UN's Global Development Goals are Important for the US

Despite the resistance of many Americans, UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) should matter to the US. This is the conclusion of a report from the Center for Strategic & International Studies' (CSIS) Global Health Policy Center. This non-profit, non-partisan, research group released a report at the end of May 2013 titled “Do UN Goals matter to the United States?” This report is relevant because many Americans have questioned the effectiveness of the UN and the value of global development goals for the US. In recent years the US has has an increasingly ambivalent relationship with the UN and Congress even withheld its dues from the organization. In the last decade the UN has also figured less prominently in US foreign policy than in previous decades.

A March 2013 Gallup Poll indicates that two thirds of Americans believe the UN is needed. Resistance to the UN comes largely from Republicans and older Americans. Only 46 percent of Republicans indicated they believe the UN is necessary compared to 80 percent of Democrats. The split between older and younger Americans is less pronounced but there is still a 20 point spread. A total of 76 percent of young Americans (18 - 29 years of age) feel that the UN is necessary, while only 56 percent of Americans over 65 share that view.

Video on the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-5)

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5), launched on the eve of the Rio+20 Summit, assessed 90 of the most-important environmental goals and objectives and found that significant progress had only been made in four.

Video on the Hopeful Elements in the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5)

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5), assessed environmental goals and objectives. Despite the fact that nations have fallen far short of the pledges they have made, there are some glimmers of hope. GEO-5 also reveals which strategies work best and policies that offer real solutions. Some of the successes involve community based conservation efforts, biological corridors, new farming methods, recovery of degraded lands, market based mechanisms, wetlands conservation, marine protected areas, sustainable fishing, recycling, feed in tariffs, and adaptation strategies. If these initiatives were scaled up they could help put economic and social development on a sustainable footing.

Montreal Protocol - Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5)

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5) was published on June 6, 2012. This United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report indicates that the Montreal Protocol has been very effective in elimination the use of Ozone depleting substances. The world has nearly eliminated the production and use of ozone depleting substances, under the Montreal Protocol.

It is estimated that implementation of the Protocol will result, in the United States alone, in 22 million fewer cases of cataracts in people born between 1985 and 2100, and 6.3 million fewer skin cancer deaths by mid-century.

Air Pollution in the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO 5)

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5) was published on June 6, 2012. This United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report indicates there are major issues related to air pollution. Air pollution is among the main causes of premature deaths and health problems, especially in children.Indoor air pollution from particulate matter is responsible for nearly 2 million premature deaths annually - including 900,000 deaths in children under the age of five.

Out-door particulate matter may be responsible for around 3.7 million deaths annually. Ground-level ozone is responsible for 700,000 respiratory deaths, over 75 per cent of which occur in Asia.

Biodiversity Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5)

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5) was published on June 6, 2012. This United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report indicates there are major issues related to biodiversity. The world failed to reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. Around 20 per cent of vertebrate species are under threat. The extinction risk is increasing faster for corals than for any other group of living organisms, with the condition of coral reefs declining by 38 per cent since 1980. Rapid contraction is projected by 2050.

Key Findings of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5)

The fifth edition of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5) was published on June 6, 2012. Some to the reports key findings include projections that see substantial GHG and temperature increases. The report also covers air and water pollution, economic implications, agricultural impacts, extinction risks, and fishing. Here are some key facts and figures from the report:

Under current models, greenhouse gas emissions could double over the next 50 years, leading to rise in global temperature of 3 degrees Celsius or more by the end of the century.