- January 14, 2009 From Johann Goldammer, chair of the Fire Working Group, Cheers and congratulations for your continuing efforts! Johann
- January 31, 2009 Bill Gellerman: The latest I've heard about climate change threats emphasizes urgency. "As Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II on Climate Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Martin Parry is concerned that businesses and governments harbour false optimism about climate change. "We have left things very late", he says in a recent chat with The Climate Group. The reality, says Parry, is that climate change will happen faster than we think. Its impacts will be greater than we think. We must have a global deal within the next two years...." Bill G note: I think this is something we are uniquely qualified to take a lead on -- but, as noted, we don't have much time.
- February 4, 2009: From Wendy Smith, part of the Sustainable Agriculture Working Group. I guess unfortunately Joyce won't be able to make it to NY for the reception, which is a shame, but we look forward to continued collaboration. I am copying Joyce into this email so you can add her email address to your contacts book. Dr Pachauri gave our annual Peter Roberts Memorial Lecture in Sep this year and caused lots of media interest with his message of the impacts of meat production and consumption on the planet and on farm animal welfare. You may be interested to see the presentation at www.ciwf.org/lecture Thanks again and all the very best Wendy
- February 11, 2009 Scott Carlin a lot of work will need to be done in coming weeks and months to educate and advocate on behalf on an emerging global ethic of justice, compassion, and science on behalf of people and planet. One role that we can play is to help champion scientific and grassroots perspectives that can help shift US policies toward such a global ethic."
- February 11, 2009: Summary of an email by Scott Carlin: ... "...As we were talking about the new Obama administration I was thinking that we have an obligation to try to shape the administration’s climate and energy policies. Obama campaigned as a candidate who took global responsibilities very seriously. But a lot of work will need to be done in coming weeks and months to educate and advocate on behalf on an emerging global ethic of justice, compassion, and science on behalf of people and planet.One role that we can play is to help champion scientific and grassroots perspectives that can help shift US policies toward such a global ethic.For example, Herman Daly is an internationally respected economist. Last I heard, he was at the University of MD. Close enough for us to work directly with him. Daly advocates capping a variety of natural resources – energy, tropical forests, fisheries. He argues that the market is incapable of defining efficient scales of production. Without controls, markets will fully exploit a resource to the point of collapse. Governments must step in and cap resource extraction at a level that maximizes the health and biodiversity of natural systems. I think the world is finally ready for Herman Daly. I think we should review his ideas and integrate them into our vision. The Global NGO community is yearning for systemic reforms to globa! l capitalism. Our effectiveness will depend upon our ability to constrain the excesses of governments (geopolitics) and markets (exploitation) using innovative strategies. Taking this one step further, I think we should identify a range of technical advisors in addition to Herman Daly. So please consider who we might cultivate for those roles. For example, John Holdren spoke at our Sept 2007 conference and now advises the President. Cultivating Holdren’s sense of the global possible should be part of our ambitions as well. .Let me know if you think this is worth our consideration.
- February 11,, 2009: An exchange of emails on possibly placing an ad in the newspapers. Bill had noted that some are very worried about the time we have left to make change. Scott had agreed and proposed an ad in the Washington Post. Moki however researched this point and noticed that such an ad of the size we would need would cost $180K plus
- February 12, 2009: Scott Carlin: I think our focus has to be on new visions. Fear will not motivate – people shut down. New Visions will motivate
- February 15, 2009: Inka Weissbecker, Dear Larry, this is great news! I just got back from Nepal, so I could not make it to the reception, but I would love to stay involved. Thanks again for all your hard work and efforts! I look forward to continued work on this. Best regards, Inka -- Inka Weissbecker, Ph.D., NGO Representative of the International, Union of Psychological Science to the United Nations, MPH Candidate, Harvard University, School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Mailbox 575, Boston, MA 02115, Web: http://people.hsph.harvard.edu/~iweissbe/
- February 18, 2009. I asked Dr. Dominique Bachelet if she would be willing reinvigorate her working group on Biodiversity. See http://www.climatecaucus.net/bio_forest_conserve.htm. She agreed this morning to do that.
  She has also moved to a new job and is now Associate Professor, Dept Biological and Ecological Engineering
  Oregon State University, Tel: (360) 943-7519, http://www.fsl.orst.edu/~bachelet, Mailing address: 2505 Vista Ave SE, Olympia WA 98501
- February 19, 2009. Organizers of Water Group have agreed to continue working and also plan to develop a local web communications system in India, as they have over fifty people active in some way in their group.