'We do not know live in Colombia': Brigitte Baptiste
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Wholesale Ballet Slippers
New Director of the Institute Humboldt speaks of need to begin to reorganize the territory.
When Luis Guillermo Baptiste Brigitte talks about environment, transgender status does not matter, forget it. At last, after all, is their right.
But what does generate controversy is with his views on the direction to be taken Colombia as one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Baptiste future that will be featured during the next four years as director of the Instituto Alexander von Humboldt.
biologist, teacher, master's degree in Latin American studies at the University of Florida, specializing in landscape ecology and the analysis of processes of transformation of the territory, and who is about to complete a doctorate in environmental sciences from the University of Barcelona will have to ensure, in these times of extreme weather events, for knowledge and the preservation of our biological resources.
is not very optimistic about the health of the planet, but say they have enough 'fuel' to drive a shift to divert us from the abyss.
which is the main environmental challenge facing the country? society understands that biodiversity is the foundation of wellbeing. It is time that the agricultural, mining and infrastructure know that our biodiversity is not an ornament, but a tool for long-term functionality.
Are we far from our development going in the way of what is sustainable?
Right. Move in the opposite. We complain that we are flooded when it rains, we burn when the sun shines, and all that we call 'disaster'. But is that the world is like, these phenomena are inherent to the planet. We must adapt, but there always We are thinking of changing the physical conditions of the country so that they suit our interests, an Anglo-Saxon model we want to imitate.
Do we have missed turning to look at the Indians?
not think we should copy exactly the indigenous culture, but it would be good to emulate its approach. We must have an adaptive culture, flexible, go hand in hand with nature and not try to impose it.
A change of culture?
Yes I realize that is not always good to try to control our world with concrete curb river, build a canal or a dam, it would be easier not splinter the river, build away from him, but that means different economic models, to change behaviors. If you play a country rebuild its road network from time to time, it is because something is going wrong. In short, we must recognize new ways of living in Colombia is that we live in the country.
Does Development Plan to be adopted at the Congress is focused on achieving at least a part of that development? Initially
not reflect the environmental interest, because not even a chapter to the subject, but that is being corrected for the component 'green' touch to all sectors. The Importantly, the Plan recognizes the limitations and open spaces of innovation.
Do you trust an environmental revolution?
An environmental revolution is not feasible in the midst of this model, because today, for the average citizen, environmental served but not uncomfortable, if not reduce consumption patterns or change the standard of living. This conflict can not resolve it soon and for good. We will need many disasters to learn and change.
"Mining is an obstacle or an opportunity?
sustainable mining there. So it is important to be clear what the price we are willing to pay to acquire these mineral resources, and enjoy your winnings. I would sacrifice the environmental quality of certain points, if there is a real compensation, if well managed projects. What happens is that the country of biodiversity sounds very difficult to get to negotiate environmental quality, in exchange for profits often takes corruption.
Does the lack of budget for the environment and its institutions creates threats?
Yes, because the mining sector, for example, we are able to balance. They have money to buy all the information in a particular area and we do not, then we to argue without much argument. Even have to ask them to fund research, and they can not be judge and jury. The Humboldt Institute has an annual budget of 8,000 million pesos, but it should be 80,000 million for operating ideally.
What is the main lesson that the country should learn from this rainy season?
Seeing the destruction, but also helps the telethons for the victims, the same thing every year, I confirmed that in Colombia built a 'maladaptive', a skill, a culture of disaster feedback. People who make patronage with the tragedy, this because it suits them rebuild their clientele. Those who suffer the tragedy, it will because the State should pay attention, and if so I pay attention I take another tragedy, then I welcome (the professional victim.) In short, this evil accommodation between victims, State and disaster, which seems to work, is actually a cancer that is leading us to collapse. An event that cost us points of GDP shows that the disaster that culture must end.
Do CAR do have full responsibility attributed to them? No. Corporations are a recent creation. The water is doing is not an arm of the state, but the model State.
Did anyone have the responsibility and go unnoticed?
ministries that handled the work in the last twenty years. Universities that did not prevent the students reproduce a model of development that left fifty years of accumulated environmental impacts.
environmental centralism Is there a lot?
I think so. Research institutes and universities have to put, literally, down to earth. They are modeling in the abstract, doing a virtual ecology, lost the connection to the world. As the weather stations is Ideam in many regions, the Humboldt Institute should have stations biodiversity.
Another issue: fishing, which is adrift. Do not you think that lack of standards to protect it?
Fishing is in a sorry state. The country is going backwards, has destroyed the institutions that investigate and control these resources and their management and management gave the private sector, which is profit. Urgently required a new charter, to be built between agriculture and the environment.
What about the development of the Orinoco?
This region is the most disadvantaged have terms preservation of biodiversity. I think we need to understand and place there some protected areas such as wetlands of Casanare.
Are there other areas that should take priority?
Mompos Depression and inland aquatic ecosystems of the Magdalena basin of San Jorge and Cauca.
How do you imagine the world in thirty years? We
great environmental crisis. What happened to Colombia, we will see a global scale. Last year was the wettest in history and the second warmest, then these peaks could be repeated more frequently until the global economy collapses.
Any strategy to avoid these effects?
Building sustainable cities. Bogotá is difficult to make a turn that way, but some others such as Armenia or Bucaramanga, ie those with less than two million people, still have time. These cities should become centers for refuge from urban chaos.
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