Editorial (pag. 2 cont.)

This U.N. principle, ratified by Mexico, says:

“Environmental issues are best handled with participation of all concerned citizens, at the relevant level. At the national level, each individual shall have appropriate access to information concerning the environment that is held by public authorities, including information on hazardous materials and activities in their communities, and the opportunity to participate in decision-making processes. States shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making information widely available. Effective access to judicial and administrative proceedings, including redress and remedy, shall be provided.

Thus, the Aarhus Convention takes precautions against when governments do not fulfill their obligations.  Article 1 of the Convention points out a very important issue for towns and governments on the planet, that if things are done correctly, then many calamities that the Earth and its inhabitants suffer from could be avoided: “In order to contribute to the protection of the right of every person of present and future generations to live in an environment adequate to his or her health and well-being, each Party shall guarantee the rights of access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters in accordance with the provisions of this Convention.”

Since this convention was originally designed for the European nations, PECE and the other non-governmental organizations worked hard in Chisinau to facilitate as best we could its application to other countries.  Finally, the governments of the European Union conceded to us the ease of entering into the Convention without having to first meet on a national level the regulations that are already being met in Europe.  But sooner or later, the entire world is going to have to achieve parity in supporting environmental justice.

It is because of this, among other reasons, that each and every one of the efforts of the inhabitants of the Gulf of California region to achieve sustainable development counts in the bigger global picture.

You, our readers, knowing full well the international agenda expressed here, will see the bravery of history’s protagonists within the articles of this Meloncoyote issue on workshops, bird monitoring activities, field trips, sustainable fisheries, environmental education and resistance to the violations of giant Mexican and foreign investors.

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