Reporter Insights
Beyond the frontstage of conferences: the Reporters’ backstage insights.
The Journalist’s Guide to Rio+20
Environmental journalists today have the formidable task of reporting on difficult topics such as climate change, an issue that is uncertain, scientifically and culturally complex, and politically charged. I recently met two who were at the University of Michigan as Knight-Wallace fellows: Roger Harrabin, BBC environmental analyst, and Marcelo Leite, editor of the Opinion pages » read on
University of Pennsylvania Delegates Present “Youth Solutions” at World Water Forum
The delegation from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) had 27 students from the Master of Environmental Studies (M.E.S.) and Master of Science in Applied Geoscience programs in attendance at the World Water Forum. At the end of the week, some of us from Penn were invited to present solutions emerging from our institution. On Friday morning, three » read on
A Tour of the WWF6: Bringing People Together, Developing Solutions, and Increasing Awareness
The World Water Forum 6 took place from March 12-17th, 2012 in Marseille, France. The Forum aimed at bring people together, allowing for conversation, presenting solutions, spreading awareness, solving challenges, and making commitments. The Forum, according to the event’s website, “…mobilises creativity, innovation, competence and know-how in favour of water. It gathers all stakeholders around » read on
Alternatives Exist: Comparing FAME to the 6th World Water Forum
Inside the Alternative World Water Forum On March 16, I attended the Alternative World Water Forum. The Forum Alternatif Modial de L’Eau (‘FAME’ for short) is situated at the Dock des Suds, and my first impression upon arriving was how buzzing the place was. This was no ‘occupy’ movement of the kind you tend to see lately in » read on
Green Growth is Inspiring but Not Watertight
Each conference comes with its own set of catchphrases and the World Water Forum is no exception. A popular one that’s been buzzing around is “the new industrial revolution” or as it’s colloquially known, “green growth“. Coined in 2008, the definition of green growth differs depending on who’s using it. In general, green growth refers » read on
A Global Water Connection: My Experience Modeling on the Catwalk
Ladies from all corners of the world dressed in a rainbow of colors of their national dress to create the most diverse modeling catwalk you’ve ever seen. On Wednesday morning, I walked with these women (and two gentlemen) down the “catwalk” at the Women for Water Partnership (WfWP) “Presenting New Thinking New Challenges” session of » read on
Does the World Water Forum Need More Conflict?
The Sixth World Water Forum has largely been an exercise in polite agreement. As a fly on the wall of any auditorium on the grounds of Parc Chanot, you would see a new combination of grey-faced experts shuffle in every two hours to expound upon the virtues of “good governance” or the importance of a stable » read on
Village of Solutions: Highlights from the WWC Press Tour
Yesterday the World Water Council (WWC), parent organization of the World Water Forum, led members of the press on a tour of the Forum’s “Village of Solutions.” The Village represents an innovative new platform that highlights the central theme of the sixth Forum – solutions. After the tour, WWC President Loic Fauchon was kind enough » read on
Project WET Vice President John Etgen Discusses the Importance of Water Education
Oikos Student Reporter Lindsay Shafer had the opportunity to interview John Etgen, Senior Vice President of the Project WET Foundation, about the role of education in water sustainability. This education is vitally important because today’s kids are tomorrow’s leaders. In the interview, Etgen discusses Project WET’s initiatives, which include giving kids the opportunity to discuss » read on
Made in Marseille: Deputy Mayor Martine Vassal on the Forum Footprint
As Lindsey discussed in her earlier post, there are a number of online calculators which you can use to calculate your water footprint. A water footprint is the amount of water needed to produce the goods and services you use, and it is important to be aware of this number because it helps us reduce » read on
Art: a tool to manage complexity and raise awareness
Memory is selective. The impressions that sticked to the minds of the participants of the WRF 2011 are starting to lose their tint. What will people remember in one year? And in five years? Personally, I will remember the presentation by Klaus Elle at the highlights session at the end of the first conference day. » read on
Enhancing Your Writing Skills – A blog Post is a symphony
In this section, I will be looking at how can we enhance writing skills, or in other words, make a post exciting and interesting to read. First of all, before even starting to write, think for a few seconds about these three questions: *Who am I writing to? *Why am I writing to these people? » read on
YES we can! – What can we learn from youth?
Yes we can! Obama was not the first to use this empowering sentence. Roger Baud founder of ACTIS, a spin off of ETHZ, already used it in 2000 to promote the first Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) course. Bring 35 young people from all around the world together for 17 days. Hold interactive classes on » read on
Youth, the world is yours
This is a post for young people. During three full days, the future of resources has been discussed at the World Resource Forum. The average age of the active participants of the conference is rather high. This means: these people debating on the future of our society are not the ones who will see their » read on
“I don’t care what you think, if I don’t think that you care”
Finally. Someone dared to question the approach of the World Resources Forum, and it was one of the speakers. Marilyn Mehlmann, General Secretary of Global Action Plan International (GAP), said some assertive words that many of us wanted to hear, especially the young ones (coincidence?). I found her speech sincere, which probably made it unpleasant » read on
As we walk away
As the final plenary session of the conference ends, some key issues emerged for us to contemplate on and incorporate in our everyday lives. Power of the individual : Across academics and politicians, the general consensus is the need for not only systemic change but also transformative change. As Marilyn Mehlman says, there is a great » read on
Video: Actions to improve resources management
Student reporters have witnessed a lot of highly interesting discussions, speeches and sessions at the World Resources Forum 2011 in Davos. Research, theories and improved policies are certainly important to promote resources efficiency, but nevertheless actions is what’s needed the most. With this short video we’d like to show you examples of participants of the » read on
Joining the pieces of the puzzle
In the first plenary session of the day the speakers showed incontestable facts demonstrating that keeping business as usual is not an option that will allow our children to enjoy the same living standard we do. Beside showing the need to change, every speaker proposed it’s own approach on what and how to change. What lacked » read on
We are the Student Reporters!
Maybe you have asked yourself: “Who are those Student Reporters?” So here is a very short video describing what we do and motivations for this project here in Davos – we hope you like it! We will also make interviews during the next couple of days, so you can keep up to date by visiting » read on
The Student Reporter countdown to the WRF
Saturday afternoon 16:20, main train station of Zürich – “Are you from the Student Reporter group?”. Two smiles answer my question. I found two of the nine student reporters with who I’ll share a unique trip to the World Resources Forum (WRF) 2011 in Davos. After seeing pictures on facebook and hearing their voices at » read on
Impotence. Can you feel it?
Impotence. Have you ever felt it? I guess that many of us have at least once felt not having enough power, money, and many other means to shape the future. This feeling can make people give up, or wait until they think they have the means to do something, without noticing they might wait forever. » read on
The Journalist’s Guide to Rio+20
Environmental journalists today have the formidable task of reporting on difficult topics such as climate change, an issue that is uncertain, scientifically and culturally complex, and politically charged. I recently met two who were at the University of Michigan as Knight-Wallace fellows: Roger Harrabin, BBC environmental analyst, and Marcelo Leite, editor of the Opinion pages » read on
University of Pennsylvania Delegates Present “Youth Solutions” at World Water Forum
The delegation from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) had 27 students from the Master of Environmental Studies (M.E.S.) and Master of Science in Applied Geoscience programs in attendance at the World Water Forum. At the end of the week, some of us from Penn were invited to present solutions emerging from our institution. On Friday morning, three » read on
A Tour of the WWF6: Bringing People Together, Developing Solutions, and Increasing Awareness
The World Water Forum 6 took place from March 12-17th, 2012 in Marseille, France. The Forum aimed at bring people together, allowing for conversation, presenting solutions, spreading awareness, solving challenges, and making commitments. The Forum, according to the event’s website, “…mobilises creativity, innovation, competence and know-how in favour of water. It gathers all stakeholders around » read on
Alternatives Exist: Comparing FAME to the 6th World Water Forum
Inside the Alternative World Water Forum On March 16, I attended the Alternative World Water Forum. The Forum Alternatif Modial de L’Eau (‘FAME’ for short) is situated at the Dock des Suds, and my first impression upon arriving was how buzzing the place was. This was no ‘occupy’ movement of the kind you tend to see lately in » read on
Green Growth is Inspiring but Not Watertight
Each conference comes with its own set of catchphrases and the World Water Forum is no exception. A popular one that’s been buzzing around is “the new industrial revolution” or as it’s colloquially known, “green growth“. Coined in 2008, the definition of green growth differs depending on who’s using it. In general, green growth refers » read on
A Global Water Connection: My Experience Modeling on the Catwalk
Ladies from all corners of the world dressed in a rainbow of colors of their national dress to create the most diverse modeling catwalk you’ve ever seen. On Wednesday morning, I walked with these women (and two gentlemen) down the “catwalk” at the Women for Water Partnership (WfWP) “Presenting New Thinking New Challenges” session of » read on
Does the World Water Forum Need More Conflict?
The Sixth World Water Forum has largely been an exercise in polite agreement. As a fly on the wall of any auditorium on the grounds of Parc Chanot, you would see a new combination of grey-faced experts shuffle in every two hours to expound upon the virtues of “good governance” or the importance of a stable » read on
Village of Solutions: Highlights from the WWC Press Tour
Yesterday the World Water Council (WWC), parent organization of the World Water Forum, led members of the press on a tour of the Forum’s “Village of Solutions.” The Village represents an innovative new platform that highlights the central theme of the sixth Forum – solutions. After the tour, WWC President Loic Fauchon was kind enough » read on
Project WET Vice President John Etgen Discusses the Importance of Water Education
Oikos Student Reporter Lindsay Shafer had the opportunity to interview John Etgen, Senior Vice President of the Project WET Foundation, about the role of education in water sustainability. This education is vitally important because today’s kids are tomorrow’s leaders. In the interview, Etgen discusses Project WET’s initiatives, which include giving kids the opportunity to discuss » read on
Made in Marseille: Deputy Mayor Martine Vassal on the Forum Footprint
As Lindsey discussed in her earlier post, there are a number of online calculators which you can use to calculate your water footprint. A water footprint is the amount of water needed to produce the goods and services you use, and it is important to be aware of this number because it helps us reduce » read on
Art: a tool to manage complexity and raise awareness
Memory is selective. The impressions that sticked to the minds of the participants of the WRF 2011 are starting to lose their tint. What will people remember in one year? And in five years? Personally, I will remember the presentation by Klaus Elle at the highlights session at the end of the first conference day. » read on
Enhancing Your Writing Skills – A blog Post is a symphony
In this section, I will be looking at how can we enhance writing skills, or in other words, make a post exciting and interesting to read. First of all, before even starting to write, think for a few seconds about these three questions: *Who am I writing to? *Why am I writing to these people? » read on
YES we can! – What can we learn from youth?
Yes we can! Obama was not the first to use this empowering sentence. Roger Baud founder of ACTIS, a spin off of ETHZ, already used it in 2000 to promote the first Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) course. Bring 35 young people from all around the world together for 17 days. Hold interactive classes on » read on
Youth, the world is yours
This is a post for young people. During three full days, the future of resources has been discussed at the World Resource Forum. The average age of the active participants of the conference is rather high. This means: these people debating on the future of our society are not the ones who will see their » read on
“I don’t care what you think, if I don’t think that you care”
Finally. Someone dared to question the approach of the World Resources Forum, and it was one of the speakers. Marilyn Mehlmann, General Secretary of Global Action Plan International (GAP), said some assertive words that many of us wanted to hear, especially the young ones (coincidence?). I found her speech sincere, which probably made it unpleasant » read on
As we walk away
As the final plenary session of the conference ends, some key issues emerged for us to contemplate on and incorporate in our everyday lives. Power of the individual : Across academics and politicians, the general consensus is the need for not only systemic change but also transformative change. As Marilyn Mehlman says, there is a great » read on
Video: Actions to improve resources management
Student reporters have witnessed a lot of highly interesting discussions, speeches and sessions at the World Resources Forum 2011 in Davos. Research, theories and improved policies are certainly important to promote resources efficiency, but nevertheless actions is what’s needed the most. With this short video we’d like to show you examples of participants of the » read on
Joining the pieces of the puzzle
In the first plenary session of the day the speakers showed incontestable facts demonstrating that keeping business as usual is not an option that will allow our children to enjoy the same living standard we do. Beside showing the need to change, every speaker proposed it’s own approach on what and how to change. What lacked » read on
We are the Student Reporters!
Maybe you have asked yourself: “Who are those Student Reporters?” So here is a very short video describing what we do and motivations for this project here in Davos – we hope you like it! We will also make interviews during the next couple of days, so you can keep up to date by visiting » read on
The Student Reporter countdown to the WRF
Saturday afternoon 16:20, main train station of Zürich – “Are you from the Student Reporter group?”. Two smiles answer my question. I found two of the nine student reporters with who I’ll share a unique trip to the World Resources Forum (WRF) 2011 in Davos. After seeing pictures on facebook and hearing their voices at » read on
Impotence. Can you feel it?
Impotence. Have you ever felt it? I guess that many of us have at least once felt not having enough power, money, and many other means to shape the future. This feeling can make people give up, or wait until they think they have the means to do something, without noticing they might wait forever. » read on