http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/40194/story.htmGlobal Warming to Hit Poor Worst, Says UN's Ban
KENYA: February 6, 2007
NAIROBI - The world's poor, who are the least responsible for global warming, will suffer the most from climate change, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told environment ministers from around the world on Monday.
"The degradation of the global environment continues unabated ... and the effects of climate change are being felt across the globe," Ban said in a statement after last week's toughest warning yet mankind is to blame for global warming. In comments read on his behalf at the start of a major week-long gathering in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Ban said all countries would feel the adverse impact of climate change.
"But it is the poor, in Africa and developing small island states and elsewhere, who will suffer the most, even though they are the least responsible for global warming." Experts say Africa is the lowest emitter of the greenhouse gases blamed for rising temperatures, but due to its poverty, under-development and geography, has the most to lose under dire predictions of wrenching change in weather patterns. Desertification round the Sahara and the shrinking of Mount Kilimanjaro's snow-cap have become potent symbols in Africa of the global environment crisis. UN environment agencies have been lobbying Ban to play a leading role in the hunt for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on cutting greenhouse gases, which expires in 2012.
Ringing in the ears of delegates at Monday's start of talks attended by nearly 100 nations was last week's warning by a UN panel that there was a more than 90 percent chance humans were behind most of the warming in the past five decades.
"CREATIVE" SOLUTIONS
Governments are under huge pressure to act on the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which forecast more storms, droughts, heatwaves and rising seas. UN officials hope the report will spur nations -- particularly the United States, the top emitter -- and companies to do more to cut greenhouse gases, released mainly by cars, factories and power plants fuelling modern lifestyles.
Kenyan Vice President Moody Awori told delegates it was now clear Africa would face the "most severe impacts" of climate change, and he called on the United Nations to devise special initiatives and action plans for the continent. Achim Steiner, head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) hosting the talks, said globalisation was eating world resources while not delivering the benefits expected of it.
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"Sustainable development is no longer an option, it is a must," Lamy said. "The WTO stands ready to do its part."
Story by Daniel Wallis
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I'm sure the WTO is standing ready to "do it's part," by exploiting this crisis to gain more profit from it at the expense of the poor. It is organizations like the WTO that are exacerbating this crisis in the first place with their policies. The WTO, The World Bank, and the IMF do NOTHING to help the plight of the poor in this world. They only use their wealth and power to keep the poor down while they reap the benefits. I say, keep the WTO, The World Bank, and the IMF FAR AWAY from spearheading any initiative regarding climate change.
The answer is what Mr. Steiner mentioned above. Change must come from consumers, businesses, and other organizations apart from these political entities leading the way to see a moral seachange that will affect all other facets of this crisis both economic and political. The problem is however, that this issue even for the IPCC report coming out last Friday is not getting the urgent reaction that it needs to get in order to bring about the evasive action that must be taken this year by citizens to demand change.
I really wonder how far this will all go before real progress is made, and just how much further we are willing to push the envelope and plunge our planet further into distress before we stop all of the partisan bickering and stonewalling on it. I personally believe we have less than ten years to reach the tipping point, and I also believe it has already started. It is then sad for me to see factions continuing to put their political positions, agendas, and profit sheets above the moral imperative.
That is why I so strongly believe we need a Global Environmental Ambassador who has the moral and spiritual compass as well as the environmental experience and vision necessary to bring the international community together to broker an agreement that goes beyond Kyoto that includes all countries fairly according to emissions and includes incentives for adherence to limits and access to alternatives regarding sequestration, carbon trading, and a major campaign to bring knowledge and tools to the poorest areas of this world (which I absolutely believe Mr. Gore's Climate Project should spearhead.)
As Al Gore and many scientists and environmental leaders have claimed, the debate is over. It is now time to move quickly to solutions that deal with this crisis expediently and fairly. A child In Niger does not deserve to die from starvation because they had no water to grow crops because of the drought caused by the climate change caused by our SUVS.
To think there are those who cannot see the moral implications of what we are doing and how far reaching and all encompassing they are to our own children's future unless we all act now goes beyond irresponsible and inhumane to me. Frankly, I'm tired of the "debate" on it already in this country because it is losing that moral urgency and devolving into another political soundbite. Those of us with a moral conscience simply cannot allow that to happen if we care about this planet.
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