Green Jobs? Youth Jobs?

As global markets continue to fluctuate and the recession continues longer than projected...the question of jobs for young people is becoming increasingly pressing. It isn't something that can be ignored or forgotten.

As graduates continue to take on roles that they are over qualified for, at pay rates that should be criminal (e.g unpaid internships / trainee-ships). However, while some governments such as the USA have started to tackle it, some are cashing in (e.g Irish Government) and running their own ones. I am completely for work experience opportunities and agree with internships 100%. However, I am not pro taking advantage of your young work force or the economic situation to get free labour. Young people need experience to get jobs. Giving them experience is amazing and should be continued. Taking advantage is when you make them do a previously paid job for free or a job where they gain no experience except for the job title while filling the work needs of an employer and assisting the employer to cut down on overheads by having to pay less staff.

I completely agree with the introduction to the recent report  circulated by Kyle Gracey on whether Green Jobs be YOUTH Jobs, Youth unemployment does differ substantially from adult unemployment in both cause and solution. The report is definitely worth reading but with a pinch of salt. It provides an analysis of green jobs and youth jobs in the green sector in the USA. The main body has a lot of interesting points. The findings and conclusion section is weak.They stress that governments need to consider the youth demographic when designing green jobs policies.

However, they haven't actually touched on the fact that green jobs are not as well paid as corporate jobs. I am a youth but I wouldn't want a green job (despite the fact that I do advocate for sustainable development). I need my income and unlike some people --I support myself and do not have a network that will subsidize my life. Therefore, as politically incorrect as it sounds, I personally would not want a green job.

Sustained Youth Mobilization

As they have the greatest stake in the future sustainability of our planet, Africa's youth should be mobilized to get out the message of sustainable development. Indeed, they also have to contribute by bringing their dynamism to bear through ideas, taking business risks and contributing to educating and mobilizing the rest of society behind agreed goals”.  --Mr. Abdoulie Janneh,UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on 27 June 2011.

I partially agree --youth globally should be mobilized. We need to spread the message of sustainable development. We have the dynamism, the innovative new ideas because we do not see the barriers. We are the risk takers. The young have the most to lose and even more to gain. It is our habits that will impact the future.

We need to be involved. We need to be actively participating in the negotiations and not merely consulted / observing. That is one reason that progress isn't happening.

There is no global ownership of the problems. We are collectively in denial and no one wants to take responsibility. Apathy is growing because people do not feel like they can change things, no one wants to take the leadership role in implementing the solutions or for admitting that there is a problem. While the governments in Scandinavia have started, they have also begun taking steps backwards. An example is Denmark's recycling program that they didn't have the facilities to maintain and can no longer afford.

G77 and China also have to take a leadership role and start sharing the responsibility. I know that Europe and the US may have contribute more to the problem in the past but we need to deal with now and what is going on globally. Excuses, inaction or blocking negotiations for petty reasons cannot be allowed to continue. Especially as SIDs are going to be dramatically impacted but do not stand up and let their voices be heard.  It is time for everyone to take a critical look at the status quo and say this is not good enough.

Youth in Action weekend & Participation Guide

Brussels, this trip, is a blur of meetings, brainstorming, ideas, practical details, black coffee, and gorgeous cheese. This trip was really made by the people.

The highlights include Ward taking the time to join us for a few hours of the Rio+twenties meeting and for dinner. He really transformed the vibe and it was great to chat with a good friend. Ivana also was awesome. She really rescued me when I initially arrived in Brussels at 9:35am, I realised that I have been so busy recently that I had forgotten the little details--such as my laptop charger and what I was going to do for the next four hours (meetings didn't start until about 1:30pm). We met at the stock exchange and went shopping. We also had a mini adventure locating the youth hostel where we were staying in the "ghetto" of Brussels (which in my opinion aren't remotely like a ghetto). Michaela showed a whole new side and I really feel that I can learn a lot from her. Ben was his normal humorous self but a lot less pragmatic (with no cynical edge). It was really cool seeing his idealistic side.

I also met the Communications team for Rio+twenties. Brendan is wonderful. His ideas were really do-able, practical, possible and interesting. We really kick started things and achieved a great deal in the two days. I am now much more confident that the website is going to happen. We got a lot done such as the wiki page.

And last but not least, PJ, the provider of fair trade goodies and the most sinfully deadly organismic cheeses that Ireland lacks but will signify Brussels for Ivana and I.

The participation guide itself started to take shape (and we even filmed part of the process). It was really ackward giving an interview about Communications when we haven't done much yet but it was great that Brendan took the initiative to organise it.

To conclude, Brussels this weekend (and Friday) is worth being exhausted.  There are no regrets!

Role of Oceans in Sustainable Development, Climate Regulation

ICP-12. photo source:iisd

If you take the time to read the report by the International Programme on State of the Oceans (IPSO)--it would scare you. I am presuming that you aren't already aware that changes in the oceans are being driven at an extraordinary pace, entailing a dramatic rise in the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But even if you were, it will still scare you!

plenary session.photo source:iisd

The UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process (ICP) on Oceans and the Law of the Sea meeting (20-24 June 2011) on the theme “contributing to the assessment, in the context of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), of progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development and addressing new and emerging challenges” ended.

But what concerned me about it was that everyone talked about how Rio +20 presents an opportunity for governments to protect and conserve the wealth of life that inhabited the world’s international waters. But I personally feel that too many hopes, and objectives are being placed on the UN Conference on Sustainable Development and the pragmatic side of me has decided that the event is doomed to fail. Recent negotiations (such as UNFCCC and UNCSD-19) have failed to reach agreements. Why do we think Rio+20 will succeed? Civil Society seem to be placing unrealistically high expectations on this three day event. The hopeful part of me wishes that I could do the same.

High Seas Alliance reception. photo source:iisd/

Experts highlighted "the combination of stressors on the ocean are creating the conditions associated with every previous mass extinction of species in history; the speed and rate of ocean degeneration is far greater than predicted; many of the negative impacts previously identified are greater than the worst predictions; and, though difficult to assess due to the unprecedented rate of change, the first steps towards a global extinction may have begun with a rise in the extinction threat to marine species such as reef-forming corals".

Global extinction is a huge concept to consider. We already know we are the only species who are destroying our own habitat. Daily animals, plants and languages are becoming extinct.

It was a necessary event that highlighted the existing challenges (the impacts of bottom trawling, ballast water and marine noise), new and emerging challenges (whether there is a need for an implementing agreement to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); changes in fish migratory patterns in the tropics and respective consequences for tropical developing countries; the importance of marine spatial planning for climate change adaptation; the need for inclusion of ocean-related discussions in the Durban Climate Change Conference in December 2011; linkages between harmful subsidies and overfishing; and the role of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)). I think it is clear that we need implementation more than hollow agreements. We need action rather than discussions about solutions.

Everyone discusses "renewing" or "creating" political will but I think we need to energize public participation and act as a catalyst for change by somehow creating a plan to kick start the public into putting the necessary pressure on their governments to change things.

What is becoming increasingly clear is that this needs to be done now!