As the U.S. sees increased severity and frequency of hurricanes and tornadoes, there is perhaps no timelier reminder that the world's cities face devastating impacts from climate change.

CHILDREN LINE UP for hot dogs and orange juice at a project run by Save the Children in Parys, South Africa. Virtually everywhere, infant mortality is down and life expectancy is up.

Stepping into the public square to announce that foreign aid is important and effective can be lonely work. As someone who has attempted to make that case over the past decade, I can assure you that the world is often eager to hear just the opposite.

But aid money can and does work. It improves people's lives and makes the world a better and safer place.

The climate inside of the United Nations is changing. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will emphasize the employment of more sustainable fuels without trying to extract firm commitments on carbon reductions.
 
The UN’s leader remains steadfast in his belief that man-made carbon emissions are causing global warming that has the potential to create devastation. But he now realizes that the most practical way to encourage a cleaner environment is to try and facilitate the wider use of green technologies.
 

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The United Nations said Wednesday that about 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted every year, which amounts to roughly one third of all the food produced for human consumption.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization commissioned a report on food loss and waste as rising prices and diminished production worldwide have contributed to an increase in food insecurity.

Plans for an inter-connected Europe include provision and prioirity placed upon transportation. Cites are connected by roads and roads connect places. As the European Commission says, “measures to encourage major infrastructure investments, change the way freight moves and people travel would boost economic competitiveness and create jobs. The plan – with goals to be met by 2050 – focuses on travel within cities and between cities, and on long distance journeys.”

It includes calls for: