This morning the IPCC, the supreme global scientific body on climate change with scientists from all over the world, released their 4th assessment report examining the expected impacts of climate change based on all science available. The report stresses on the potential extinction of hundreds of species, the increased risk of coastal damage, extreme weather, and implications of different degree scenarios to food supply and health. Ironically enough, the report also finds that countries in northern areas, the countries emitting the majority greenhouse gases, are likely to enjoy of better agriculture and other benefits due to warmer winters. No wonder why so many industrialized countries are doing as little as possible to stop what will be a disaster for poor and vulnerable communities in the world.
Next month, the IPCC will be releasing its updated report on options to mitigate climate change. Hopefully, out of empathy, those who need to listen will stop thinking of their pockets and realize that we have one climate and one chance to do things right. Is anybody listening? I truly hope so.
You can find the full report at www.ipcc.ch, or follow press coverage by most major media sources worldwide. (Image source: NASA)
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Juan,
I actually think that the way these reports are framed: as “effects will be worst in third world” can be counter-productive and misleading. While I absolutely agree that people are more vulnerable in the developing world, a lot of folks in the ‘developed’ world think that they can pay their way out of negative impacts. Unfortunately, while there is some truth to that…Industrialized countries are massively vulnerable due to their incredible dependence on fragile infrastructure and fast moving markets. The United States is one of the most vulnerable nations in the world to sea level rise and to climate pattern disruption. The fact that the U.S. has trillions of dollars locked into beachfront property, long-distance highways, and cities with tenuous water supplies means we are vulnerable because we had the money to build it. The U.S. has used incredible technology and financial outlays as well as massive theft from the natural environment to supply cities like L.A. with water. Florida is a sitting duck of real estate financial liabilities. Markets can grow rapidly, but they can also crash almost instantly. Our arrogance in thinking that we have built a robust financial or infrastructure system that can absorb the impacts of Global Climate Change might lead us to be damaged enormously in ways we could have avoided. That is why, although I absolutely believe in Climate Justice, we are fooling ourselves in the industrialized world if we think that we will get out of it almost unscathed.
Richard - i cant disagree with you. however, i cant help to think of the disparities in disaster preparedness and monitoring between industrialized countries and developing countries. although disaster management agencies have done at terrible job at preparing and helping vulnerable communities -like was the case during Katrina-, those mechanisms can be improved. In the case of the developing world, those mechanisms do not exist at all. often developing countries have been to go into further debt every time a disaster hits - to repair infrastructure and even to provide humanitarian aid. It is time to start making those responsible for climate change be the ones picking up the adaptation bill as well.
Juan,
I will never forget when I was representing Honduras at the National Model United Nations conference, on disaster reduction, back in college. The story of how Hurricane Mitch devastated the country and the developed world and international financial institutions sent disaster aid…that were actually loans. Leading to a second disaster as the country went bankrupt and became a heavily indebted country. Something like 96% of its debt obligations were due to Hurrican Mitch and they had to lay off their teachers due to SAPs. So, I know how vulnerable the developing world is to both climate change and predatory financial failure. Well, I just find it amazing that developed countries that supposedly have all these resources to adapt to and prepare for climate disaster just mess up to to incompetence, arrogance, and disregard. You mentioned the perfect example: Katrina. I agree with who is responsible for the tab, but challenge the idea that we will get off almost unscathed while the developing world is devastated. I think the world has become too interconnected for that and good leadership can be more valuable than scale of resources.
Richard I don’t think anyone is suggesting that the developed world is going to emerge unscathed from climate change. If anything the experiences of post-Katrina New Orleans and the developed world offer a preview of what will come to the industrialized world more broadly if we don’t take quick action to reduce emissions. We should view these injustices as a wake-up call to action — not just out of a moral imperative to protect vulnerable populations, but also as an act of self-preservation. Is this point being obscured in increasing mainstream media accounts about global inequities in climate change vulnerability? If so, then it is up to us to message around these issues and re-frame the debate so that our fellow citizens are not lured into complacency!