http://www2.planeta.com/mader/ecotravel/sustain.html
Sustainable Development and the Americas
compiled by Ron Mader
Version 5.0 -
January 1999
The following list of Internet websites have information on
sustainable development, and either have data from Latin America
or materials that are relevant to this region.
While there is an abundance of conceptual theory, there is still a
lack of up-to-date information on criteria, implementation and
working groups. Why so much babble about what one respondent called "trickle
down
sustainability" is the major disappointment of the 1990s.
This is an independent directory which strives to be objective about the
information that is or is not online. It was created to assist me in my own
reporting on environmental business, and it has proven useful to other
reporters, students, policy-makers and entrepreneurs. This index is one of the
most popular pages on the Eco Travels in Latin America website
(http://www.planeta.com).
Here's the way this page works: Newer sites are added at the top.
Comments taken from the sources themselves are placed in quotation
marks. This list is frequently updated to reflect the truth about the
internet - just like Texas weather - websites seem to change every five
minutes!
Ron Mader, Author and Webhost
Planeta: Eco Travels in Latin America
Planeta.com website mission
Author's bibliography
Clearinghouse approved
http://www.comminit.com/ -
Communications Initiative is a partnership between The
Rockefeller Foundation, UNICEF, USAID, WHO, BBC World Service, CIDA,
Johns Hopkins University's Center for Communication Programming,
UNFPA, Soul City and Panos. Unfortunately, there is little on this website
to show how the initiative began or for how long it will run. Among the
best features on this site are Drum Beat
http://www.comminit.com/drum_beat.html and News features
(http://www.comminit.com/news.html). Information is a little outdated,
but useful for anyone interested in communications and development
issues. For more information, contact Warren Feek - email:
wfeek@coastnet.com
Updated: http://www.wbcsd.ch
World Business Council for Sustainable Development: What a
good good idea - entrepreneurs working to protect the environment,
talking about eco-efficiency and corporate social responsibility. But it's
unclear what the group really does. Publications are available, in PDF
format unfortunately. The WBCSD produces the quarterly Trade and
Environment Bulletin (http://www.wbcsd.ch/mediaonly.htm#trade),
which offers a good review of current news in this field. Email:
info@wbcsd.ch
Updated: http://www.rds.org.mx/
Red de Desarrollo Sostenible - Mexico: This is a network of
"groups committed to sustainable development and member of the
UNDP-SDNP (United Nations Development Programme-Sustainable
Development Network Programme." The site boasts a good collection of
online publications. It's unclear, though, who's in charge, how the
network is financed or what the direction of this group will be. Be sure
to check out the daily Informacion Ambiental synthesis of Mexican
environmental and economic news - http://www.rds.org.mx/noti/ - an
UTNE Reader for Mexican environmental news stories in Spanish. I'll
cross my fingers this isn't a short-lived experiment. Email:
info@rds.org.mx
Updated: http://www.infoweb.co.cr/redlat/
Latin American Network of Strategies Towards Sustainability:
Based in Costa Rica, this seems to be one of the most active information
networks in the region. It has links to Agroforestry and Environmental
Protection Project in Central America and Caribean Area, ANCON:
National Society for Nature Conservancy, Panama. What's missing are
links or information from smaller environmental groups and activists.
It's a good start! Email: igutie@infoweb.co.cr
Updated: http://www-esd.worldbank.org/html/esd/esdvp/esdvp.htm
World Bank - Environmentally Sustainable Development:
Content-bereft - this site has a list of tempting publications, none of
which are available via the website and a calendar of events that is
available only to World Bank staff: "The ESD Calendar of Events and
Outputs is available only to World Bank staff that are accessing the
Internet through the Bank's connection. People not in the Bank can not
access this page." This is an embarrassment! For such an important
division, it's a shame there is no documentation available to the public
here. No email and don't even try to connect to the calendar section! (I
would *love* to write a more positive review of the online archive - let
me know when the website is updated)
Updated: http://www.lead.org/
Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) "was
formed in 1991. In each LEAD member country or regions,
approximately 15 promising mid-career are recruited from a broad
range of disciplines and professional sectors to become Associates in the
two-year program." Empty virtual conference halls and out-of-date
contact lists hampers this resource. What does LEAD actually do in Latin
America? Email: lead@lnsc.lead.org
http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/sdrp/
Sustainable Development Reporting Project is an archive of
articles written by John Burnett, an Austin, Texas-based reporter, who
also prepared audio versions of this series for National Public Radio.
This is an excellent snapshot of sustainable development in Mexico and
Central America.
http://www.ecouncil.ac.cr
Earth Council was created at the 1992 Earth Summit, and though it's
had a website for some time, only recently has Earth Council developed
into a content-rich archive. For example, in 1998 it launched a directory
of the National Councils for Sustainable Development and similar
entities (NCSD) at http://www.ncsdnetwork.org in case you'd like to
know who are the official promoters of sustainable development in your
country. My only complaint with the website is that while it looks great,
it's very difficult get a response. But you can try! Email:
eci@terra.council.ac.cr
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/sustdevt/
Sustainable Development: Implications for World Peace was a
1996 conference held in Austin, Texas. Some of the papers are online as
well as conference photos. Unfortunately, some of the links aren't
working and the host does not respond to emails... Many of the papers,
such as Sustaining Peace in Central America: The Challenges of the
Central American Alliance for Sustainable Development tend to relay too
heavily on what the institutions say they are doing instead of reviewing
actual progress. Another paper, Philip Howard's Unsustainable
Development and Conflict in Chiapas is listed but never has been
accessible online.
http://www.rds.org.gt/
Red de Desarrollo Sostenible: Guatemala No doubt part of the
United Nation's labrynth, this website has some good info online and the
requisite links to other official organizations. There should be more
information about what is happening in Guatemala, but this archive is
rather dry. Stay tuned... Email: info@rds.org.gt
http://iisd1.iisd.ca/
The International Institute for Sustainable Development
(IISD) is a non-profit organization established and supported by the
Governments of Canada and Manitoba. IISD's mandate is to promote
sustainable development in decision making within government,
business and the daily lives of individuals in Canada and the world.
Looking for indicators of Sustainable Development. Look at the
compendium online http://iisd.ca/measure/compendium.htm. This is a
beautiful site! Email: hcreech@iisdpost.iisd.ca
http://www.sustain.org/bulletins/
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) publishes or
distributes a series of bulletins in both English and Spanish, including
BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest, Connection to the Americas,
Intellectual Property & Biodiversity News, NAFTA & Inter-American
Trade Monitor, El Monitor de NAFTA y Comercio Interamericano, IATP
Propiedad Intelectual y Biodiversidad Noticias. The Minnesota-based
center has a long history of promoting responsible trade and its
publications are a model of advocacy journalism.
Email: iatp-info@iatp.org
http://www.chiper.cl/
Chile Environment Report produced by the Chile Information
Project offers an excellent online archive of weekly reports and an
index of environmental groups. A recent newsletter reviewed
Sustainable Development and the failure of the second Earth Summit:
http://www.chiper.cl/library/009.html. Contact: Graham Lewis. Email:
??
http://www.context.org/
Context Institute is a content-rich website, focusing on "sustainable
culture." Great resource for planetary thinking. Email:
webmaster@context.org
http://www.greenbuilder.com/
Sustainable Sources is archived on the same sever as the Eco Travels
website, though the sites are independent. Sustainable Sources includes
the Sustainable Building Sourcebook - one of the best practical archives
of information on green building. Email: billc@greenbuilder.com
http://www.oas.org/
The Organization of American States' Inter-Sectoral Unit for
Tourism has a brand new website. The OAS is very uneven - its trade
related archives are some of the best on the net. The "Sustainable
Development" program is terrible - especially in its promotion of public
participation. But this section shows great promise. Email: ?
http://www.iadb.org/sds
The Social Programs and Sustainable Development
Department (SDS) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB):
"has launched a new web site focusing on environmental and social
development in Latin America." The archive has great potential and the
site gives a good heads up on coming events. Problems - the search
function does not work and there is no text-only access. In search for
specific documents, there are no progress reports - for example - on the
environmental loans to Honduras. Email Martin Chrisney:
martinc@iadb.org
http://www.gaia.org/
Eco-Village Information Service: Check out the communities
around the world which have a holistic connection to the environment.
The site includes the Global Eco-village Network (GEN), as well as a list of
other resources and a calendar of events. Email: heidi@gaia.org
http://www.sistema.itesm.mx/misc/bcsd-la/
The Business Council for Sustainable Development - Latin
America is a new web site which offers general pages on the history
and mission of the BSCD. New online pages include information on the
first interamerican conference on joint implementation and
sustainabledevelopment, held in San Salvador and the BCSD-LA
document "Sustainable Development in Latin America. Private
Enterprise & Common Sense." Email: bcsdla@campus.mty.itesm.mx
http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/cumbre/
Official Summit of the Americas Website: A hemispheric
disappointment, the December 1996 Summit attracted just a dozen leaders
from the Americas, and little substantial proress was made. The lack of
public awareness of the summit was matched by institutional arrogance
and lack of resolve. This well-produced website was produced by the
Secretariat of the Summit of the Americas in collaboration with the
Sustainable Development Network of Bolivia and Virtual Production
Services, with funding from the Government of the Netherlands. You
can request documents via electronic mail. Email:
cumbdocs@cumbre-summit.org
http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/land/indicators/list.html
CIAT-UNEP Environmental and Sustainability Indicators: This
page features a Regional Roster of Experts and Institutions working on
Environmental and Sustainability Indicators and is part of the
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Email:
ciat@cgnet.com
http://prometeo.cool.co.cr/usr/pleds/
PLEDS: "The Resource Directory was developed by the Fundacion Acceso
at the request of the Business Leadership for Sustainable Development
Program (PLEDS) an initiative of INCAE (the Central American Business
Institute). This Network of 50 members from 18 countries of Latin
America seeks to motivate the region's young business leaders to
undertake specific projects in support of the sustainable development of
their companies, sectors, and countries by providing them with access
to practical business information, personal references, management
training, and opportunities for dialogue both within the network as well
as with professionals in other sectors. Part of the Acceso project at
http://www.acceso.org. Email: facceso@sol.racsa.co.cr
http://www.rafiusa.org
RAFI: This is a wonderful, content-rich site! RAFI is an international
non-governmental organization headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario
(Canada) and with affiliate offices in Pittsboro, North Carolina (USA).
"RAFI is concerned about the loss of genetic diversity - especially in
agriculture - and about the impact of intellectual property rights on
agriculture and world food security." Email: rafican@web.apc.org
http://americas.fiu.edu/
AmericasNet: Florida International University's Summit of the
Americas Center has a site that's that frequently has high-tech video or
audio conferences, but few documents or archives. It also tends toward
an institutional focus - regardless of whether progress is being made.
Email: summit@americas.fiu.edu
http://www.mother.com/agaccess
agAccess - Sustainable Agricultural Sources is an "agricultural
and horticultural publishing company dedicated to sustainable
agriculture through the worldwide publication and distribution of high
quality, practical information." Includes information on international
sources. Email: agaccess@davis.com
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/SUSTDEV/Welcome_.HTM
Sustainable Development Dimensions is an excellent new site
hosted by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Information is divided into four areas: People, Institutions, Knowledge
and Environment. The site is updated monthly. Includes information in
Spanish. Email: Graeme.Thomas@fao.org
http://www.sustainable.doe.gov
The U.S. Department of Energy's Center of Excellence for
Sustainable Development "will offer information and technical
advice to help communities become more energy efficient and
environmentally sound." Contact Jeff Birkby via email:
jbirkby@ncat.org
http://hp.fciencias.unam.mx/proders
PRODERS: Mexico's regional program for sustainable development run
by the Environmental Secretariat (SEMARNAP) is an exemplary web
site. Mexico demonstrates great leadership in distributing information
on this topic.
http://www.unep.ch/
United Nations Environment Programme remains a
disappointment. They say: "Geneva is a leading center for international
treaties and major programmes dealing with the environment and
sustainable development. Most of these activities are sponsored by the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) or by the UN
Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development
(DPCSD)." I would ask that there be more specific information here -
perhaps there will be developments in late 1997.
Email:Webmaster@unep.ch
http://unep.frw.uva.nl
United Nations Environment Program, Work Group on
Sustainable Product Development: Includes information about the
working group, its database, links to other environmental web pages,
the newsfax archive and information on joining the program.
Email:unep@unep.frw.uva.nl
http://www.un.org/DPCSD/
The United Nations Department for Policy Coordination and
Sustainable Development has a Division of Sustainable Development
and information from the Rio-created Commission for Sustainable
Development (CSD). Email:dpcsd@un.org
http://www.oas.org/
Organization of the American States: "The OAS' Department of
Regional Development and Environment conducts technical cooperation
and training programs to assist the member States in their efforts to
preserve their natural resources. It works with the countries on
planning sustainable development, managing the environment and
preparing investment programs and projects." The site has some
country-specific reports, though none online and the website offers
few contacts. Pages include a Proposal to Create a Sustainable
Development Unit and the Bolivia Summit. Email:Info@OAS.ORG
http://www.iclei.org/
The International Council for Local Environmental
Initiatives (ICLEI) is the international environmental agency for
local governments. More than 200 municipalities from 43 countries
participated in the founding of the International Council for Local
Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) at the World Congress of Local
Governments for a Sustainable Future held in September, 1990 at the
United Nations in New York. Email: 75361.3043@compuserve.com
http://www.erin.gov.au/
Environment Australia: Documents available include summaries of
Australia's National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development
(NSESD), the InterGovernmental Agreement on the Environment (IGAE)
and National Reports to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development
(CSD). Information on environmental economics and links to other sites
with sustainable development information are also included.
http://www.idrc.ca/
International Development Research Centre (Ottawa, Canada) is
pledged to building a sustainable and equitable world. To meet this
challenge, the Centre has focused its efforts on five multi-disciplinary
themes: Biodiversity, Poverty and environmental damage, Food systems
under stress, Information and communication and Technology and the
environment. Email: pub@idrc.ca
http://www.oneworld.org/iied/index.html
International Institute for Environment and Development: As
of March 1996, there's not much information at this site. Contact the
IIED at 3 Endsleigh Street, London WC1H 0DD; Phone: +44-(0)171 388 2117;
Fax +44-(0)171 388 2826; Email:iiedagri@gn.apc.org
http://www2.planta.com/mader/ecotravel/etour.html
Exploring Ecotourism on the Eco Travels in Latin America
website (http://www.planeta.com) reviews the concepts behind
environmental tourism and points to resources and analysis throughout
the world. (This is a modest plug for another page on this site.) Email:
ron@greenbuilder.com
http://www.abanet.org/publicserv/airlie/airlie25.html
The American Bar Association held a meeting on "Sustainable
Development in the Americas: The Emerging Role of the Private Sector"
with several sessions focusing on the upcoming Bolivia Summit as well
as an ABA follow-up conference held in Buenos Aires in 1997. They do
not seem eager to put conclusions or presentations online.
http://www.earthpledge.org/
The Earth Pledge Foundation was established to promote sustainable
development as articulated in Agenda 21 at the Earth Summit, held in Rio
de Janeiro in 1992, and the Earth Pledge created at the Summit. Mere
rhetoric? Perhaps. Unfortunately, it no longer includes the informative
bi-monthly newsletter, Otherwise. What the Foundation actually does
remains unclear. Email: lhoffman@earthpledge.com.
http://www.igc.apc.org/igc/www.dev.html
EcoNet's Sustainable Development page links resources from A-Z.
Excellent source of linkages.
http://www.ecodec.org/
Ecodecison was launched in May 1989. The website offers abstracts of
articles from the quarterly magazine, published under the sponsorship
of the Royal Society of Canada. To be honest, this is a little boring.
Email:ecodec@cam.org
About The Sustainable Development Index and Author
I am a prolific writer with an insatiable curiousity about the Americas and
environmental issues. In response to several requests, I've compiled this
bibliography of articles I've written and an index of conference presentations.
If you want to know more about me, here's a chatty Bio as well as a more formal
Resumé. I am devoting more time to giving workshops and presentations, on
ecotourism and environmental journalism. As a working writer, I am always
interested in new projects and well-paid, short-term employment.
I also have online three proposals for research that I hope to develop into
books:
Sustainable Development in the Americas
New Alliances: Environmental NGOs in Latin America
Weaving the Web: Mexico's Internet Pioneers and Environmental Leaders
Warm Regards, Ron Mader
1995-1999 Copyright Ron Mader. Non-commercial distribution is welcome and
encouraged if source is given. The directory is maintained online the Eco
Travels in Latin America website (http://www.planeta.com).
>> http://www2.planeta.com/mader/ecotravel/sustain.html
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