Presidential Peace Conference by Beljean, Beau: Food Plant Solutions Rotarian Action Group
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Presented during the 2017 Presidential Peace Conference in Atlanta. Track B, Session 4: Wicked Green Solutions
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Presidential Peace Conference by Beljean, Beau: Food Plant Solutions Rotarian Action Group
- 1. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY Beau Beljean, President 2016-2017 WeRotary, E-Club D5000 Hawaii 06/10/2017
- 2. 2 Environmental Sustainability Head Body Subhead Bulleted items within section
- 3. 3 DEPLETION OF NATURAL RESOURCES Head Body Subhead Bulleted items within section
- 4. 4 EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS Head Body Subhead Bulleted items within section
- 5. 5 ENVIRONMENTAL AFFECTS ON CHILDREN Head Body Subhead Bulleted items within section
- 6. 6 SOCIAL STABILITY Head Body Subhead Bulleted items within section
- 7. 7
- 8. 8 What is a Rotarian Action Group? Head Body Subhead Bulleted items within section
- 9. 9 Water, Sanitation & Sewerage Systems Head Body Subhead Bulleted items within section
- 10. 10 Tree Planting
- 12. 12 Solar cookers
- 14. 14 Take Action
- 15. 15 RI Tree Planting Challenge
- 16. 16
Editor's Notes
- Rotary International funds and nurtures projects in six Areas of Focus – areas of critical and widespread humanitarian needs: Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution; Disease Prevention and Treatment; Water and Sanitation; Maternal and Child Health; Basic Education and Literacy; Economic and Community Development. Environmental Sustainability is a cross-over attribute that is an essential element of the projects that are designed and implemented by Rotarians, their Clubs and Districts, and funded by Rotary International.
- Environmental Sustainability involves people making decisions that do no harm to the natural world, with particular emphasis on taking actions that preserve the ability for the environment to renew itself and continue to support human well-being. otary International funds and nurtures projects in six Areas of Focus – areas of critical and widespread humanitarian needs: Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution; Disease Prevention and Treatment; Water and Sanitation; Maternal and Child Health; Basic Education and Literacy; Economic and Community Development. Environmental Sustainability is a cross-over attribute that is an essential element of the projects that are designed and implemented by Rotarians, their Clubs and Districts, and funded by Rotary International.
- DEPLETION OF NATURAL RESOURCES: Depletion, pollution and lack of equal access to natural resources, and ecological and food insecurity are root-causes of world conflict, war and forced migration on our crowded planet, frustrating a fundamental goal of RI to bring peace to the world.
- EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS: Changing precipitation patterns, exacerbated by an increasingly unstable climate, have increased both the frequency and severity of extreme weather events: particularly droughts and flooding. The resulting depletion and contamination of surface water and aquifers impedes the RI goal of providing access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Failure to manage our environment sustainably leads to civil strife and the contamination of air, water and soil confound meeting the RI goal of preventing and treating disease.
- ENVIRONMENTAL AFFECTS ON CHILDREN: Environmental degradation undermines the safety of the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. These harms are borne disproportionately by children, and the mothers that nurture them. Young minds, some damaged by toxic pollutants and malnutrition, are less able to benefit from education and literacy.
- SOCIAL STABILITY: Civil unrest compromises the social stability essential for education to flourish. The most advantageous and productive community development arises from an approach that values benefits to the society and environment as well as the economy – the essence of sustainability In summary, every one of RI’s Six Areas of Focus benefits from efforts that are environmentally sustainable. Every project will be more effective in the long run, if environmental sustainability is the lens through which it is planned, implemented and evaluated.
- Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group (ESRAG) assists Rotary clubs, districts and multi-districts in planning, implementing and evaluating service projects, building awareness, and inspiring action. These projects promote environmental sustainability, awareness of climate change, and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to mitigate climate disruption. ESRAG promotes educational resources, initiates dialogue about environmental sustainability, and uses best practices in models and assessments for both projects and daily choices. This work advances the Object of Rotary through positive impacts in all six Areas of Focus. ESRAG’s focus on environmental sustainability offers Rotary the opportunity to provide long-term benefits for people all over the world. We will work to ensure that project investments preserve the ability for the environment to renew itself and continue to support human well-being, thereby supplying life-sustaining benefits to communities. The need for Rotary to engage more around environmental sustainability was poignantly demonstrated at ESRAG’s Inaugural Meeting in Sao Paulo. Rotarians were able to hear first-hand from fellow Rotarians about how the changing climate is already adversely affecting people in their countries ESRAG’s mission is to engage Rotarians in considering and applying environmental sustainability principles in their projects and daily choices.
- What is a Rotarian Action Group? A Rotarian Action Group (RAG) is a Rotary International approved autonomous, international group with a passion for a particular type of service. Rotarian Action Groups provide assistance and support to Rotary clubs and districts in planning and implementing service projects in their respective areas of expertise.
- Development of Water, Sanitation and Sewerage Systems Rotary Club of Sydney Cove: Solomon Islands – an ongoing project (since 2008) in conjunction with Queensland Rotary Clubs, Sydney Cove Rotary has been assisting the Solomon Islands in a range of water and sanitation programs that are now being necessitated by rising sea levels and storm surges, and recently with relief efforts from a cyclone that hit Vanuatu.
- Already five years running, this project is a collaboration of local Rotary Clubs in Tanzania, school children, and the Sustainable Global Gardens initiated through partnership with The Sustainability Trust, ESRAG’s predecessor organisation of Rotarians supporting environmental sustainability. What had they accomplished by this time last year? An estimated 8,500 trees were planted by about 7,500 students at the 25 participating schools. Another 4,200 seedlings were distributed to students for planting in home gardens. In addition to the benefits of the trees themselves, the project is building friendships and awareness of Rotary and the joy of Service Above Self. For historical information, see Tree Planting on Mount Kilimanjaro.
- Sustainable Lighting for Orphans and Grandmothers – A Lesson in Project Development In 2008, a group Rotarians and Friends of Rotary from District 7070 were in the 3rd year of a community develop project in the Kilema Region of Tanzania. Many areas of the community do not have electricity. The solar lights were a pilot project with HIV/AIDs orphans and their primary care givers, their grandmothers. Grandmothers with school age students were selected from the community to receive a solar panel and light. The idea was to assist the students in the studies after dark. Tanzania is on the equator and the sun sets around 6:00 pm every evening. The initial installation went well. The solar panels are small and portable allowing them to be safely stored away. Many of the participants had never used a switch before and they were very excited to “flip” the switch and see their very dark, mud and stick, homes illuminated for the first time. Over a 2-week period about 20 panels and lights were installed. All looked to be going well. The lights were working well. Everything was not as it seemed. We soon began to get reports about missing panels and lights. The project had targeted people who we, the visiting Rotarians considered most in need. What had been missed was the cultural, and social implications of giving poorest people in a community a unique and valuable asset. Upon quiet investigation by local care workers it was found that most of the panels and lights had moved to other homes in the community. The project had not considered the whole community and its social dynamics and power structure. It was a valuable lesson. Over the next 2 years we withdrew from project design in the community and handed over the responsibility to a committee of local leaders. They assessed the needs of the community as whole and developed a vision for their community development. From this they determined the projects based on the social, economic and environmental reality in their community. We helped them to find the resources and funding needed to implement the projects. The commitment of the community and the overall sustainability of the projects were greatly enhanced.
- Solar Cookers for South African Townships Five Rotary-based organizations joined forces to introduce solar cooking principles top help alleviate poverty and improve health in South African townships. The project will bring solar cooking to townships in Cape Town and – 500 miles to the east – to Grahamstown, via two Rotary Clubs. The Rotary Club of Fresno, in California promotes the solar cooker technology, using a 15-year development programme created by Club member Wilfred Pimentel. The cookers they have developed are easy and cheap to make, produce no carbon emissions, avoid firewood collection and burning and are healthier to use than conventional cooking and water-sanitising methods.
- Solar Cookers for South African Townships Five Rotary-based organizations joined forces to introduce solar cooking principles top help alleviate poverty and improve health in South African townships. The project will bring solar cooking to townships in Cape Town and – 500 miles to the east – to Grahamstown, via two Rotary Clubs. The Rotary Club of Fresno, in California promotes the solar cooker technology, using a 15-year development programme created by Club member Wilfred Pimentel. The cookers they have developed are easy and cheap to make, produce no carbon emissions, avoid firewood collection and burning and are healthier to use than conventional cooking and water-sanitising methods.
- Appoint a District Environmental Sustainability Committee Chair Person Invite Rotarians to serve as their Rotary Club Environmental Sustainability Liaison to the District Environmental Sustainability Committee Schedule a speaker on tree planting Support Interact and Rotaract Club tree planting activities Contact your local municipal Urban Forestry or Environmental Sustainability Officer to learn about local and regional tree planting projects Explore on-going Rotary Club and District tree-planting projects and partners (see below for partial list) Join a city-sponsored summer tree watering program
- In summary, every one of RI’s Six Areas of Focus benefits from efforts that are environmentally sustainable. Every project will be more effective in the long run, if environmental sustainability is the lens through which it is planned, implemented and evaluated. ESRAG’s mission is to engage Rotarians in considering and applying environmental sustainability principles in their projects and daily choices.