climate

The exit polls of the September 28th election showed a wide margin of support for approval of the new Ecuadorian constitution, in what President Rafael Correa claimed as an “historic victory”.  There are indeed a handful of interesting chapters of the constitution that not only reform Ecuadorian’s state institutions and personal rights, but also rights for nature to run its course.  There are clauses for State supported programs to deter human exploitation of non-renewable resources, destruction of ecosystems, and giving explicit rights to nature for an “integral restoration”.  It also states that any person can demand to any governmental agency that these rights be upheld, and may be arbitrated in a court of law.

Living as an uninformed expat for the past two years, the American media hype (dross, drivel, spin, or whatever your personal flavor of the day may be) typically arrives months or sometime years late—if it arrives at all.  Today, however began with a pleasant and rather timely headline. Former US Vice President, Al Gore, has won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. This is a great day for our planet, and could prove to be an essential turning point, if Gore can channel this latest success in a meaningful way. He’s already promised to donate his share of the prize to the non-profit Alliance for Climate Protection.

I have to admit that the original hype arrived to me and Ecuador a bit late about Gore’s acclaimed film on climate change.  I only recently was provided the opportunity to watch an english version of the film that a house guest bestowed upon me. Special thanks goes out to Brian at the Landever Foundation, who passed through Cuenca in the closing phases of his year-and-a-half-long mission to travel, research, and volunteer his way through central and South America, leaving an aire of consciousness (cultural, political, and otherwise) in his wake.

Brian is in the research and development phase of his Landever Foundation,and I’ve pledged to help get his non-profit off the ground by designing and maintaining his website.  The main function of the organization is to provide the necessary circumstances for healthy inter-cultural exchange experiences to kid in the States, with the lofty goals of opening young minds to the notions of cultural identity, respect, and interracial teamwork and dynamics.