Here are a few of the excerpts:
• What can young people do to reduce climate change?
You’re never too young to improve the world- as children we do all kind of things, sometimes we have to understand that less is more. And as young people learn that there is so green and there is not so green. As young people can choose which products are environmentally friendly and how they are used, they must also encourage their friends and parents to use green products.
• Many people believe that in future there will be war over water; here in Almeria we are using water unsustainably. Do you think that governments should create the means to build salination plants and pumping stations to ensure these needs?
Have already achieved great success with this, especially in the Middle East, we are confident that these projects can be carried out. But above all we can start today using water responsibly. It is also important for better management of water by individuals and especially farmers to make every drop of water produce more crops.
• After the nuclear disaster in Japan, what do you think about the future of nuclear energy as possible can prevent disasters like this?
This disaster has opened the debate in all countries on the sustainability of nuclear energy. Many countries argue that they are in earthquake zones but do not forget the Chernobyl disaster did not suffer a tsunami or an earthquake. Germany and other European and non-European governments are addressing these issues and obviously it is they who must implement measures and increase investment in infrastructure to create new technologies to ensure the existing nuclear plants are safe, but it is governments who make that decision.
• What is your estimate of the impact of wars and pollution they produce?
Wars cause not only pollution but reverse the order of a country. I have been witness to the migrations that have suffered in some countries in which those citizens who migrated to green areas in a matter of months and these areas were devastated and destroyed. The impact is terrible. But above all we make any war takes place. In war there are no winners, including the earnings lost and man has to live with the consequences of actions taken.
• We have seen many companies that sell green products yet these products may not really be green?
There are many companies which appear as green, but the first thing to do is check if they meet standards and that children are not working in their businesses, and they’re truly meeting the standards for green companies.
• Do you support genetically modified crops to combat climate change and whether is it a viable possibility?
We have reached a six billion population in the world; in forty years we will grow to nine billion, and in future years the population will increase even more. I personally am very involved in agriculture in a program called ´Partnership for African Green Production´ where the idea is to help small farms increase their agricultural production to ensure supply to the regions in which they exist. We are convinced that Africans can secure their own food security and can also play an important role as an exporter of food to other countries. And this question always comes up. Today, most African governments do not accept the cultivation of genetically engineered products, so I want to elaborate on this question.
About seven years ago there was a reduction in agricultural production in most of African countries. I was then the UN secretary general and worked in the food production program. We wanted to bring food to these regions, but these foods are genetically engineered and countries that refused to accept food aid, although we had at the time the certificates of the who declaring that these foods did not pose any health hazard. Later I met with President Bush and President of Canada. President Bush could not believe it and the president of Canada told me that he was 70 years and had eaten these foods all his life and was perfectly healthy.
I told them that this was the decision that their governments had taken and had to be respected. These are issues that need to be addressed and resolve in the long-term by the governments. But governments need to offer new solutions, because we must be capable of producing agricultural land and not destroy new forest areas or create new agricultural areas by destroying the environment. And this will be an important topic for governments and for people in general.
• What is the relationship between climate change and wine?
I believe that wine producers have to adapt and nationalize their crops and as I said earlier we can not live without the wine as it serves both to celebrate the defeats and victories.
• Can you give me three tips to use at home to help curb climate change?
You may not like some of the suggestions I’m going to give. First is to watch less TV. Turn off lights when leaving the room. Of course rationalize the use of appliances, for example expect that the washer is full before turning it on.
• I want to improve the world, how I can differentiate myself from others? Can you be my mentor?
Look around and see what you can do to change the situation in which things are not right and things not to do. Check that you do not distance from others and not stray too far from other people. It is important to be part of all. And how can I reject your request- I will be your mentor if you asked me so kindly.
• To the UN and other organizations- are you going to keep paying business class travel for the executives, spending millions of dollars?
Glad to see that there are people in the room that make good economic sense. I think these organizations have rules to regulate these trips by their employees. No offense to anyone, these employees often have to travel ten to twelve hours, then they have established a series of limits, for example up to five hours must be in economy class, but if it’s a longer trip they may go business class- mostly because it’s important to get to their destination in good condition. I myself have found these people working in very difficult places in different parts of the world, even in places where governments do not want to send their armies. We are talking about men and women who have volunteered to help others. Obviously we have to be thrifty but we must take into account the contribution of these people when they reach their destination |