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August 18 2006
Recommendations
for the United Nations Secretary-General's Recommendation 1. A program of wide-spread investments in tapping tidal energy should urgently be implemented. Rationale: Tidal energy is a clean, non-polluting energy resource with the capacity to be a major energy source that can rapidly replace fossil fuels and reduce atmospheric CO2 sources. Cutting-edge technology to capture tidal energy is simple and cost-effective. Although still largely untapped, tidal energy is a major renewable energy resource of many coastal countries, in particular Small Island Developing States in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Philippines and Indonesia. Reference: http://www.globalcoral.org/Tidal%20Energy%20and%20Low-Head%20River%20Power.htm Recommendation 2. A crash program of large-scale investments in increasing soil carbon storage as biomass char should be urgently implemented. Rationale: Soil char can be made from renewable biomass, and is a permanent carbon sink, lasting millions of years, and is the most effective carbon sink known. It greatly increases soil fertility by increasing nutrient and water storage, and it's production produces biofuels as a side product while removing net CO2 from the atmosphere. Reference: Recommendation 3. Take urgent action to decrease global CO2 sources and increase global CO2 sinks in order to stabilize atmospheric CO2 at levels that cause no further harm to coral reefs and their fisheries and prevent their extinction. Rationale: Coral reefs are the major biodiversity, fisheries, tourism, and shore protection resource of over 100 countries and the most global warming vulnerable ecosystem. Most of the world's corals have died since the Framework Convention on Climate Change was signed,That called for protecting the Earth's most climate-sensitive ecosystems, but failing to identify them, require their monitoring for climatic stress, or establish a mechanism to protect them. Most of what little coral reef is left will be wiped out by global warming in the coming years unless CO2 is brought into balance at a safe level, which can only be done quickly by reducing major sources and increasing major sinks, as in the two prior recommendations of which this is the third. A complete and scientifically accurate accounting or all greenhouse gas sources and sinks is needed, along with a mechanism to balance GHG gases. The FCCC is unfortunately riddled with false accounting of GHG sources and sinks, and needs to be renegotiated to make scientific sense and be an effective guide to stabilizing CO2. Referencea: http://globalcoral.org/balancing_atmospheric_carbon_dio.htm http://globalcoral.org/control_of_atmospheric_carbon_di.htm On behalf of the Global Coral Reef Alliance, in cooperation with the Southern Clearinghouse of Developing Country NGOs for Sustainable Development and the Pan African Movement. We will be glad to provide much more detail on all points raised.
Thomas J. Goreau, PhD
Global Coral Reef Alliance
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