Actually, Alvia, Diana/ETC. was invited, including a follow-up inquiry, and Diana told me they chose not to be represented. And there are at least several more than two dozen female scientists/experts coming as participants. [In any case, it was/is a great movie.]
Mike MacCracken, Chair of the Scientific Organizing Committee On 3/4/10 9:04 PM, "Alvia Gaskill" <agask...@nc.rr.com> wrote: > > > > They're having a meeting on geoengineering and > we weren't invited! Damn those almost exclusively > white male scientists from industrialized countries! >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> >> From: Diana Bronson <mailto:dianabron...@gmail.com> >> >> To: geoengineering@googlegroups.com ; climateintervent...@googlegroups.com >> >> Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 8:20 PM >> >> Subject: [clim] Open letter on Asilomar Geoengineering Conference >> >> >> >> >> >> >> 4 March 2010 >> >> >> Dr. Margaret Leinen, >> >> Climate Response Fund >> >> 71 Stevenson Street, Suite 400 >> >> San Francisco, CA 94105 >> >> >> Dr. Michael MacCracken, >> >> Head of the Scientific Organizing Committee >> >> Climate Institute >> >> 900 17th Street, NW, Suite >> >> 
Washington, DC 20006 >> >> >> >> Open Letter to the Climate Response Fund and the Scientific Organizing >> >> Committee >> >> >> RE: Asilomar International Conference on Climate Intervention Technologies >> >> >> March 22-26 2010 >> >> >> As civil society organizations and social movements working to find >> constructive solutions to climate change, we want to express our deep >> concerns with the upcoming privately organized meeting on geoengineering in >> Asilomar, California. Its stated aim, which is to «develop a set of >> voluntary guidelines, or best practices, for the least harmful and lowest >> risk conduct of research and testing of proposed climate intervention and >> geoengineering technologies,» is moving us down the wrong road too soon and >> without any speed limit. >> >> >> Geoengineering refers to the large-scale technological manipulation of the >> climate and related systems through techniques such as putting sulphate >> aerosols in the stratosphere, fertilizing the ocean, and whitening the >> clouds. The priority at this time is not to sort out the conditions under >> which this experimentation might take place but, rather, whether or not the >> community of nations and peoples believes that geoengineering is >> technically, legally, socially, environmentally and economically acceptable. >> >> >> Without any international consensus as to whether geoengineering is an >> acceptable intervention in natural systems, the Climate Response Fund and >> its Scientific Organizing Committee’s discussion about «voluntary >> guidelines» is nonsensical. The Conference organizers -- almost exclusively >> white male scientists from industrialized countries -- are presuming that >> they have the experience, wisdom and legitimacy to determine who should or >> should not be invited into this conversation. >> >> >> There are many scenarios where geoengineering experiments with cross-border >> impacts would violate existing treaties (the 1978 Environmental Modification >> Convention or ENMOD Treaty, amongst others). The establishment of >> «voluntary guidelines» by an informal group meeting in Asilomar could >> undermine local, national, or international laws, as well as compromise >> strategies for mitigation and adaptation. Moreover, the history of voluntary >> guidelines is that companies simply do not follow them. Not only will the >> scientists involved in this enterprise be giving their blessing to dangerous >> geoengineering technologies, they have no authority to force corporations or >> governments to comply. >> >> >> The issue of large-scale geoengineering experimentation and its impact is >> not about technical peer-review. It is about no less than rights, >> responsibilities and the future of the planet. This public debate must, at >> the very least, include the peoples and countries that are most vulnerable >> and likely to be affected by geoengineering, not only those who stand to >> gain. Such a discussion cannot happen without the participation of the full >> membership of the United Nations. Determining guidelines for geoengineering >> research and testing in the absence of that debate is premature and >> irresponsible. >> >> >> Clearly, the lack of transparency and conflict of interest in the >> organization of the Conference leaves serious doubt about who is setting the >> agenda and whose interests are being served. In the few materials that >> have been published [1], it is stated that (unnamed) donors, the Climate >> Response Fund, and the Climate Institute have no «financial interest in the >> particulars of the technologies or the guidelines that are being >> developed.» Yet these organizations have publicly welcomed private sector >> input and money, including support from fossil fuel interests and car >> manufacturers. Finally, despite the fact that a list of the funders and >> details for the Conference was promised for 1 January 2010, the names have >> yet to be disclosed. >> >> >> It is vital that the international debate about geoengineering not be left >> in the hands of those with a self-interest in its facilitation, pursuit and >> profit. It concerns us all and must be brought out into the open where all >> can participate. >> >> >> That will not happen in March in Asilomar. >> >> >> >> Signed by (as of February 25): >> >> >> Accion ecologica, Ecuador >> >> African Biodiversity Network, Kenya >> >> Asia Pacific Research Network, Philippines >> >> Biofuelwatch, UK-USA >> >> Canadians for Action on Climate Change, Canada >> >> Center for Food Safety, USA >> >> Centro ecologico, Brazil >> >> Centre for a World in Balance, International >> >> CESTA- Friends of the Earth, El Salvador >> >> Citizens Against Chemicals Pollution (CACP), Japan >> >> Climate SOS, USA >> >> Coastal Development Partnership, Bangladesh >> >> Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), International >> >> Ecological Society of the Philippines, Philippines >> >> ETC Group, International >> >> Farmers Forum-South Cotabato, Philippines >> >> Focus on the Global South, India, Philippines, Thailand >> >> Friends of the Earth, Australia >> >> Gaia Foundation, UK >> >> Global Exchange, USA >> >> Global Forest Coalition, International >> >> Global Justice Ecology Project, USA >> >> Green Delaware, USA >> >> Grupo de Reflexiùn Rural, Argentina, >> >> Indigenous Environmental Network, USA >> >> Institute for Social Ecology, USA >> >> International Center for Technology Assessment, USA >> >> Island Sustainability Alliance, Cook Islands >> >> ISIS International, International >> >> Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns, Philippines >> >> Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities, USA >> >> Massachusetts Forest Watch, USA >> >> Nadi Ghati Morcha, India >> >> Oilwatch, International >> >> Pacific Indigenous Peoples Environment Coalition, Aotearoa/New Zealand >> >> Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, Philippines >> >> Polaris Institute, Canada >> >> People?s Movement on Climate Change, Philippines >> >> Physicians for Social Responsibility, Kenya >> >> Public Interest Law Foundation, Sri Lanka >> >> Red por una América Latina Libre de Transgénicos, Latin America >> >> SEARICE, Philippines >> >> Sewalanka Foundation, Sri Lanka >> >> Sibuyan Island Sentinels League for Environment Inc. (Sibuyan ISLE), >> Philippines >> >> Sustainable Energy and Economy Network, USA >> >> SmartMeme, USA >> >> Texas Climate Emergency Campaign, USA >> >> Third World Network, International >> >> Uganda Coalition on Sustainable Development, Uganda >> >> Women's Action for Change (WAC), Fiji >> >> Women and Media Collective, Sri Lanka >> >> >> [1] See Michael MacCracken’s letter to the geoengineering Google group at >> >> http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering/browse_thread/thread/a573142a46 >> 029eb8/56b306ddbd7c3498?lnk=gst&q=Asilomar+conference#56b306ddbd7c3498 >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to geoengineer...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to geoengineering+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en.
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