The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference: Heal The World
Precisely 1 week until the Paris Climate Summit. Financial professionals worldwide are watching with great interest what progress will be made at this landmark conference. Because, protecting the environment is a vital goal from every conceivable perspective, be it health, wealth or happiness. Especially since the idea of the prince escaping to another planet & leaving the pauper to burn in harmful radiation, choke on particulate matter & drown in acid rain, has been summarily debunked as impossible. The burning, choking & drowning is most certainly not going to discriminate between rich & poor. The human race is literally all in this together.
The only misconception that may compromise the proceedings, is that the participants mistake the Summit for a "family reunion" in which the main order of business consists of mutual promises of eternal friendship. On the contrary, it is a very complex negotiation process, involving at least a few interest groups who are secretly dead-set against the idea of even accepting that there is any threat to the climate in the first place.
The role of the United Nations is that of a mediator with an important purpose: It must identify the private sector parties who are genuinely invested in the environmental health of a given region. The mission is more complicated than it looks. For example, an agricultural landowner will be very concerned about local farm workers dying of pollution & radiation because his business model is labor intensive, as opposed to a highly-mechanized multinational agricultural company that can import whatever little labor it needs; similarly, a coastal fishing cooperative will be appalled at the idea of rising sea levels that could engulf their homes, versus an international sea food supplier that can change location. Brokering a result-oriented agreement won't be easy. So, on behalf of humanity, I sincerely wish UN Secretary General Ban & his associates success in this important endeavor.
Blinded By Bloodlust
Today is Day 1 of the Paris Climate Summit. Last week, there were several discussions in the local papers about how under-funded every Pakistani government department is except for the military/intelligence services (along with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home Department, due to military interests in KP). Side-by-side, the local media was blue in the face about how the bureaucracy is neglecting its responsibilities, even though the military has actually made progress. While the nature of the "military progress" is debatable, the obvious answer is that the military is the most well-funded organization in Pakistan - so how can other departments be expected to function when almost penniless?
This brings to mind the leopards of Abbottabad, which are classified as an endangered species & consequently must not be indiscriminately killed. But every few weeks, there is a news item about a child getting mauled to death by a leopard that ambled out of the woods & made a meal of the poor thing. The victim's family tries to save the unfortunate minor; but what can they do against a predator blinded by bloodlust?
Pakistani forest rangers are never paid enough to risk their lives hunting leopards; therefore, logic dictates that the best thing would be to hire them for the administrative part of forest management, & arm local residents with tranquillizer guns to subdue wild animals whenever they wander too close to human settlements. Buying the guns & training the locals would be affordable if the multi-billion dollar contracts for lethal weapons from Raytheon & other defense contractors were trimmed. If not, it only means that the "triumphant capture" of a terrorism suspect came at the price of the extinction of an important member of Earth's ecosystem...or the agonizing death of an innocent child. Does that count as progress?
Adversity Is A Commodity
Day 2 of the Paris Climate Summit. The list of factors that are essential to living a normal life in which basic human rights are safeguarded, consists of the universal availability of the following 5 items: EFFECTIVE HEALTHCARE, POTABLE WATER, UNADULTERATED FOOD, ADEQUATE CLOTHING & STURDY SHELTER. All other issues, such as war or politics, are secondary to the fulfilment of these basic needs. Therefore, if there is a shortage of any of these items within the borders of any nation, the commercial approach would be to ask the suppliers of the relevant item what went wrong.
In the majority of cases, especially in mixed economies, the responsibility to sufficiently supply each basic necessity is divided between the government & the private sector. This state-of-affairs has spawned a very easy explanation for all supply mishaps: governmental corruption or bureaucratic red tape. In reality, even government production facilities are run (at least partly) by private contractors, who are usually representatives of the same firms that command the largest commercial market share in relevant sectors. So, all roads lead to the market.
Therefore, the logical way to tackle a shortage in any basic necessity is to start by demanding an explanation from the top 5 private sector suppliers of that item in that nation. If they can prove, without the shadow of doubt, that they have nothing to gain from the shortage, their expertise can be utilized to identify the culpable party or parties, both in terms of mens rea & actus reus.
Birds: Heralds Of Hope & Symbols Of Stability
Day 3 of the Paris Climate Summit. A few days ago, there was talk about how the sparrow & swift populations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (Pakistan) are declining, due to 3 main triggers: sonic pollution, poisonous food seeds & excessive construction. Fewer sparrows & swifts means an imbalance of the ecosystem, which will lead to a spike in the populations of many different species of poisonous insects & crop pests. While such an outcome would definitely lead to a spike in demand for bug sprays & pesticides, the use of chemicals instead of natural predators has been scientifically proven to be detrimental to human health & damaging to the environment.
Malaysia became a top supplier of quality palm oil in the world only once it effectively controlled its rat infestation by breeding a large barn owl population (rats being the barn owl's natural prey). Which means that it created & enforced the environmental conditions essential to the barn owl's survival. Because it knew that as long as it relied on chemicals & other man-made solutions, it would remain a dirt-poor former trading post of the East India Trading Company.
Similarly, the solution to this particular environmental challenge consists of the following 5 measures: Solar-powered sensors to monitor atmospheric pollution (including, but not limited to, GHGs, PM2.5, sonic pollution, UV radiation & X-rays) that are connected simultaneously to both national & UN databases; tougher implementation of food quality controls; strict legislative & judicial protection of the institution of legitimate ownership of assets; awareness campaigns designed to educate local landowners about the detrimental effects of environmental degradation on the price tag of their assets; & taxes on land based on the area covered by genuine construction (not just a boundary wall, as is the accepted practice in Pakistan).
A Glut Of Random Facts does Not Qualify As Useful Information
Day 4 of the Paris Climate Summit. Knowledge is power. But only if it is presented in a form that is relevant to the improvement of daily life. Hardly anyone has actually looked at a virus or bacterium under a microscope; however, everyone values information on how to recognize the signs of any specific infection. Very few people are really interested in who invented penicillin; but information that pertains to how it can be used as a treatment is universally respected.
While Google is offering global citizens satellite photos of their homes, China has taken a sensible step: it is spreading awareness among the general public about the importance to daily life of environmental protection, by creating regularly-updated & freely available databases of different varieties of environmental pollution levels in the country. Now, that is information that actually has a quantifiable application, both for the present & the future.
Best case scenario, such live-updated environmental sensor systems should be applied worldwide & the information for any region should be available free globally 24/7. If companies like Google were to cooperate in financing such a ground-breaking initiative, its business model may even prove a boost for the rapidly declining popularity of various companies' commercial services, for example, Google Earth. Which would be good news for the Developing World, because that means that the private sector should be happy to help set up the required systems & supply the relevant training programs free of charge.
The Business Of Saving Lives
Day 5 of the Paris Climate Summit. Environmental hazards are evolving rapidly. For example, once upon a time, conjunctivitis in Pakistan was triggered by dust (mostly during the dry season). Now, the leading cause of eye irritation is exposure - even in the safety of the home - to ultraviolet radiation...year round. Which means that the recommended precautions of days gone by are obsolete - or, at the very least, incomplete. In addition, every region is unique in everything from climate to culture. Humanity needs intrepid researchers to design customized & effective solutions to today's problems - & to start right now.
But nobody can be an intrepid researcher without adequate funding. Raising funding is impossible, unless prospective investors are acquainted with the dangers they themselves will have to face in the event of further environmental degradation; then & only then, will they be as forthcoming with their capital as scientists are with their knowledge, to find a solution; because they too, will not want the problem to pass the point of no return. All relevant parties will truly understand, for the first time in corporate history, that their very lives depend on peaceful cooperation.
The responsibility to present a convincing case for raising money for research, development & global deployment of eco-friendly technology falls to the world's best & brightest financial minds. They are the only parties trained to present the problem & market clean tech investment to all the different countries & cultures across the world, in a language that investors will understand; & the United Nations is the organization best-equipped to motivate & coordinate those financial professionals, so as to convert individual players into committed & synchronized teams. Every day that a lasting solution is not agreed upon, is another day of profitable progress lost. Ensuring the welfare & freedom of people tomorrow entails protecting the health & rights of people today.
Land & Loyalty
Day 6 of the Paris Climate Summit. As most Pakistanis know, no matter how ambitious a business plan & how sound the mode of operation, not much can be achieved when water & gas supplies are contaminated & unreliable, electricity is either fluctuating or unavailable, & Internet & cell service is accessible on a here-today-gone-tomorrow basis. These aren't occasional mishaps, they are daily occurrences.
Further, some Developing World agricultural economies tend to take soil fertility for granted. Dirt-track racing? Bring it on - it'll render our suffering masses less noticeable & improve tourism! Pesticide & herbicide field tests? The contaminated crops can be fed to the poor - in return for Corporate Social Responsibility points! Hazardous weapons depots? Use the local warehouses & apartments - if anyone complains, we'll just label him/her a liar or a lunatic! The list of disastrous policies is endless.
This can be resolved in 2 steps:
1:- A globally-accepted soil fertility grading system that evaluates the soil of a region in light of the comparative quality of that region's signature crop(s); for example, Pakistan's mangoes are considered superior to India's, which means that Multan soil is costlier than it is currently considered. That will simplify the UN's job of making certain natural resources are appropriately used.
2:- "Friend-In-Need FTAs"; whenever any nation faces a shortage of anything, it can turn to a neighbor (preferably one with whom it already has an FTA) to solve the problem with a connection to its own production facilities, in return for similar assistance to the neighbor in another category. This strategy can raise living standards & strengthen bilateral ties simultaneously. So sustaining soil & fostering friendship can literally lead to universal peace & prosperity.
Investment Banking & Environmental Awareness
Day 7 of the Paris Climate Summit. When it comes to private sector environmental responsibility, almost every variety of business has been named; the sector that is still flying under the radar is the banking sector. The likely cause of this apparent oversight is the stormy legal debate that surrounds the jurisdictional limits of nations in accessing the confidential information of overseas banks.
The result is that the governmental role in efficiently arranging funds for environmental protection has been almost forgotten. Some Developing World governments don't even acknowledge that environmental protection & human rights are two sides of the same coin. For example, some Pakistan Government figures reportedly dubbed the astronomical rise in the price of food, clothing, healthcare & shelter unimportant - because Pakistan has a Climate Change Minister (whose job is to prevent atmospheric sabotage in Pakistan, not sing Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire").
It is time to start thinking less as several nations & more as a single species; it is time for the UN to implement the following combination of finance & law:
A: Corporate Social Responsibility for the banking sector should depend on how committed a firm is to focusing interest on clean tech projects by marketing scientifically-sound & financially-profitable business models to its clientèle. Investors are more likely to trust their financial advisers than some random third party.
B: Environmental Law is the least profitable of all legal specialties. Eco-crimes go unchallenged because lawyers fear they will starve if they fight environment cases. The UN should create a system consisting of monetary compensation for lawyers who only practise Environmental Law. Popularizing this specialty is impossible without guaranteeing financial stability.
Oil & Water
Day 8 of the Paris Climate Summit. Fossil fuels & commercial shipping are two of the biggest causes of pollution & climate change. But a sudden prohibition on transactions related to these sectors is likely to cause more harm than good.
Renewable energy is popular, but it will be a few years until profit margins become reliable; hydropower is one form that is considered both safe (nuclear power having credibility issues since August '45) & applicable globally (very few places don't have access to the sea, a river or a man-made canal). Train transport - especially China's new high-speed trains - can lighten the burden, but creating a standardized global rail transport system will take time (even though, the Belt & Road is expected to make this project easier).
So, the best approach is to continue mainstreaming clean technologies, while reducing the damage caused by current practices. Using the energy & shipping examples, here are a couple of suggestions:-
ENERGY: Most of the pollutants produced by fossil fuels come about as a result of incomplete combustion. If completely combusted, the amount of pollution produced will fall. That means engines & turbines (among other things) that run on gas, oil or coal need to be more efficient. With UN support & committed professionals, brands like Toyota could bring both credibility & experience to the table.
SHIPPING: The biggest environmental threat in the shipping sector is the tendency of crews to throw untreated waste directly into the sea. But if there were a law that binds each vessel to present a verifiable estimate of the garbage it will generate until the next port of call, the port authorities will be in a position to make certain that waste hasn't been disposed off improperly en route.
Concrete Progress Is Impossible Without Concrete Principles
Day 9 of the Paris Climate Summit. There is often talk in the world media about "Strongmen" being the people to talk to when spearheading any objective, be it security, political, humanitarian or commercial. The argument for this rather unethical approach is that "the legitimate in-charge can't disobey so-&-so kingmaker, therefore it makes sense to approach him directly". This strategy fosters a lack of respect for human rights. Whoever may be "strong" or "weak" within a sovereign nation, the duty of other sovereign nations is to respect UN law (which directs all people & nations to show due regard for any & all national laws, as long as those laws don't constitute a violation of human rights).
Rules are meant to be barriers against any & all forms of oppression that are the inevitable result of placing too much power & influence in the hands of a single party. Evidence of the importance of the rule of law is everywhere, be it governance or trade. Without a reliable system of administration, the law of the jungle prevails - which is why animals, despite being stronger & faster than human beings, are still not the dominant species on Earth.
Similarly, the enforcement of environmental protection agreements is impossible without the rule of law. Legislation to cope with changing circumstances is the province of the UN in conjunction with each national government; ably implementing legislation is the duty of the civil services; combating corruption is the jurisdiction of the national & international judicial authorities. But climate change prevention, while a matter of both national & international welfare & security, is a purely humanitarian initiative; it must not be misinterpreted as a military issue or else it will mutate into an excuse for violence & war.
The Circle Of Life
Day 10 of the Paris Climate Summit. At some point in our lives, we all need a home; & at several points in our lives, we all feel alone. The UN is an important organization for many reasons. But the reason I respect it is because it reminds us that this is all we have. When we need a home, this is the only planet that truly serves the purpose; & when we feel alone, human companionship chases the fear away. Wealth can't turn a house into a home & slaves can never replace friends. The planet & humanity is in such danger today, because some people don't understand that, if they wreak devastation on humanity in the name of selfish ambition, that devastation will assume a different form & find them, too. Always.
The mining sector is in free fall these days. But that is because several mining projects have been so badly carried out that they even cost lives. From Tethyan Copper Company's devastating mismanagement in Reko Diq to Samarco's mining disaster in Bento Rodrigues, the list is horrifying in the breadth of human suffering each blunder has lead to. The reason is that the perpetrators are outsiders & the victims are locals. Which begs the question: Would these disasters - that first brought ruination to the victims & then to the perpetrators - have happened if the local residents (both landowners & wage-earners) had been accorded legal importance in these projects? Statistically speaking, the chances are almost nil; local residents are likely to be far more invested in the protection & preservation of the area, because they, their loved ones & the majority of their assets are based there.
This is an illustration of what large corporations can do if decision-making is in the sole control of "outsiders" - who are easily attracted to "Not-Our-Problem" policies. Unless the decision-makers in each region or project include parties who will actually be affected by any mishap, environmental tragedies - followed by financial fiascos - will never stop.
Protecting The Planet By Protecting Humanity
Day 11 of the Paris Climate Summit. All conflicts are caused by one trigger: Theft. British Prince Charles has stated that he believes the Syrian War was triggered by climate change. While the media is still trying to decide whether to agree or disagree, this debate spotlights an even more important fact: Violence (be it sanctioned by any authority or not) leads to environmental pollution, which leads to climate change. Anyone who doubts the link between protecting all living things from violent disasters & preserving the environment, need only look at the two greatest environmental disasters in Earth's history: The extinction of the dinosaurs & the destruction of Hiroshima & Nagasaki.
So, if climate change is caused (among other factors) by war, & war is triggered by theft, a very effective method of preventing climate change is to make sure that the act of depriving any human being of his/her human rights is never allowed to be profitable. Every human being is entitled to the timely fulfilment of a specific set of basic requirements. If those needs are not satisfied, the explanation is simple: The victims have been robbed of the resources to do so. Human civilizations have worked the land & have fished & sailed the seas since millennia. If history has taught us anything, it is that loss & destruction only occurs as a result of violence; natural resources do not simply disappear; somebody illegally takes them.
Case in point: Pakistan is a leading global supplier of high-quality grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, meat & dairy products; why is the majority of Pakistan overworked, underfed & still in debt to various companies & countries? Some of the finest medicinal herbs grow wild in Pakistan; why is the poor Pakistani forced to purchase everything from syringes to bedsheets if he/she is hospitalized? Doing justice to the planet is impossible without doing justice to humanity.
The Dawn Of A New Day
Today is the final day of the Paris Climate Summit. Mistakes have been acknowledged; reparations promised; commitments made. Now the real work begins...for all of us. The Summit has reminded the relatively unaffected - especially multinational company executives - that saving the planet is not magnanimity but a necessity for every human being, regardless of race, creed, culture, nationality, financial status, education, profession, age or gender. Negotiators from all over the world have worked tirelessly to design a practical, result-oriented agreement. However documentation is only as effective as the strength of its authors' determination to achieve the stated goals.
The League Of Nations was formed in 1920 as a result of World War I, in which approximately 18 million people died. The purpose of the LN was to prevent a repeat of that disaster. It failed. The world was embroiled in violence & drowning in blood less than 2 decades later. The United Nations was formed in 1945 as a result of World War II, in which approximately 60 million people died - over thrice the death toll of World War I. A third World War is not merely frightening, it is unthinkable; & the most effective method to prevent such a catastrophe is to make certain that aggressive elements of society always remain answerable to level-headed & logical professionals. Coincidentally, this approach is also the solution to the climate change challenge. Two problems solved for the price of one.
Thanks to the efforts of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon & his team, the delegates at the Paris Climate Summit have focused on issues that truly matter to the common man: food, clothing, shelter, healthcare & their vital connection to the prevention of climate change. That is a very encouraging sign. Let us all hope that it is a sign that the world as a whole has understood the importance of collective effort & is embracing the concept of peaceful progress as opposed to Scorched Earth Policies.
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