Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 23, 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE 17 T HE 120 heads of state and 50,000 environmentalists, social activists and business leaders gathered this week in Brazil for the Rio+ 20 conference on sustainable development deserve credit for trying to save the planet, but they may be missing the point about the best way to do it. No, I'm not among those Al Gore- bashers who claim climate change, water scarcity, ocean pollution and other environmental problems are an invention of scientists or those who argue businesses should not be hampered by more environmental rules. Environmentalists are right when they say toxic gases, industrial pollution and the destruction of rainforests are hurting our habitat, and the problem will get worse if we don't do anything about it. The world's population is projected to grow from seven billion today to nine billion by 2050, and the planet will need substantially more water, food and energy in coming years. Something needs to be done to save our clear air, our oceans and our forests. The " grow now, clean up later" economic model is neither fair nor viable. But reading a new book, Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think , by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler, I found it hard not to draw the conclusion that the United Nations- sponsored Rio+ 20 mega- conference is spending too much time trying to punish polluters and too little time on encouraging innovators to come up with new technologies to solve problems. New technologies have helped the world become a much better place in recent years. When I was a child, the conventional wisdom was the world would soon run out of food because the world population was growing much more quickly than food production. There were famines in India, and doomsayers were predicting the whole world would starve soon. Instead, along came the Green Revolution of the 1960s that developed new ways of producing high- yielding crops, and India soon became a massive food exporter. Today, life expectancy worldwide has risen from 64 years in the mid- 1980s to 68 years today, and infant mortality has dropped by nearly half over the same period. Which brings me back to the book Abundance , which essentially says thanks to technology, few resources are truly scarce; they are just inaccessible. If we change our mindset from negative to creative thinking, we can solve virtually all of the planet's water, energy and health problems. Take the case of water: Today, about 1.1 billion people don't have access to safe drinking water, and some scientists project 135 million people will die before 2020 because they lack drinking water and sanitation systems. The planet is full of water - oceans cover twothirds of its surface - but the problem is most of it is too salty for consumption, or too concentrated in a few areas, or poorly distributed and mismanaged. Yet there are dozens of new desalination and nanotech water- management technologies that may soon make water abundant for everybody. About 80 per cent of the world's water consumption is for agriculture and a sizable part of it is wasted through holes in leaky pipes, but new information technologies are being used to embed all sorts of sensors into pipes. Scientists believe a smart grid could save the United States up to 50 per cent of its total water use. In a telephone interview, I asked Diamandis what is missing at the Rio+ 20 meeting. Diamandis, who is a co- founder of Singularity University, chairman of the X Prize Foundation and founder of more than a dozen high- tech and space companies, told me " politicians are very focused on the near term and use linear thinking, with points of view that are based on scarcity and typically based on fear." Instead, he said, they should focus on " exponential technologies," or technologies that double in price performance every year. " We now use these technologies to play video games, but we don't use them to address the world's biggest problems." he said. My opinion: I agree. The Rio+ 20 meeting should be applauded for encouraging conservation, but it should have spent more time promoting innovation. For instance, the United Nations should do on a large scale what Diamandis' X Prize Foundation does at the private level: give $ 10- million prizes to inventors who solve particular problems. That might produce more results than mega- UN meetings debating the wording of lengthy declarations calling for the responsible use of the earth's resources. Andres Oppenheimer is a Latin America correspondent for the Miami Herald. - McClatchy Tribune Services Backwards argument The thesis of the June 21 article by Karen Busby and Lorna Turnbull, Humiliation of judge was avoidable , is that if complaints against judges are given a full public hearing, their independence would be undermined. This argument should be turned around to say that any person who has a background deserving of a public hearing should never be allowed to become a judge in the first place. Moreover, regardless of the legal niceties and intricacies, if a candidate for the judiciary thinks that availability - or even its remote possibility - of disgustingly obscene images on a public website would not undermine her credibility as a judge, she exhibits very poor judgment and is woefully out of touch with what the general public expects from the judiciary. By a legal sleight of hand, it is being argued that since the existence of Justice Lori Douglas's pictures was an " open secret" in the legal community at the time of her appointment, well, then everything is just fine. But, on the contrary, what this actually shows is that rot has penetrated Manitoba's entire law establishment who chose to look the other way. NASH SOONAWALA Winnipeg �� Why on earth would Lorna Turnbull and Karen Busby argue the case for Justice Lori Douglas when it is a matter being adjudicated by a properly constituted review panel? They both hold responsible positions at the University of Manitoba's law faculty - guiding the education of young men and women who will hopefully become professionals dedicated to the highest standards of ethics, morals and justice in society. Although many in the legal and judicial family were aware of Jack King having photographed his wife in bondage with pictures available on the Internet, no one stepped forward to question his continued practice of law in the family court where his wife was a judge. This is mind- boggling. What is further amazing is the role of the Manitoba Law Society. Why didn't it summon Jack King for a disciplinary hearing, doing nothing until there was a public disclosure? Why did the law society allow King to return to the practice of law upon payment of a small fine, without even imposing restrictions that he not practise in any court division where his wife would be presiding? AL MACKLING Winnipeg Affront to Parliament Please allow me to correct some misinformation published in John Feldsted's June 21 letter, Time for debate. He claims that the so- called budget implementation bill, C- 38, was tabled in January. In fact, it had first reading on April 26, 2012, and to that point, no one, including backbencher Conservatives, had any idea such a mammoth bill was planned. He lists the days of debate in the House, failing to note that some " days" amounted to two or three hours, and that, at each stage, the Harper Conservatives imposed time allocation to rush things through. To have the finance committee be the only body to review changes to more than 70 different laws is an affront to Parliament. The review of the repeal of environmental assessment and gutting of the Fisheries Act had a grand total of 13 hours of review. As for his claim that I " lost track of proceedings" and voted with the Conservatives, he might want to know that I deliberately voted with the Conservatives when I disagreed with NDP proposals. Unlike Conservative MPs, I was allowed to read the bill, read the amendments and vote for what I believed best served Canada's interests. ELIZABETH MAY Green Party of Canada Leader Ottawa Absolutely clueless I am absolutely appalled by Scott Malabar's June 21 letter, Civil servants must serve . This gentleman is absolutely clueless about civil servants at all levels of government. Civil servants work hard, interact with the public on a regular basis and go above and beyond, in my opinion. I wonder if he realizes how many civil servants volunteered their time to sandbag during the 2011 flood? How many give generously of their time and money to the community each and every day? KELLI ADAMS Winnipeg Misdirected criticism Don Hermiston's criticism of socialism in Europe ( Socialist delusions , June 18) is misdirected. For example, Greece failed not because of socialism, but because of poor management. An economy where government employs 50 per cent of the workforce, has a large social safety net, yet has a soaring debt because tax avoidance is rampant, is unsustainable. Renowned U. S. economist Paul Krugman has noted that Sweden, condemned for decades by conservatives who predict failure for their socialist welfare state, is doing extremely well economically. Meanwhile, Ireland, praised by conservatives a few years ago for its austerity measures, is now a economic basket case, with 14 per cent unemployment, no growth and desperate for a bailout. DAN CHECCINI Winnipeg Depressing change It is hard to read David Shorr's June 19 letter, Envy and greed, without being reminded yet again of just how hypocritical and meanspirited too many Canadians are becoming about providing sufficient government revenues to fund programs that create a more equal and caring society. Numerous factors probably contribute to this remarkable and harmful change, including simple ignorance of economic disparities, recent generations coming from too affluent a background to appreciate how many Canadians struggle, difficult personal economic circumstances, and politicians who promote such views to deliberately weaken our central government. Whatever the cause, the ultimate outcome is a meaner Canada that many of us will no longer recognize nor admire. JIM CLARK Winnipeg Supporting a plan Re: Bring on ' enviropreneurs' ( June 15). I am onside with Chris Buors in his respect for entrepreneurs, but with regard to central planning, methinks he doth protest too much. Every business enterprise starts with a plan. Governments, too, have a plan, as the Harper government's so- called Action Plan for Canada illustrates. The best example of successful central planning by a national government is none other than the United States of America during the Second World War when most elements of the American economy were controlled and directed by the government to achieve a specific end. The best example of failed central planning was arguably the Soviet Union in the 1980s. There can be good and bad central planning. RUDY PETERS Winnipeg HAVE YOUR SAY: The Free Press welcomes letters from readers. Include the author's name, address and telephone number. Letters may be edited. Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, R2X 3B6. Fax 697- 7412. Email letters@ freepress. mb. ca Letters represent the opinions of their writers and do not reflect the opinions of the Winnipeg Free Press or its staff. �� LETTER OF THE DAY Kudos and congratulations to the Winnipeg Free Press for bringing attention to the health impact of poverty in the June 16 launch of your series Bottom Lines/ Dividing Lines on the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The life expectancy difference noted in your lead story, Prosper and live longer: stats, likely shocked many readers. Usually, when I ask people to guess how big they think the life expectancy difference is in low versus high income areas of Winnipeg, I get answers in the three- to- five- year range. That number would be disturbing enough considering that's about what some people estimate we would gain if we could cure all cancers. But the imaginary bus ride gives much higher numbers, a difference of 16 years for females and 13 years for males from south Pembina Highway toward downtown and the North End. If you consider all of Winnipeg, the gap is even wider - nearly 19 years for both males and females. It doesn't have to be this way. We can change this, not largely through health care but by collectively creating a fairer community, where everyone can flourish. If we don't, together as a community, maximize the opportunities that lead to health for all ( and particularly for our children and youth), then everyone pays. Some pay with their tax dollars spent on health, justice and other services that could be avoided. Some pay by waiting for health care that could be more readily available if preventable poverty- driven illness and injury were reduced. And some pay the ultimate price - with 19 years of their life. DR. SANDE HARLOS Winnipeg Health Region 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Winnipeg Free Press Saturday, June 23, 2012 A 17 POLL �� TODAY'S QUESTION How often do you wash your hands? �� Vote online at winnipegfreepress. com �� PREVIOUS QUESTION Should Sam Katz run again for mayor in the next election? YES 24% NO 76% TOTAL RESPONSES 4,026 Winnipeg Free Press est 1872 / Winnipeg Tribune est 1890 VOL 140 NO 220 2012 Winnipeg Free Press, a division of FP Canadian Newspapers Limited Partnership. Published seven days a week at 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2X 3B6, PH: 697- 7000 BOB COX / Publisher MARGO GOODHAND / Editor JULIE CARL / Deputy Editor Creating fairness for all I F a Bollywood scriptwriter had to dream up a killjoy cop, he would base him on Vasant Dhoble. For the past month, Mumbai's police have been shutting down parties and confiscating bars' music systems in a drive to regulate the city's nightlife. Leading the drive has been Dhoble, the head of the city police's " social services" division. A stocky figure in his 50s sporting a mustache, Dhoble has gained cartoon- villain status among hip Mumbaikers. An anti- Dhoble Facebook group has attracted more than 20,000 members. Urbane newspapers witheringly describe him as a teetotal vegetarian. Bloggers have shared video footage that shows him, armed with a hockey stick, roughing up employees at a juice bar. The crackdown intensified on May 20, when officers broke up a party at a hotel. Guests were rounded up and blood- tested. Police cited the Bombay Prohibition Act of 1949, which states even customers must have a permit to drink. Dhoble is making a specialty of dusting off old edicts, since alcohol was banned in the state of Maharashtra, which the city of Mumbai - then called Bombay - dominates, until 1963. Many prohibition- era laws have not been updated, yet until recently were rarely enforced. Dhoble or his officers also have shown up at five of the city's high- end bars this month, slapping fines on them for overcrowding or for allowing DJs to perform without the correct licences. At another bar, some female customers were detained on suspicion of being prostitutes, leading to a defamation lawsuit against Dhoble that was dismissed on June 20. Bar owners say turnout has dropped as nervous customers have chosen to stay at home. Dhoble's crackdown highlights a wider grievance among Mumbai's business crowd, all of whom complain about archaic and Byzantine rules, be they city- wide, statewide or national laws. Bar owners say they need as many as 20 licences to run a single drinking hole, and as many as three dozen if music also is involved. Property developers grumble that they have to provide the original plan of a building they wish to overhaul. One art dealer is fed up with the lengthy process by which sculptures for export must officially be confirmed as not being antiques, even contemporary pieces in fiberglass. The World Bank ranked India 132nd out of 183 countries in last year's Ease of Doing Business report. Dhoble at least appears to be honest. Outdated rules create opportunities for graft, however, which is one reason they remain in place. A bar owner says when he was setting up a venue last year, Mumbai officials expected a bribe equal to the cost of each licence they issued. One licence cost more than $ 6,000. Officials ask the art dealer for under- the- table fees before sculptures can be approved for export. A property lawyer says he thinks of corruption as simply part of the process, which is itself an example of how a supposedly go- ahead city can stay stuck firmly in the past. The Economist Police crackdown aids shakedown in Mumbai Rio+ 20 lacking creativity By Andres Oppenheimer Environmentalists are right when they say toxic gases, industrial pollution and the destruction of rainforests are hurting our habitat, and that the problem will get worse if we don't do anything about it A_ 17_ Jun- 23- 12_ FP_ 01. indd A17 6/ 22/ 12 7: 01: 33 PM ;