Paths to Global Environmental Sustainability

1. Paths to Global Environmental Sustainability A workshop for secondary school teachers in Ithaca, NY given by Cornell University Humphrey Fellows

2. Khalida Jaafar “ The Most Rewarding Efforts are those Protecting Human Lives and the Environment” • Her organization TOGETHER is working on waste management and recycling in the rural areas • Usingbiogas in Alsadir to use for home cooking • Conversion of biomass such as Date Palm into Biofuel

3. Biomass Conversion into Biofuel Biomass, is a renewable energy source, that can be used to produce Biofuel and Biogas or for industrial production. Energy biomass can be grown from numerous types of plants, including miscanthus, switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow, sorghum, sugarcane, and a variety of tree species, ranging from eucalyptus to oil palm (palm oil). Or, it can be the organic waste of food and agricultural products that contain fibers, sugars, carbohydrates and fats. Biomass can be converted into biogas (methane) which is used for heating, cooking or electricity generation. The process is conducted by anaerobic digestion of the biomass. Biofuels are two types. One is produced from crops high in sugar (sugar cane, sugar beet, and sweet sorghum) or starch (corn/maize), and then use yeast fermentation to produce ethyl alcohol (ethanol). The second is to grow plants that contain high amounts of vegetable oil, such as oil palm, soybean, algae, jatropha, or pongamia pinnata. When these oils are heated, their viscosity is reduced, and they can be burned directly in a diesel engine, or they can be chemically processed to produce fuels such as biodiesel. Bioreactors are used to convert biomass into biofuel. A bioreactor is a vessel in which is carried out a chemical process which involves organisms or biochemically active substances derived from such organisms. This process can either be aerobic or anaerobic.

4. “Together” celebrated UNESCO day 4 Nov. 2006 by establishing biogas system in Alsadir city, Baghdad-IRAQ www.togetherecho.org

5. Biomass Pyramid ANIMAL PLANT

6. Rajkumari Sunita Devi “ Using Remote Sensing and GIS to study Manipur, a N.E. State in India” • India is advanced in the use of geospatial technology • Uses remote sensing tools to monitor environmental changes and map land resources • Focus on wetland conservation • Phumdies plant material in Loktak Lake may be source of biomass

8. “Working for a Greener World: Sustainable Environment through Education in Burma” Ohnmar Khaing • “There must be a balance between economic growth and environmental issues” • “What are the basic needs of people to build sustainable communities?”

9. Ensuring Environmental Sustainability: The 7th Millennium Development GoalTargets by 2015 UNEP, UNDP and FAO: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources UNICEF: Reduce by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation UNWFP: Improving the productivity and preventing further degradation of the resource base and the food security of the people

10. Building Sustainable Communities • Use energy, water, and other natural resources efficiently and with care (water leakage) • Value and protect the diversity of nature (wildlife diversity) • Protect human health and amenity through safe, clean and pleasant environment (number of asthma cases) • Meet local needs locally wherever possible (% shops) • Ensure access to good food, water, housing and fuel at reasonable cost (homelessness)

11. Environmental Issues and Human Security-1 • Industrial pollution of air, soil, and water and inadequate sanitation and water treatment (contribute to disease) • Dam construction (forced labor &, relocation, decimation of its shoreside fishing communities) • Illegal gems to animal parts, wildlife trade (lost endangered animals, tiger and leopard skins, bear paws, ivory and live turtles ) • Human smuggling(women and children)

12. Environmental Issues and Human Security-2 • Deforestation (95% illegal timber) • Land degradation (over logging, forced crops, inappropriate plantation) • Widespread gold mining in the world's largest tiger reserve in Hukaung Valley-150 (decline tigers) • Climate change and natural disaster (Category IV tropical cyclone 2008)

13. Challenges for Environmental Governance

14. SEE Green Volunteer Group Objectives • Creating awareness for the public in general on the conservation and natural resources management and • Striving for the capacity building and institutional development of group networking as a part of the Civil Society promotion. Approaches • Exchanges of Skills between the Forest User Groups, local Forest Authorities, Mangrove / Greening Communities and the experienced citizens / experts in the fields of natural resources management and conservation; • Youths on Natural Conservation using Life Skills Based Information, Education and Communication material; • Awareness Creation on Environmental issues for the public in general through networking, Seminars and Workshops; and 4) Capacity Building and Institutional Development of SEE Green – a Civil Society Group with sharp focus on the Environment.

15. SEE Green Volunteer Group • “Environmental Challenges in Burma/Myanmar and China” Collaborative Seminar in Bangkok, Thailand, 9 – 15 December 2007 • Forestry / Timber Trade and Water Management , Wildlife Trade, local knowledge and Community-Focused Conservation • Joint-activities and furthering China-Burma environment linkages

16. SEE Green Volunteer Group The Earth Day 2007/2008 at The American Center, Yangon

17. Through My Work Appropriate methodology for improved land use systems and promote organic farming techniques

18. Through My Work Regular monitoring Community activities

19. Through My Work

20. Through My Work Regional and national trainings, advocacy workshops and seminars

21. Changxiao Li, “The Three Gorges Dam Project in China” The largest hydroelectric power project in the world Dr. Li working on introducing tree species to conserve water in the riparian zone

22. Benefits Flooding control and drought relief -Reducing the frequency of major downstream flooding from once every 10 years to once every 100 years Energy supply (hydropower generation) -About 100 TWh of generation per year, and about 3% of the total electricity consumption in China Navigation (shipping) -The freight capacity of the river increased 6 times and reducing shipping costs 25% Water resources storage -Capacity of 39.3 km3 Direct reduction of air pollutant and greenhouse gas emission (due to electricity & navigation) -The Three Gorges Dam will potentially reduce the coal consumption by 31 million tonnes per year, cutting the emission of 100 million tons of greenhouse gas Raising environmental awareness - Pushing the government and people to think seriously about the environment

23. Costs Negative impact on environment -Biodiversity loss -Environmental destruction & water pollution -Sedimentation/silt -Erosion of banks below the dam -Induced seismicity -Microclimate change Negative impact on social-economic development -Relocation of local residents Effects on local culture and aesthetic values

24. Firuz Ibragimov, “Adaptation in a Mountainous Community in Tajikistan” • His work with CARE Project’s goal to strengthen the institutional capacity to respond & adapt to adverse climate changes. Within the past few years mudflows and floods increased by 50%. The number of days of disastrous snow avalanches increased by 50%

25. Franco Mendes “The Role of FOCUS-Angola in the Environmental Education Processes”

26. CONSEQUENCES OF THE CIVIL WAR 1975-2002

27. Biodiversity…

28. Resources for Educators • Three Gorges: Should Nature or Technology Reign ? • http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/lessons/china/index.html • Ecological Challenges in Africa • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/tools/eco/goals.html • What’s up with the weather? Examining Temperature Statistics • http://www.classroomearth.org/node/149 • National Environmental Education • NOVA from PBS website