TN Note: Brundtland chaired the Brundtland Commission that produced the book Our Common Future in 1987; this is widely acknowledged as the inspirational source document for Agenda 21 that was produced at the first Earth Summit held in Rio in 1992. Brundtland was a member of the Trilateral Commission at the time, and was promoting Trilateral Commission policies within the U.N.
National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) kicked off its weeklong science event featuring female scientists in sustainable development on Feb. 21 with over 250 scholars, researchers and students who are interested in sustainability research.
Gro Brundtland Week of Women in Sustainable Development scheduled from Feb. 21 to 26 features four plenary sessions, symposiums, panel discussions and exhibitions about global issues related to sustainable development in public health.
At the opening ceremony, NCKU President Huey-Jen Jenny Su extended her warmest welcome to the distinguished speakers and female scientists who have travelled long distance to join the event.
“The Gro Brundtland Week for young scientists in sustainable development was a generous and visionary initiative from the Tang Prize Foundation as well as Dr. Brundtland,” said President Su.
She also mentioned that the event will move to the Academia Sinica in Taipei on Feb. 25, where an ambitious program is about to launch under the umbrella of international Future Earth initiative to tackle on the new horizon of research and practice for global sustainable development.
Su is happy to see so many high school students attending the science event, she expects the event will plant the seed of believing in the value of sustainable development and the students will become the sustainable cadets in the endeavors for a sustainable future.
Academician of Academia Sinica Chao-Han Liu gave his remarks and talked about how to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, which are eight anti-poverty targets that the world committed to achieve.
At the first plenary session, Prof. John D Spengler, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health, gave a talk on what we do for sustainable development that focuses on natural and human assets.
In his talk, Spengler provided a new formula for sustainability, S=f(MHN)s*k, which involved Materials(manufacture capital), Human Capital(well-being), Natural Capital(eco-services+), Social(Integrity of Institutional structures), and Knowledge(capacity to innovate).
Spengler said he is hopeful for a sustainable future, “not by national government but by cooperates and companies that have good values.”
Responding to his young audience, Spengler said, “Young generation utilizing technology and social networking could rapidly accelerate the reinforcement of good behavior.”
wpDiscuz
It took a lot of BALLS to write that book, I guess. What an ugly dude..