Peak to Peak

Earth Day 2012: Mountains witnesses of global change

30.04.2012

Issue 51 - Month 04 - Year 2012

Earth Day 2012, whose theme was Mobilize The Earth, will serve as a springboard for a final sprint to the UN Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio De Janeiro (Brazil) this June

On 22 April 2012, more than one billion people around the globe participated in Earth Day 2012 and helped “Mobilize the Earth”. Celebrities are pledging acts of green and the Mountain Partnership has found its first Ambassador in mountaineer, former politician, farmer and explorer Reinhold Messner. “Great things occur when men and mountains meet”, were we reminded in an exclusive interview that will be launched in Rio. Indeed, mountains are witnesses of global change and assets for “the future we want”. Carbon credits, payments for watershed protection, sustainable ecotourism, wildlife monitoring... these are just some of the ways we can create a cutting edge model of community-based mountain conservation. Once conservation meant protecting the Earth from the people. In the 21st century conservation is dealing with the people’s needs and development.

                                                                                                                                     OLMAN SERRANO

                                                                                                        MOUNTAIN PARTNERSHIP SECRETARIAT COORDINATOR

 Peak to Peak issue 51 April 2012_low res.pdf