| |  | |  Renewables could soon supply 80% of world's energy, Ban says Politicians are lagging behind scientists and military leaders in sounding the alarm over climate change, and the consequences could be catastrophic, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this week. "It's time to move beyond spending enormous sums addressing the damage and to make investments that will repay themselves many times over," Ban said. "With the right enabling public policies, close to 80% of the world's energy supply could be met by renewables by mid-century. This is not utopian or science fiction. It is current fact," he added. Council on Foreign Relations online (2/11),  Council on Foreign Relations online (2/11)     
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|  | "The humanitarian issues facing Syria are immense, but the political components are also cause for concern, [United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson] said, with borders becoming less relevant, conflicts taking on sectarian ethnic characteristics and a regional crisis growing out of the Syrian one." UN Dispatch | |
- Syrian cultural heritage is plundered to fund war
Opposition fighters in Syria are plundering the country's caches of artifacts and antiquities to help finance their revolution. "As the war nears its third year, the United Nations and conservationists warn that Syria's historical sites face a new and more dangerous threat: a sophisticated network of smugglers and dealers -- prime among them members of the cash-strapped insurgency -- looking to capitalize on the country's cultural riches," writes Taylor Luck. The Washington Post (2/12) - UN was headed to Philadelphia, but a Rockefeller stepped in
 The book "Capital of the World" chronicles the search for a home for the United Nations headquarters after World War II and the nearly 250 U.S. cities that were candidates. The West Coast, South and Midwest were eventually rejected in favor of the Northeast, with Philadelphia a leading contender until the Rockefeller family offered to buy the land in New York on which the UN now stands, writes Alex Gallafent. PRI's The World (Boston) (2/13) - Community health workers key to treating malaria
Traditional laboratory diagnosis of malaria isn't a simple matter in much of Africa, where infrastructure is lacking. But a bottom-up approach that draws on the networks of community health workers would improve diagnosis and outcomes for the continent's poorest, write George Okello and Nina Cromeyer Dieke. The Guardian (London) (2/12) - Integrating food, water, energy in development goals
A water-energy-food focus is being proposed by Helen Clark, head of the United Nations Development Programme, as the foundation of the Sustainable Development Goals to replace the Millennium Development Goals after 2015. "It's a more holistic approach -- without water you can't farm, without clean water you can't be healthy, without ways of allocating and looking after the water supply there won't be enough to meet our needs -- it's got many dimensions," Clark said. AlertNet (2/13) - New glass would turn buildings into solar cells
 A special glass that generates electricity from the sun and can be made most colors is closer to commercial use for construction, effectively turning buildings into photovoltaics. The glass would add about 10% to the costs above the price of traditional construction materials. The Guardian (London) (2/12) - Signs the threat of Somali piracy evaporating
Somali pirates have not had a successful attack on merchant shipping for nine months, officials say, as a network of private and international security measures appears to have paid off. Ships and crews remain on guard, however, as this article details. Reuters (2/12) - Mali Islamists routed, but threat remains
 Even though French and Malian troops have chased Islamist rebels from much of northern Mali, the threat of violence remains. Suicide bombings and reprisal attacks are a real likelihood, says Navi Pillay, United Nations human rights chief. Al-Jazeera (2/12), BBC (2/12) | |  | | Position Title | Company Name | Location | | Executive Director | Phoenix Pride | Phoenix, AZ | | Vice President, Development | San Francisco AIDS Foundation | San Francisco, CA | | Program Officer, International Programs (CABA) | Conrad N. Hilton Foundation | Agoura Hills (Los Angeles County), CA | | Senior Program Officer, International Programs (Safe Water) | Conrad N. Hilton Foundation | Agoura Hills (Los Angeles County), CA | | Senior Project Manager, Transportation | The World Economic Forum | New York, NY | | Program Associate, Energy and Climate | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | Director of Special Events | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | Coordinator, Strategic Planning and Implementation | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | Online Communications Associate, Nothing But Nets | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | Online Communications Senior Associate, Girl Up | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | Director of Communications | National Gay and Lesbian Task Force | Washington, DC | | Foundation Giving Manager | National Gay and Lesbian Task Force | New York, NY | | | Click here to view more job listings. | | |
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