Heather Allen's Blog: U.S. Law and Policy tag:switchboard.nrdc.org,2010:/blogs/hallen//228 2010-03-18T20:29:23Z Movable Type Enterprise 1.52 On World Water Day: Water and Sanitation Receiving High Level Political Attention tag:switchboard.nrdc.org,2010:/blogs/hallen//228.5597 2010-03-18T15:59:15Z 2010-03-18T20:29:23Z Heather Allen Monday, March 22nd 2010 is recognized by the United Nations as World Water Day, a time to raise awareness of the global water crisis and focus on the solutions.  The challenge is tremendous, almost 900 million people lack safe drinking water  and 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation (or safe toilets).  NRDC has fought for clean water for decades and I am happy to report that my colleagues are writing this week about water’s intersection with so many environmental and health issues. 

The Obama Administration has recognized the importance of the issue and is reaching out with key events to demonstrate its commitment to global water.  I just finished a call this morning with Under Secretary of State Maria Otero about water policy during which she laid out key priorities for U.S. water activities around the world.

Under Secretary Otero announced that on World Water Day, Secretary Clinton will reinforce the U.S. commitment to global water – focusing on increased access to safe water and sanitation and improving the efficiency and management of water resources.  Otero said they are working toward long-term sustainable solutions to prevent water from becoming a growing source of conflict and tension.  The Under Secretary’s recognition of the role of watershed management is important to highlight, and a key part of the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Report. Notably the Obama Administration plans to integrate their food security and global health initiatives into U.S. water policy, through a comprehensive approach to development and water.

Otero stated:

Water is essential to all that we do, we can’t do without it and its irreplaceable. 

Lack of clean water and sanitation is the second leading cause of death of children under five around the world.  We need to use water more effectively and conserve water.  As people around the world are facing the impacts of climate change especially the increases of floods and droughts –  we know that managing water wisely is more critical.

These comments are very welcome from the Administration, but we also need Congress to act.  That is why NRDC is calling upon Congress to increase funding for water and sanitation programming and we are working with over 30 organizations to raise awareness  about the water and sanitation crisis. 

In Washington DC on Tuesday March 23, 2010 you can make a difference by taking action on Capitol Hill for those who lack water and sanitation.   

Two ways to get involved:

  • Sign up for advocacy day on the hill by clicking on the link and signing up-you can participate in meetings with Members of Congress and their staff throughout the day.  This event begins at 9:00 a.m. with activities lasting throughout the day, including participation in the World’s Longest Toilet Queue.
  • If you’ve only got one hour:  Meet us at Upper Senate Park for a rally on the hill.  Students, educators and politicians will gather to form a line at Upper Senate Park to make the 'World’s Longest Toilet Queue'.  Our ‘Queue’ is part of a global mobilization to demonstrate solidarity with those who have no clean water or safe sanitation and show Congress that they must increase resources to solve the global water and sanitation crisis.

         The line forms at exactly 1:30 and will be completed by 1:45!

Let’s show the Administration and Congress that the time is now to confront the global water crisis and win!

 

]]> Retired military general and young creative protestors agree: The US must help the world’s poor adapt to climate change tag:switchboard.nrdc.org,2009:/blogs/hallen//228.4437 2009-10-16T22:27:09Z 2009-10-26T18:30:06Z Yesterday a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss helping the "world's most vulnerable nations" to respond to the droughts, floods and refugees created by climate change. In general, the Senators and witnesses agreed that the US should... Heather Allen Yesterday a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss helping the "world's most vulnerable nations" to respond to the droughts, floods and refugees created by climate change.

In general, the Senators and witnesses agreed that the US should contribute significant funds because poor people around the world are already suffering from the increased storms, droughts and diseases resulting from climate change.  Not to mention the fact that the world's poor contributed the least to the greenhouse gases causing climate change.

There was one outlier though, Kenneth Green of the American Enterprise Institute (funded by ExxonMobil and noted here for trying to pay IPCC scientists to criticize the seminal IPCC 4th Report) denied climate change and the significance of its impacts.  He showed little sympathy for the millions of poor people with no choice but to live in low-lying islands and along the coasts.  He suggested that they simply move away. 

In response, a few very polite women in the front row donned the snorkels they had snuck into the Senate and raised signs held high saying "Fund Climate Adaptation" and "Global Treaty Now." 

photo of protestors at Senate hearing

Many thanks to Morgan Goodwin of  Avaaz Action Factory DC for the photo. dc.actionfactories.org

The snorkels represented the people who live on small islands who have no other land to turn to.  The Government of the Maldives will be making the same point this Saturday by holding a Cabinet meeting underwater. 

These silent protestors were also standing up for the people who are threatened by more severe storms and flooding.  Likewise, they represent Sub-Saharan African nations which may be overcome by spreading deserts.  As one African delegate exclaimed at the climate talks in Bangkok last week: "We too will be drowning, in a sea of sand."

The most compelling of the witnesses was Charles F. Wald, a former General in the U.S. Air Force.  He indicated that scale of the problem of adapting to climate change is immense and we must act now.  He said 30,000,000 Bangledeshis will be displaced and they have nowhere to go.    Moreover, he echoed the refrain that investing in energy security and climate change is in our own security interest.

  • Adaptation investments will prevent a worsening of the global security environment. As the IPCC notes in its 4th assessment report, climate change is a threat multiplier which can worsen the impacts of food shortages, water scarcity, migration pressures and conflict.
  •  Adaptation funding will save the U.S. Government money. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In this case General Wald noted that the US military will have to respond to more humanitarian disasters as a result of climate change.  To illustrate the scale of the costs of such work; deploying 1000 troops to Afghanistan costs $1 billion.

Another witness David Waskow of Oxfam pointed to their new report which shows that US companies will benefit from adaptation investments.

The good news about this hearing is that the range of voices seemed to agree, the US must fund adaptation, at sufficient levels, now.  And the benefits will accrue for both the US and the world's most vulnerable people. 

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