By Matthew Russell Lee
NEW YORK CITY, May 10 -- When Mexican President Felipe Calderon came to New York days after nationwide demonstrations against his bloody war on drugs, he did not go to the United Nations on Manhattan's East Side, where on Tuesday the Security Council was meeting about protection of civilians.
Rather he came to get an award from the UN Environment Program, and take no questions, at the Museum of Natural History on the West Side. He shared the podium, and UNEP award, with Chinese businessman Zhang Yue, in a ceremony sponsored by South Korean's LG Electronics.
Inner City Press tried to ask Calderon, after the questionless UNEP press conference, about his use of nuclear power, and secondarily of dams.
But there were no answers.
The press was shepherded to the large hall of the museum, where under the lit up replica whale another award winner, Angelique Kidjo, performed with drums, guitar and bass.
Master of ceremonies Don Cheadle was a no-show, replaced by a representative of the MTV music television network.
UNEP chief Achim Steiner chatted with fellow German UN official Franz Baumann. Another German, Under Secretary General Angela Kane, delivered the message of the missing Ban Ki-moon.
It is known that Germany would like UNEP to be replaced by a more powerful agency, tentatively named World Environment Organization or UNEO, and believes the UN systems environmental oversight to be subpar.
But the UN is giving its “premiere” environmental award to a president enamored with nuclear power, sponsored by an electronics company.
On the other hand, Louis Palmer of Solar Taxi fame, with whom Inner City Press previously spoke at the UN two years ago, was on hand to get an “inspiration and action” award. Afterward Inner City Press asked him if President Obama is going enough. “No,” he said, calling the administration a disappointment.
A Swiss correspondent asked Palmer how he would respond to villagers and architects who decry the installation of solar panels. This is a crisis, Palmer answered, not a beauty contest for villages. Hear, hear.
