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Afterword
Pages 145-158

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From page 147...
... As people continue their endless quest for new materials, new energy forms, and new processes, the constraints imposed by clepletion of natural resources and the pollution caused by human activity have brought society to a crossroads. Abundance coexists with extreme need, waste overshadows want, The Afterword is adapted from the keynote address and Franklin Lecture presented by Mme, Brundtland at the Forum on Global Change and Our Common Future, Washington, D.C., May 2, 1989.
From page 148...
... The very real possibility that our actions are depleting the earth's genetic resources, changing the climate and the composition of the atmosphere, and upsetting the chemical balance of our lakes and waterways proves that if we all do as we please In the short run, we will all lose in the long run. We need to develop a more global mentality as we chart our collective future, and we need not only firm political and institutional leadership but also sound scientific advice.
From page 149...
... We need closer multilateral cooperation based on the recognition that nations are increasingly interdependent. The World Commission offered the concept of sustainable development, which it defined as an approach toward meeting the needs and aspirations of present and future generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
From page 150...
... Economic policy must be coordinated to promote vigorous, noninflationary economic growth. Major challenges inclucle reducing the imbalance of payments between developing nations and the United States, Japan, and the Federal Republic of Germany, and making the surpluses of wealthy industrialized nations readily available to developing countries.
From page 151...
... percent of its gross national product in official development assistance to developing countries, and we are disappointed that the OECD average has declined to a meager 0.34 percent. Those donor countries that have been lagging behind should make renewed efforts in line with their abilities.
From page 152...
... Developing countries have had to produce more and sell more in order to earn money to service debt and pay for imports. The amount of coffee, cotton, or copper they must produce to buy a water pump, antibiotics, or a truck keeps increasing.
From page 153...
... The industrialized countries have a responsibility for controlling market forces in this field and for promoting greater equity between developed and developing countries. The protection of intellectual property rights and royalties must be in a form that promotes research, provides for a fair distribution of financial benefits between inventors and the country of genetic origin, and, not least, makes the products of biotechnology available to those who need them.
From page 154...
... it is quite clear that developing countries need assistance in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of industrialized countries. lit is essential that energy-efficient technology be made available to developing countries even when they cannot pay market prices without assistance.
From page 155...
... That is why we called for fair and equitable assistance to compensate those developing countries that will be most severely affected by a changing climate but that have contributed only marginally to global warming. In April 1989 the Norwegian government adoptect a white paper in response to the proposals advanced in Our Common Future.
From page 156...
... ~ believe we are the first country to make a political commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, even though Norway contributes only 0.2 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted worldwide. While even one nation can work to improve conditions in the global environment, ecological problems such as the ozone layer, global warming, and unsustainable use of the tropical forests clearly face mankind as a whole.
From page 157...
... If we are earnest in our desire to solve some of the pressing problems facing humanity, we can no longer separate the global environment from political, economic, and moral issues. Environmental considerations must permeate all decisions, from consumer choices to national budgets to international agreements.


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