The occasion of the Rio + 20 conference (June 20-21st) was hoped by some grassroots and NGO members of the international community to deal with the problem of technology assessment in international development. As anarchists, we realise that the United Nations is an unlikely place to make progress on such a problem because the United Nations are neither socialist nor in opposition to state power. Nonetheless the concern is real and it is to this concern that we might address discussions on anarchism and science; although, to be clear, an anarchist science initiative is not merely about the Rio+20 process.
To invoke Rudolf Rocker’s distinction between nationalism and culture, if we are to build a world of autonomous and cooperative cultures, rather than “united” nations, then we must begin to address the knowledge (scientific, indigenous, worker & campesina expertise, etc.) that we will use to construct the social relations and infrastructure of a post-capitalist world.
Open Teach-in on the 2012 RIO + 20 Earth Summit & ‘Green Economy’
Saturday March 24th, 11am to 5pm London Feminist Library 5 Westminster Bridge Rd London SE1 7XWSpeakers: climate science update; the UN Earth Summit in Rio (20 years later); the international treaty process and economic justice; technology assessment: hope or hype; and what to expect in the future. Plus open Discussion.
This event is also a fundraiser for the London Feminist Library. Participants are asked for a donation 2-10£ to support the library: http://feministlibrary.co.uk
In June this year, twenty years after the original 1992 Earth Summit, the United Nations will once again bring together a conference to discuss the environment and the global economy. The conference hopes to discuss what they call the ‘green economy’, a follow-on concept from ‘sustainable development’. The ‘green economy’ consists of (i) giving nature and ‘ecosystem services’ a financial value which can be used to facilitate trading, as has already taken place for carbon emissions, and (ii) using new ‘green’ technologies such synthetic biology/biomass and ‘geo-engineering’ to combat environmental problems. Hope or hype? Will new technologies build a real green economy or perpetuate the current greed economy? Come join the debate, learn the latest details.
weblink https://network23.org/invite
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This teach-in happened just before the Royal Society’s “Planet Under Pressure” conference, a large international technology conference preparing for the RIO Earth Summit.
The Planet Under Pressure conference will happen in the ExCel centre, London from March 26th through 29th (Monday -Thursday). The Conference is organised by the Royal Society and the IGBP (an international science group) with the tagline “New Knowledge Towards Solutions”. In the words of the conference website they intend to “provide scientific leadership towards the 2012 UN Rio +20 conference”. Plenary speakers and panellist include a speaker from the World Bank, a Shell Oil Company Vice President, and the Chief Scientist of the UK. Individual participation in the conference costs over 400£. Isn’t it time to open up global decision making about our future to all the people who will be affected? http://www.planetunderpressure2012.net
ACTION! @ the Planet Under Pressure conference: SHELL green-washing confronted http://risingtide.org.uk/node/46