he Regional Secretary for the Environment and the Sea said in Horta on Tuesday night that the sustainable development issues require “a global and local action.”
Regarding the case of the Azores, “being able of acting here without disregarding the global context” is the great challenge for the Archipelago, said the Secretary.
The Secretary’s declarations were made at the 16th Meetings on Philosophy the at Manuel de Arrigada Secondary School, where Álamo Meneses presided over the opening ceremony, which took place in the school’s auditorium.
According to the Secretary, “we live in a planet with limited spaces and resources,” as countries develop, the need for resources vertiginously grows.
“We should have in mind that a citizen from a developed country annually spends 100 times more resources that a citizen from an undeveloped country,” said Álamo Meneses.
For the Secretary, sustainable development – the theme of the conferences that will take place until May 14 in the city of Horta – is an issue that has become a major concern at the present moment; therefore, it should be regarded not only from a local point of view, but also from a global point of view.”
Álamo Meneses stated that “we have to manage our local resources in a more careful and pondered manner, because it will be reflected at a global level.”
The Secretary for the Environment also mentioned that “we need to create justice and balance mechanisms at a global level, so that the existing resources may be managed and divided in a fair way.”
The sustainable development issue is a “global problem that has direct and immediate effects at a local level,” thus being difficult “to distinguish between what is local and what is global”, said the Secretary.
Furthermore, the use of resources begins to have immediate impacts at the present moment, which Álamo Meneses defines as “complex and difficult to predict in terms of future.”
“Regarding energetic resources, we are in a privilege situation, for the reason that we have large supplies of endogenous energy.” The Secretary added that “the restrictions to the water supply will be and already are a source of problems in about two thirds of the world, and it is beginning to be the basis of conflicts between several countries, originating local wars and potential future conflicts.”
He also said that the Azores, being an oceanic region, are “deeply concerned” about the control of issues, such as climatic changes and atmosphere quality.
Otherwise, “we will face very difficult situations in a near future, such as sea level rising and climate pattern changes, which might have a devastating impact on our economy and our future,” said Álamo Meneses.
For the Secretary, “ethics regarding the use of resources” are fundamental, because “we can make choices with a direct impact on the environment, starting at home.”
“We will be able to change the global pattern if we change our individual behaviours,” concluded Álamo Meneses.