A lot can happen in twenty years. In 1992, the USSR had just dissolved, the internet was still in its infancy, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere was around 356ppm,and government officials from around the world gathered in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations first Earth Summit.
View from Copacabana of Sugarloaf Mountain on a hazy morning.
That conference led to the formation of the Convention of Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, among other achievements. In many ways it was a high water mark for the environmental movement.
Next week, the nations of the world will gather again in Brazil for the latest decadal meeting on sustainable development called, fittingly, Rio+20. While the expectations for official outcomes for Rio+20 are modest, the energy, activities, and commitments from individuals, cities, NGO’s and businesses offer a lot of possibilities for hope. Some 50,000 people are expected to descend upon Rio in the next week and a half and, as something of an experiment here at The Equation, I am one of them.
Favela Cantagalo stretches up the hillside between Copacabana and Ipanema
Starting today I will be in Rio to provide an on the ground report of the events leading up to the official summit, which starts on June 19. Next week, I will continue to report on updates from Rio and in addition we will feature in depth blog posts from some of our other experts on the issues being discussed at the summit. As I said, this is something new we are trying, so bear with me as I overcome the crowds, inconsistent internet, and my (admittedly) non-existent Portuguese, to bring you the latest from the world’s capital for sustainability, Rio+20. It should be a lot of fun.
My pousada (inn) on the edge of Favela Cantagalo
The Jardim de Alah marks the boundary between Ipanema and Leblon