored by USAID and Western Union Company, the African Diaspora Marketplace is a contest that will award seed money to approximately 15 winners to help them bring their ideas to life in their home countries.

PHOENIX MATT, entrepreneur:

Pineapple processing.

Pineapple processing.

Sardis Enterprises International Inc. exports Ashanti Gold and White Pineapples from Ghana to America. Our vision entails expanding our pineapple exports from Ghana as well as our social services to the people of Ghana. We aim to create employment and educational opportunities, with special attention to health and nutrition. We want to build business partnerships with the Ghanaian people, treating them not just as workers, but also as export partners.
Sardis Enterprises was founded and is run by Americans and Africans. It is unique in its work of salvaging crops for export. (We try to make sure no pineapples go to waste, unlike some operations.)

Sardis Enterprises’ humanitarian efforts also distinguish it from other companies that export from Africa but do little for its workers or environment. We maintain a culture of participation and inclusion as we work to raise prosperity, education and agricultural productivity in Ghana.

Sardis Enterprises welcomes guidance and partnerships with donors and regional African organizations. An American agriculture exporting company would be a great consulting resource for us as well. We are interested in learning efficient international export channels and in adopting better IT systems.

MICHAEL DUCKER, business expert:

Sardis seems to have an advantage over several other fruit exporters.

Ms. Maat’s blog entry makes me believe that Sardis is an integrated enterprise that manages everything from the pineapple farm to selling directly to U.S. wholesalers and super markets. This allows it to change quickly to market needs.

Sardis also has a US presence, meaning that it should have direct access to the market. This provides more opportunities to promote the Sardis enterprise and an advantage in gathering information about the U.S. market.

By incorporating good employment and environmental practices, Sardis also has created a branding opportunity, which could lead to higher prices. I would suggest that Sardis focus its selling and marketing on socially conscious consumers and the higher value retail chains that serve these consumers. I would work with the retailers to get prominent shelf space for the pineapples accompanied by point-of-sale displays with a socially conscious slogan, such as “the best pineapples for you and the earth from Ghana.” The displays could carry pictures of happy employees and logos of environmental standards that Sardis might adhere to.

I don’t know Sardis’ cost structure but my feeling is that Sardis would be better served to stay away from commodity-type distribution chains, which are managed by the larger super markets. The commodity-type distribution chains will not bring Sardis the price it deserves.

Green is the Theme

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An advertisement for World Intellectual Property Day

An advertisement for World Intellectual Property Day

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) says “green” is the theme for this year’s World Intellectual Property (IP) Day. World IP Day is celebrated each year on April 26 with events hosted worldwide — all with the purpose of spreading awareness of the importance of the patent, trademark and copyright systems to the global economy. Green, of course, refers to the myriad social campaigns for environmental protection and the exponential growth of environmentally friendly products, which one hopes will help save our planet from ecological calamity. Green is all about raising awareness of what we can do to save our troubled planet from man-made threats such as global warming. By the way, in the American vernacular, “green” also means money, a reference to the color of one side of the U.S. currency bills.

WIPO Magazine dedicated its April 2009 issue to the challenges of finding technological solutions to climate change. They’ve posted articles that provide examples of how IP can “contribute to the development of low carbon technologies and their transfer to developing countries.” Articles explore topics such as green design, solar technology, clean energy and plant breeding. Read them at: http://wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2009/02/. The European Patent Office is also looking into eco-oriented technologies. It offers information on emerging technologies such as wind power, car emissions and bioplastics at http://www.epo.org/topics/innovation-and-economy/emerging-technologies.html.

But what’s the link between things green and intellectual property? In order to develop the Earth-saving technologies, the innovators who are to deliver these marvels need to benefit from their research and development (R&D). History has shown us that innovators do the best job of innovating when they have the financial incentive to do so. Economies that welcome innovators and entrepreneurs with the academic, legal and financial framework to do their jobs are more likely to find the engine that does not emit carbon dioxide or the disposable products that will not lay in a landfill for the next millennium. In short, we have to encourage and reward the people who are capable of saving our planet. The global IP system’s intention is to encourage eco-friendly R&D that can be used by us in the North and the West and ultimately be transferred to developing economies.

A friend who heads a “green” telecommunications company says he does so because he believes in eco-friendly products and services from a standpoint of social responsibility. But he also adds, unabashedly, “green is the new green.” He is in business to make money … and better yet if he can make money by spreading a technology that makes the planet a better place to live. I think this convergence of profits and environmental products also applies to the commercial development of eco-friendly products and the need for their patent protection. This IP Day, let’s incentivize the innovators who are building an industry on saving planet Earth.

A Day to Celebrate Intellectual Propery Rights

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April 26th is the date when intellectual property (IP) practitioners around the world gather to recognize the global intellectual property system and the role it plays in stimulating creativity and innovation. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) decided back in 2000 to designate a date to help global citizens learn more about the impact patents, trademarks and copyrights have on their lives and their nation’s economy.

Any organization can set up its own IP Day. Typically it is government agencies, like patent and trademark offices, or universities, which host their country’s activities. WIPO encourages organizations in nations as varied as Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Estonia to host events. The organization provides promotional tools and suggests activities, but leaves the actual management of the events up to each host. WIPO also provides a list of activities it recognizes. Click here to find out what events may be taking place in your hometown: http://www.wipo.int/ip-outreach/en/ipday/2009/activities.html. But this list is not complete. You may want to Google “World IP Day 2009” along with your city or country to find out what’s going on locally.

I plan to attend an event here in Washington hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Association of European Chambers of Commerce on April 27 & 28. http://www.ipr-policy.eu/web/conference. This year they are focusing on two themes: “US and EU approaches to protecting IP” and “Communicating the Value of IP.” John Tarpey of WIPO and Richard Maulsby of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will be participating. Too bad I can’t be in Jamaica on April 24th for its Creativity Expo featuring prominent local musicians.

Officially, green is the theme of this year’s IP Day. WIPO is promoting the role IP plays in advancing clean technologies, green design, and green branding. But a review of global IP Day activities reveals that most countries have developed their own agendas off the official theme. Regardless, WIPO and other organizations have put out quality articles on green IP, the topic of my next entry.