Sustainable World Initiative
Round-‐table:
Keeping
Science
Involved
in
SDG
(Sustainable
Development
Goals)
Implementation
Jorge
Monardes
–
jorge.monardes@duke.edu
Good
afternoon
distinguished
ladies
and
gentlemen.
Thank
you
for
this
opportunity
of
speaking
here
today.
My
name
is
Jorge
Monardes
and
I
am
speaking
on
behalf
of
the
Sustainable
World
Initiative. And we are in complete agreement that science is required to
generate better regulatory indicators, but, our question is more about foundamental points.
Our question is very simple: Does our current economic structure allow us to solve
the environmental challenges we are facing today? Allow me to develop this question.
The
over-‐arching
challenge
today,
as
WE
see
it,
is
this.
We
have
an
infinite-‐growing
economy,
which
is
circumscribed
within
a
finite
planet,
with
finite
resources.
We
are
way
behind
schedule,
in
developing
technology
to
access
the
enormous
resources
of
the
solar
system
or
the
vast
resources
of
the
universe,
which
hypothetically
would
be
the
only
way
to
sustain
our
current
economic
structure.
We
must
synchronize
our
market
and
economy
with
our
planetary
resources.
The
present
situation
requires
us
to
learn
to
live
within
our
ecological
means,
not
simply
our
financial
means,
which is
a
manmade
construct.
The
complexity
of
this
challenge
is
so
immense
that
countless
solutions
at
the
intersection
of
science
and
policy
must
be
developed.
There
is
an
urgent
need
to
bring
the
XIX
century
industrial
complex
to
our
current
XXI
century,
an
era
of
efficiency
and
information
technology.
We
need
to
continue
fostering
renewable
energy
and,
harnessing
the
energy
we
need
through
eco-‐friendly
processes.
Education
and
regulation
of
production
and
consumption
is
essential
-‐
and
the
solution
to
this
is
not
simply
better
and
cheaper
technology,
it
is
a
matter
of
culture
and
respect
for
nature.
Our
increasing
population
growth
must
be
lessened
through
expanded
access
to
family
planning,
reproductive
health
education,
complete
cessation
of
child
marriage,,
and
the
empowerment
of
women
and
girls.
One
of
the
most
remarkable
accomplishments
of
humanity
has
been
to
create
community
and
cooperation
across
various
cultural
and
physical
bounds.
We
are
living
in
a
modern
global
society
where
many
have
improved
quality
of
life,
yet
still
more
are
confined
and
plagued
by
poverty.
The
earth
and
her
people
have
suffered
from
the
exponential
economic
growth
and
increased
competition
that
define
our
society
today.
Our
duty
is
to
act
now,
using
existing
tools
of
science
while
seeking
new
technological
solutions,
because
we
are
the
generation
with
the
ultimate
opportunity
to
reshape
civilization
and
rescue
humanity.
Keeping
Science
Involved
in
SDG
(Sustainable
Development
Goals)
Implementation
Jorge
Monardes
–
jorge.monardes@duke.edu
Good
afternoon
distinguished
ladies
and
gentlemen.
Thank
you
for
this
opportunity
of
speaking
here
today.
My
name
is
Jorge
Monardes
and
I
am
speaking
on
behalf
of
the
Sustainable
World
Initiative. And we are in complete agreement that science is required to
generate better regulatory indicators, but, our question is more about foundamental points.
Our question is very simple: Does our current economic structure allow us to solve
the environmental challenges we are facing today? Allow me to develop this question.
The
over-‐arching
challenge
today,
as
WE
see
it,
is
this.
We
have
an
infinite-‐growing
economy,
which
is
circumscribed
within
a
finite
planet,
with
finite
resources.
We
are
way
behind
schedule,
in
developing
technology
to
access
the
enormous
resources
of
the
solar
system
or
the
vast
resources
of
the
universe,
which
hypothetically
would
be
the
only
way
to
sustain
our
current
economic
structure.
We
must
synchronize
our
market
and
economy
with
our
planetary
resources.
The
present
situation
requires
us
to
learn
to
live
within
our
ecological
means,
not
simply
our
financial
means,
which is
a
manmade
construct.
The
complexity
of
this
challenge
is
so
immense
that
countless
solutions
at
the
intersection
of
science
and
policy
must
be
developed.
There
is
an
urgent
need
to
bring
the
XIX
century
industrial
complex
to
our
current
XXI
century,
an
era
of
efficiency
and
information
technology.
We
need
to
continue
fostering
renewable
energy
and,
harnessing
the
energy
we
need
through
eco-‐friendly
processes.
Education
and
regulation
of
production
and
consumption
is
essential
-‐
and
the
solution
to
this
is
not
simply
better
and
cheaper
technology,
it
is
a
matter
of
culture
and
respect
for
nature.
Our
increasing
population
growth
must
be
lessened
through
expanded
access
to
family
planning,
reproductive
health
education,
complete
cessation
of
child
marriage,,
and
the
empowerment
of
women
and
girls.
One
of
the
most
remarkable
accomplishments
of
humanity
has
been
to
create
community
and
cooperation
across
various
cultural
and
physical
bounds.
We
are
living
in
a
modern
global
society
where
many
have
improved
quality
of
life,
yet
still
more
are
confined
and
plagued
by
poverty.
The
earth
and
her
people
have
suffered
from
the
exponential
economic
growth
and
increased
competition
that
define
our
society
today.
Our
duty
is
to
act
now,
using
existing
tools
of
science
while
seeking
new
technological
solutions,
because
we
are
the
generation
with
the
ultimate
opportunity
to
reshape
civilization
and
rescue
humanity.
Stakeholders