The Second Generation.Late last year, I was selected by the Worldwatch Board of Directors to be the Institute's second president. I am honored by the Board's decision and by the responsibility that it represents: to take this unique institute into a second generation of global environmental leadership. Worldwatch was founded in 1974 by Lester Brown and a small group of colleagues who sought to create something unprecedented: an interdisciplinary in·ter·dis·ci·pli·nar·y adj. Of, relating to, or involving two or more academic disciplines that are usually considered distinct. interdisciplinary Adjective research institute that could communicate with a broad audience about the health of our species and planet, using the language of the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times or the Atlantic, rather than that of an academic journal. Over time, we have grown to be an organization with a stable of widely read publications, and a global network of 160 publishing contracts A publishing contract is a legal contract between a publisher and a writer or author (or more than one), to publish written material by the writer(s) or author(s). This may involve a single written work, or a series of works. in more than 30 languages. Our flagship annual State of the World report is looked to by decision makers and the media for the latest insights on the health of the global environment and economy. The Institute's $4.5 million annual budget is supported by 16 premier foundations and some 4,500 individual donors, as well as revenues from publications sales and other earned income Sources of money derived from the labor, professional service, or entrepreneurship of an individual taxpayer as opposed to funds generated by investments, dividends, and interest. . Lester Brown, who has recently stepped up to be the Chairman of our Board, has created an extraordinary institution. The challenge for our second generation is to take this well-known and respected organization, and move it to a new level of effectiveness in providing the ideas and information needed to foster an environmentally sustainable society. We are at a decisive juncture junc·ture n. The point, line, or surface of union of two parts. in human history, one that makes the Worldwatch role more essential than ever. The collision between expanding human "Expanding Human" is an episode of the original The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on 10 October, 1964, during the second season. It is known for one of the earliest appearances of James Doohan, who would later go on to play Scotty from Star Trek. demands and the limits of the Earth's natural systems has created unprecedented challenges for our economies, our education and communications systems In telecommunication, a communications system is a collection of individual communications networks, transmission systems, relay stations, tributary stations, and data terminal equipment (DTE) usually capable of interconnection and interoperation to form an integrated whole. , and our political institutions. I believe that we are well positioned to take on this challenge--to help outline the shape of a sustainable global economy. In the more than 20 years I have worked at the Institute, we have never had as talented a staff, with as deep a commitment to the Institute's mission. We have begun work on an action plan to guide the Institute's future. It includes: * A focus on proposing solutions to environmental and economic problems, including blueprints for building an environmentally sustainable global economy that meets human needs and is in balance with the natural world. * A stronger international presence, including partnerships with non- governmental organizations in countries such as Brazil, China, and India, modeled after the Institute's successful partnerships in Europe and Japan. * An ambitious Internet strategy aimed at deploying the latest information technologies to make the Institute as trusted a source of information in cyberspace Coined by William Gibson in his 1984 novel "Neuromancer," it is a futuristic computer network that people use by plugging their minds into it! The term now refers to the Internet or to the online or digital world in general. See Internet and virtual reality. Contrast with meatspace. as it is in the traditional print media. One of the guiding principles of our second generation is to reach out more widely to other people and organizations, in order to multiply our reach and effectiveness. We welcome your ideas and support, and look forward to working with you on the central challenges of the new century. Christopher Flavin Christopher Flavin is the President of the Worldwatch Institute, an independent research organization based in Washington, DC. He is also a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences , President |
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