Dr. Noel Brown, Former Regional Director, United Nations Environment Programme

June 29, 1995, Paramount Studios

Introduction by Ed Begley, Jr.: We all know of the severe pollution problems in Los Angeles, but I want you to know that the solutions exist with today's technology. For example, I have been off the electric grid for years, using solar and wind power. I have owned electric cars for many years, I have not been to a gas station in five years.

But Dr. Brown can tell you more from a global perspective. He has been with the UN for 25 years, and served as North American Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for many years. Now he is moving on to another role with the UN. He is a great man and a good friend.

Dr. Noel Brown: This is a time for outrage, a time for urgency.

I want to explore with you the interface between global conceptions and local actions. Twenty years ago, the philosopher René Dubos coined the phrase, "Think globally, act locally," which I believe is the human imperative for the 21st Century. He also coined some other powerful slogans, including, "Trend is not destiny," and "You cannot escape the past, but neither can you avoid inventing the future."

"Think globally, act locally," has been a rallying cry around the world. Yet in a tendency toward a new isolationism, many people have abandoned the global in preference for the local. This week in San Francisco, on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the UN, President Clinton cautioned Americans against the new isolationism and stressed the need for Americans to accept global responsibilities without abandoning concern for the local. He underscored the need to avoid isolation, especially in regards to the UN.

As you know the U.S. is the largest debtor to the UN. Yet the UN is part of an American political legacy, for President Roosevelt was a principal architect of the UN Charter. His energy and courage made the UN possible. His four freedoms were the cornerstone of the UN Charter. The UN is an expression of American values and America has contributed more money, more ideas and more initiatives than any other nation. Thus it seems ironic you are not supporting the UN at this time.

Your support of NATO is clear, yet it seems the mission of NATO has been accomplished, and there is a scramble to find a new meaning and purpose for it, such as the "Partnership for Peace." Yet the UN is a "partnership for peace," and it is important for Americans to support it. For what the UN has attempted on the funds it has been given, the world has gotten a bargain.

Last night, the head of the UN Association said that it is time for Americans to demand the US to pay its debts to the UN. It would only take $4.50 per American to liquidate its debt to the UN. How about the American people collecting the money and presenting a check to President Clinton to pay its debt to the UN at the 50th anniversary celebration in New York this fall?

The slogan, "Think globally, act locally," has great relevance to the environment. Local actions have global effects, almost every human act has some environmental impact or implications, even the act of breathing. Recently, Nefertiti's tomb was opened for the first time and scientists were astonished at the state of preservation after 5,000 years. Yet in a few weeks, human breath had transmitted organisms and started fungal growth which caused serious deterioration.

Americans, with only 6% of the world population, have an overwhelming impact on the global environment, in terms of resource use and waste. Two years ago, at the UN, Vice President Gore said that the average American born today has 30 times the impact on the environment of an Indian born today. In 1974, Americans used more energy for air conditioning than all the energy used in China, and wasted more energy than all used in Japan. Today, America produces more CO2 than any other nation and is therefore the major contributor to global warming.

American consumers and industry throw away annually enough aluminum to rebuild its entire commercial airplane fleet, and enough rubbish to build a wall 12' high from Los Angeles to New York. This pattern of consumption and waste generation, although currently affordable, is not sustainable. It is also a matter of equity, in regard to the Earth's carrying capacity, to ensure that other countries have their fair share of resources. Soon China will be the largest producer in the world. What will happen if 1.2 billion Chinese start using energy at the rate of the US?

There is a fine film "Earth and the American Dream," but what about "Earth and the Chinese Dream"? I do not want to admonish Americans for their patterns of consumption and life style, but the issue is the Earth's carrying capacity in a rapidly degrading environment.

The latest State of the Environment Report from UNEP on the vital signs shows that the Earth is not well, there are discernible cracks in the biochemical cycles of soil, air and water that nourish the Earth. The 1994 Environmental Data Survey reported that the climate is changing, that the 6 of the 7 warmest years on record have occurred in the last decade and are likely to recur. Global warming means that the atmosphere becomes more energy retentive, which will produce more ferocious hurricanes and storms. For example, the wind speeds of Hurricane Andrew were 140 mph, but if the temperature elevates, there is the possibility of winds of over 170 mph. Now the insurance industry is adopting views in line with the environmentalists, appreciating that global warming has implications for them. The sea level has been rising at 1.8 mm per year, 7 inches per century, which has great impact on coastal nations. The world's mountain glaciers are in retreat everywhere. Many of us are watching with alarm the breakup of the Anarctica ice sheet. The Greenland ice sheet has a depth of up to 5 miles, if the Arctic ice sheet melted, the sea level would rise by 21 feet, which would flood many places around the world.

It seems that coal, oil and gas resources are in better shape than the renewable resources, such as fresh water, soil, forests, oceans and biological species. We are losing 50-500 species per day, yet we don't even know what we are losing, since less than 2% of the life forms on the planet have been documented. Some 1 million species are on death row, a biological holocaust is in the making. We need to take seriously the Biodiversity Convention, our survival may depend on it. The only cure for childhood leukemia is from the rosy periwinkle from Madagascar, and there may be many other cures in the rainforest that we are in danger of losing forever.

Life forms in the ocean are showing serious symptoms of stress and degradation. For example, whales are showing AIDS-like systems as their immune systems deteriorate. Ocean vitality is degraded, fishing grounds are depleted, 1988 was the last year in which the fish catch topped 100 million tons, now it is declining.

At a population of 5 billion we are in a full-occupancy planet, and we are accelerating natural processes at unsustainable rates. Yet many governments are not moving on the population issue. It took the world 1 million years to get the first million people, yet it will only take 10 years to add the next billion, as we are now adding about 100 million people per year. We are reproducing at the rate of 10,000 people per hour, which is not sustainable. The reproductive act is personal, yet it has global implications. The poor possess an environmentally damaging capability, especially since many of the poor live in ecologically vulnerable areas, 80% in Latin America, 60% in Asia and Africa.

These and other symptoms suggest that the Earth is fast approaching the moment of truth. It is not clear how much longer the natural order can support the human enterprise. But is the world listening? There was very little coverage of the release of our Report on the Environment. You media people could provide us with ideas on how to make these ideas relevant and publicized How can we communicate the sense of urgency?

Yet there is some good news. For example, at the 1992 Earth Summit, for the first time, governments from 170 countries adopted a planetary blueprint for action, Agenda 21. This document attempted to balance the various sectors into one organic whole. The Agenda shows how humans can create environments that are prosperous and sustainable -- without destroying global productivity. Also adopted at Rio were the important Conventions on Climate Change and Biodiversity, both of which are now in effect.

The questions are: Can Agenda 21 can serve as a catalyst for local action? And what can we as individuals do to implement it and contribute to sustainable development?

What are the elements of sustainable living, and what can Americans do to promote it? First, let us examine our own life style in terms of how we affect the environment. Can we reduce our impact on the global environment? Can we help build new alliances within our communities and globally? We should consider using technologies such as the Internet, through which people can mobilize electronically. There is the potential for global mobilization on behalf of the environment. Earth Day has been a powerful way to mobilize people, perhaps we might be able to continue this and expand it electronically.

We should make environmental protection a market-driven issue, so the producers will have to respond. We are all consumers. We can transmit our environmental values in the market place. What would happen if we consciously devoted 10cents of every dollar we spend to environmental sustainability?

We can reach out to the private sector. For example, last night in New York City we hosted the sixth Fashion and Environment Dialogue -- to help the fashion industry become more environmentally responsible. This is important because fashion is a $200 billion per year industry, which uses much energy, many chemicals, etc. Now they are experimenting with green cotton and other approaches.

Tourism and travel is beginning to accept that tourism can be a source of environmental sustainability. This industry moves 600 million people per year and generates $3.7 trillion in revenue. By 2005 it will move 1 billion people and generate $7 trillion in revenue. Think what would happen if they became environmentally conscious. Now some hotels have signs suggesting you reuse this towel to save water, energy and chemicals.

Millions of small activities can accumulate to make a difference, such as joining tree planting campaigns, because trees reduce urban heat and CO2 buildup. Each acre of forest absorbs several tons of CO2 each year.

It is important to expand our outreach to the media. ECO and EMA have used the entertainment industry to change our political and social cultures through environmental presentations. You have made a difference.

The first question is, "What kind of planet do we want?" What are our values, how do we value the Earth's resources systems? Currently they are undervalued. For example, look at the smokestacks pointed up into the air, because air is considered a free good. We need to calculate the true costs and internalize those costs.

The second question is, "What kind of planet can we get?" This is a matter of policy, what decisions are we ready to undertake and how rapidly can we undertake them? It seems many policy makers are undoing 25 years of solid environment achievements. Your problems are extremely severe, but Americans have invested more in environment protection than any other country. Yet now that investment may be dismantled. It seems your political leaders have not demonstrated to the American people that you have gotten your money's worth, that there are positive results. The Administration, through the President's Council on Sustainable Development, is attempting to communicate the vision, but Congress is dismantling it.

I hope we will make the right choice for a sustainable planet. I hope Americans will give us the new vision of an sustainable society. As the worlds' only superpower and foremost economic power, you can demonstrate a lot to the world, but only you can decide to accept that responsibility.

Despite the deepness of this diagnosis, I believe we are a rather gifted species, and there are many things we can do well. René Dubos was right, "Trend is not destiny." This question is, "Will we choose life?" Hopefully the answer will be a resounding "YES."

Discussion

Q: Should Americans be contacting Congress to stop the gutting of the Endangered Species Act. Would its repeal send a bad sign to other countries?

Brown: The U.S. is an powerful symbol in the world. The U.S. originally proposed the Biodiversity Convention be negotiated. What would be the value of such an international obligation if you undermined it domestically? Americans should take pride in progress, for example, the bald eagle came off the endangered list. Other countries will follow the U.S. lead, and, remember, little Costa Rica has twice as many species as the US and Canada combined.

Q: In 1991 occured the world's biggest environment crime, the burning of oil wells in Kuwait by Saddam Hussein. What can we do to hold him accountable?

Brown: There are other environmental crimes, such as the Russian dumping of radioactive materials in the Sea of Japan. I think it is important to ensure that nations take responsibility for actions that damage the environment.

Q: What about greater use of the Internet and other media?

Brown: Yes, could we make a global environmental summary telecast, just like they do each day of the O.J. Simpson trial?

Q: What about involvement of business?

Brown: We have been doing that. For example, we now have 40 banks that are using sustainable principles in their loan policies. We have an industry office in Paris that works with all the major sectors, including energy, paper, agribusiness, mining, etc. The Earth Summit made a major step toward partnership with business.

Q: The Playa Vista development is creating a new city on the only remaining coastal wetland in Los Angeles. How can you help us stop it?

Brown: The UN has restrictions on dealing with local matters. The UN can only offer moral authority. Your scientists can show the impact of the local development on the environment. You could raise it at the 1996 Habitat Forum.

Q: People are behind NATO but not the UN. Could we educate people about the other branches of the UN, such as UNEP?

Brown: Many people are saying the UN does not project its full range of activities, but the issue is "news worthy" vs. "praiseworthy." During the Year of Peace, Costa Rica presented a Peace Tree to the UN and we planted it, but there was no media coverage. However, when it died 2 weeks later, that made prime time news. It seems positive achievements do not make news but the negative do. We need to get the UN story out, I hope that ECO and EMA can present the true state of the world and how the UN can help.

Q: The UN should expand 100-fold its work on global environment problems. Environmental concerns are more important than peacekeeping. Don't try to please the US, criticize the US.

Brown: The US has been the most criticized state in the UN, but now it is healing time, we need to look at the positive. Yet, I am concerned that the UN is being marginalized. UNEP asked for a $150 million budget but got only $90 million. The US is reducing its contribution to UNEP by 25%, so we will have to cut back every program, including our information efforts, which will put UNEP in weaker state than 2-3 years ago.

The UN is a 19th Century organization approaching a 21st Century world. We have been a slave to the sovereignty of nations. I believe the UN should create a separate peoples' chamber to represent the people directly. We need to act as if people mattered. We know that the NGOs are crucial for the environment. NGO scientists were crucial in the development of the Montreal Ozone Treaty. Greenpeace was able to prevent Shell from dumping an oil rig in North Sea, and has drawn attention to Russian radioactive dumping in the Sea of Japan. We need to become more human-centered.

Q: How can we make these environmental scientific documents better known?

Brown: I asked a group of young people to rewrite Agenda 21 in a language youth could understand. They produced a delightful document called "Rescue Mission," which is being read. I would like to have the same done with the population action plan. I would like to release the Global Environment report in a shopping mall, the cathedral of consumption. Let's think of innovative ways to project our image and information better. I hope ECO and EMA can help us with this.