| Pacific
Institute Applauds Johannesburg Sanitation Goals,
Calls for Aggressive Action and More Funding
The
Pacific Institute applauded new, more aggressive
goals to reduce the number of people without access
to sanitation services, but called for more aggressive
efforts to meet the new goals. "Given the level
of commitment by governments and international agencies,
it is unlikely the new goals will be achieved,"
said Peter H. Gleick, President of the Pacific Institute.
The new sanitation goals were one of the only firm
targets set by the World Summit on Sustainable Development
just completed in Johannesburg, South Africa.
New
Report: Water Related Disease Could Kill 76M by
2020
Just
prior to Johannesburg, the Pacific Institute released
a new report on the likely death toll from water
related diseases. The report found that over 76
million people will likely perish from water-related
disease by 2020 unless urgent action is taken. The
report, "Dirty Water: Estimated Deaths from
Water-Related Diseases 2000-2020," looks at
three different scenarios and concludes that even
if we achieve the United Nations Millennium Goals,
which aim to cut the proportion of people without
clean drinking water by half, 34 to 76 million people
could perish over the next twenty years.
The
report is available without charge from our Website.
Victory:
Pacific Institute Research Helps Makes the Case
for Improved Washing Machine Standards
A
new California law will help consumers conserve
almost one billion gallons of water per year by
making washing machines more efficient. As it turns
out, washing machines are second only to toilets
in terms of indoor household water consumption and
account for about 20 percent of indoor water use.
The new law, supported in part by Pacific Institute
research, mandates that washing machines manufactured
after January 2007 must be roughly one third more
water efficient than the average 1993 model. Each
new machine will save more than 7,000 gallons of
water per year. Statewide this will conserve enough
water to meet the water needs of over 6000 households
for a year.
Research
Updates for August: Johannesburg and Beyond
The
Pacific Institute contributed to a number of radio
and newspaper reports during the month of August,
including a major report on water in The New York
Times, an Associated Press story on water privatization,
and several other pieces by National Public Radio,
Newsweek, and U.S. News and World Reports.
On
August 28, Jason Morrison, director of the Pacific
Institute's Economic Globalization and the Environment
program, provided a keynote retrospective on the
past and future role of non-governmental organizations
in implementing sustainable development. The talk,
"Designing the Future: A Workshop on Sustainability
Leadership," was given in Johannesburg, South
Africa at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
On
the second day of the event, Mr. Morrison presented
the findings of the Pacific Institute's New
Zealand environmental policy reform report.
William
C.G. Burns, an Affiliate with the Pacific Institute,
is now a visiting professor at Colby College, teaching
among other things, a course in climate change law
and policy. He recently presented at Colby an environmental
studies colloquium, "The Kyoto Protocol After
Marrakech: Getting Warmer?" |
 |
Upcoming
Pacific
Institute Throws Open House to Celebrate Fifteen
Years
The
Pacific Institute is turning fifteen years old in
October! To celebrate, we are throwing a party on
Tuesday, October 22 at our Oakland office. The Pacific
Institute's researchers and staff will be on hand
and we plan to unveil our new logo. Libations and
snacks will be served. If you plan to attend please
send a note to Diana Lee with the number of guests
in your party by the end of September.
Also
Upcoming
From
September 18-20 Jason Morrison will attend the quarterly
meeting of the Multi-State Working Group (MSWG)
on Environmental Management Systems (EMS). To be
held in Omaha, Nebraska, the meeting will focus
on the various uses of EMS in agriculture, as well
as on the production of a guidance document on "public
policy EMSs."
In
late September Mr. Morrison will participate as
U.S. delegate in the first plenary meeting of ISO
Technical Committee 224 - water resource management.
Hosted by the French national standards body, AFNOR,
the meeting will be held in September 26-27 in Paris,
France and is expected to be attended by over 80
delegates from 17 countries.
William
C.G. Burns will chair a panel on climate change
liability issues for the International Law Association's
meeting in NY on October 18.
Mr.
Burns will also attend the 7th International Wildlife
Law Conference in Washington DC, October 24 to speak
on the Rio Plus 10 conference and its decisions
related to biodiversity. |
