Last Thursday the Children and Youth major group at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development took a brave stand to tell the truth about the fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Their address below captures the feeling of our world‚ as youth as we cry out for a truly just, sustainable energy future, whereas the Chairman‚Äôs attempt to make a joke at the end of their statement (please use gas.. I agree with you on nuclear) shows the type of inconsiderate thought we are up against.
Link to webcast of statement (forward to 1:47.25 for youth statement)
Statement given to commission during the Thursday May 10th high level discussion with major groups read by Makala and Griffin( the // indicate the part read by Griffin)
Thank you chairperson and distinguished delegates, we are grateful
for the opportunity to be here and contribute to the discussion of
these important issues.
Please stand up if you drink coffee‚ ..stand up if you drink water‚ .if
you like skiing‚ if you like honey‚ if you need food to survive. The
issues at hand are no longer abstract, or restricted by
nationalities. This is personal. Here now today for you and me. We
are looking at the earth we inherited and we are terrified.
// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //
We are disturbed that the chair’s text as it stands, which has been
weakened day by day throughout the past 2 weeks, will serve not only
to perpetuate current unsustainable practices, but also to justify
the inertia which limits the creation of the policies we urgently need.
// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //
An OPEC representative said yesterday that fossil fuels are the only
energy source that will be here for a longtime and even more
disturbing is that no one corrected him.
We are correcting him now.
// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //
What about the sun? The wind ? Indigenous knowledge? Fossil fuels in
fact are the only source that won’t be around for very long. they
took millions of years to be created and we are using them in hundreds.
// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //
Developing countries must change their direction to avoid the
technology lock-in of fossil fuels by transitioning quickly to clean
energy sources with the support of developed countries, in ways that
are regionally and culturally appropriate. Developed countries must
also take leadership and initiative to make that transition a
reality. Our lives are being threatened today by the disregard of the
full cycle costs of fossil fuels, from extraction to consumption.
// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //
To move from discussion to action, we need time-bound targets, follow-
up mechanisms, and transparency. Within this framework, stakeholders
must be engaged in developing indicator based assessments which go
beyond economic dimensions, addressing social and ethical
perspectives while encouraging proactive visionary community planning.
// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //
Governments and civil society should work together to increase
awareness and enhance education for sustainable development at all
levels, with an emphasis on peer-to-peer education. Effective
adaptation to climate change and its impacts will require diverse
solutions including climate vulnerability assessment and regional
disaster preparedness. We strongly encourage governments to take
action towards adaptation as a response to the needs of today, by
involving local communities and major groups in the planning,
decision-making, and implementation.
// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //
Our desire to engage in the decisions that affect our lives is being
impeded by the lack of agreed support from the governments. We would
like to thank all of the governments who have upheld their
commitments made in Agenda 21 Chapter 25 to bring youth on their
official delegation.
// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable. //
Albert Einstein said, when the bees disappear humans have 4 years
left. Well‚ the bees are disappearing already. Another warning is
when the youth lose hope. Please don’t make us lose hope today in our
collective present and future.
Once again, we’re here to remind you:
// Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not sustainable.
Please, don’t turn your backs on us. //
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well delivered. way to show the world we’re tried of waisting time discussing fossil fuels
I am probably going to cause a ruckus, however every time I work the numbers I always get a deficit in global power supply without some kind of nuclear. Even if China and India can live on 25% of the US per capita (the number Amory Lovins used to say), that is an enormous amount of power to supply with wind, solar, micro-hydro, etc. I am not saying nuclear would be majority energy source, but for baseload electricity (until you can better store renewable energy) nuclear has to be on the table. IPCC also listed nuclear as part (though not a majority) of the global warming solution.
I am willing to have a debate about any kind of technology, even Nuclear and biofuels, as long it is part of a good faith attempt to reduce carbon emissions. But I really think the timescale and cost of nuclear really make it a poor contender in that arena, especially if we need to get this stuff up in the next 13 years. I think that serious investment in efficiency, peak shaving technology, and passive heating/cooling would be cheaper. However, decommissioning current nuclear might leave a massive base-load hole that would increase the push for coal, which we definitely don’t want.
Another facet of a good faith discussion is what technologies we are willing to accept in our own backyards. Reading of opposition even to offshore wind (e.g., Cape Wind and Long Island) makes me concerned if ANY technology can be quickly deployed in the US even if it is popular on paper. Whether you include or exclude nuclear, communities will face hard choices about what energy technologies they must implement in order to have the electricity needed with as little carbon as possible.