4
OUR PLANET MAGAZINE
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE CRYOSPHERE
people
OKOMBI SALISSA
has been appointed
Minister of Tourism and Environment of
the Republic of Congo, which also makes
him the new president of the African
Ministerial Conference for Environment
(AMCEN). As president of AMCEN, he will
guide the process for implementing the
action plan for the environment initiative
of the New Partnership for Africa's
Development (NEPAD).
OPRAH WINFREY,
perhaps America's
most influential celebrity, hosted her
own green show in honour of Earth
Day, 22 April, with tips on how ordinary
families can reduce their environmental
footprint and start making a difference
in the world. Oprah hosted a discussion
on global warming with movie star and
green campaigner Leonardo DiCaprio
and Dr. Michael Oppenheimer, a
leading authority on climate change.
During the show they discussed the
consequences of dependence on fossil
fuels, the contribution of landfill waste
to greenhouse gases and the need for
strong policy responses. They also took a
tour of the `ultimate green family home'.
The issue has a prominent position
Oprah's website, including a `Global
Warming 101' feature providing a clear
overview of climate change and what
people can do to prevent it getting out
of control.
United Nations Secretary-General BAN
KI-MOON, who has made the issue
one of his top priorities, has named
three Special Envoys for Climate Change.
All three envoys are prominent in
international environmental affairs.
Norwegian ex-Prime Minister
GRO
HARLEM BRUNDTLAND
is the former
Chair of the World Commission of
Environment and Development, best
known for developing the broad political
concept of sustainable development
and published the landmark report
Our Common Future two decades ago.
President
RICARDO LAGOS ESCOBAR
of Chile founded the Foundation for
Democracy and Development, while
HAN SEUNG-SOO
, the former General
Assembly President, currently heads the
Korea Water Forum, which works towards
sustainable water management in Asia.
JUANITA CASTAÑO
has taken up the
post of Chief of the UNEP New York
Office. Ms. Castaño brings to UNEP strong
international relations skills having been
the Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary
Minister in the Permanent Mission of
Colombia to the UN from 1989 to 1993.
Her many responsibilities at that time
included being head of the G77 during
negotiations to restructure the Global
Environment Facility. Ms. Castaño later
served in senior positions both regionally
and nationally, rising to Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs in 2001. In 2004, Ms.
Castaño was appointed as a member
of the UN Secretary-General's advisory
board on water and sanitation.
The `Sadhu Who Clicks', 79-year-old holy
man
SWAMI SUNDARANAND
, has, over
50 years, taken more than 100,000 photos
of the shrinking Gangotri glacier in the
Indian Himalaya. He now travels India
raising awareness of the Gangotri's rapid
demise. "In 1949, when I first saw the
glacier, I felt as if all my sins were washed
away and I had truly attained rebirth," the
swami says. "But now, it is impossible to
experience that Ganga of the past." The
Gangotri is shrinking at a rate of more
than 30 metres a year. Glaciers in the
Himalayas are retreating perhaps faster
than in any part of the world, threatening
future water security for nearly half the
world's population.
HALIFA DRAMMEH
has been appointed
UNEP's Special Advisor for Africa Affairs
in the Office of the Executive Director
to strengthen UNEP's presence in Africa
and make it more effective. UNEP will
help to add momentum to relevant Pan
African processes, such as the African
Union and its commission, AMCEN
and the, African Ministers' Council on
Water, to promote regional cooperation
on environmental matters, including
NEPAD. Mr. Drammeh has served in
numerous senior capacities within UNEP
over the years, including as the Director
of the Environmental Management
Group and Deputy Director (Division
of Policy Development and Law).
Prior to joining the United Nations,
he served the Government of Gambia
as a Senior Officer in the Ministry of
Natural Resources.
Represented by Foreign Secretary
MARGARET BECKETT,
the United
Kingdom, which held the presidency of
the 15-nation UN Security Council in April,
initiated the first-ever Security Council
debate on the impact of climate change
on security. The day-long meeting aimed
to examine the relationship between
energy, security and climate, and
featured interventions from more than
50 delegations, representing imperilled
island nations and industrialized
greenhouse gas emitters alike.
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