Mikhail Gorbachev was in Paris today, attending and chairing a conference at Sciences Po on the theme: “Can we still save the planet?”... Great participants: Michel Rocard (ex- French prime minister, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala (#2 World Bank), etc. I had the opportunity to present results form our field expedition to Greenland this summer. Together with one our main sponsors (Xavier Lépine, president of UFG group) I give a framed photo of the Sagax-REVO kids team to M. Gorbachev. More news to appear here in the next few days on this major event.
Mikhail Gorbachev addressing the founding congress of his movement Gorbachev's movement is not running in December's polls The leader of the former Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, has founded a new political movement in Russia. Mr Gorbachev told the founding congress of the Union of Social-Democrats that its mission was to fight against "negative tendencies" and corruption. He said it supported President Vladimir Putin's efforts to reform Russia. The new movement will not take part in general elections in December, which are expected to be won by the United Russia party, backed by Mr Putin. "We are fighting for power, but only for power over people's minds," Mr Gorbachev told the 200 delegates gathered in Moscow. Among the issues the movement would focus on, he said, were lack of real political debate, pressure being put on non-governmental groups and high levels of corruption. A statement said that "the potential for free democratic choice and political competition is being limited... This is why social-democrats are uniting to fight for the values of freedom and fairness." The congress elected the 76-year-old as the movement's leader unopposed. Mr Gorbachev's far-reaching reforms of the Soviet system accelerated the collapse of communism in the 1980s.
Tomorrow is Nobel Peace prize announcement.Although Al Gore is a favorite, I believe he will at best share it with someone like Sheila Watt-Cloutier of Nunavik, Canada, a representative of the Inuit and Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference. Awarding the prize to both would be a nice way to thank those who work on the field as well as a great spokesman for the Earth. We’ll know tomorrow.
Living in the New York area, I will soon likely be getting part of my natural gas supply from the Arctic! Ships will bring natural gas across the Atlantic from the natural gas fields 340 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
Global Green USA hosted President Gorbachev in New Orleans for the bi annual Green Cross International General Assembly. Every two years, the Green Cross International General Assembly brings together Green Cross affiliates from around the world to discuss the state of the organization and its plans for the coming two years. For the first time, this assembly is being held in the United States, in New Orleans, on October 5-7.
Lots of talks these days (from the very informed to the silly) on who owns the Arctic. It is in a way sad that the question has to be raised. It is understandable that a reasonable area around arctic countries’ borders would belong to them, but the area around the pole itself? Why would the North Pole belong more to Denmark or Russia than, say, Mali or the Maldives? Why not define a perimeter around the North Pole which would be preserved from exploration and drilling in perpetuity (or at least for the next 50 years), as has been done for Antarctica? Or set up some kind of UN perimeter around the pole: any money made in this area will be shared by all UN nations in proportion to the negative impact climate change has on them?
