Global Warming is a Global Injustice
By Brian Halpin
5/11/2007
The poor suffer most in climate change even though they contribute least to the problem. On the launch of the fourth assessment report on policy options to mitigate climate change, the chairperson of the IPCC, Rajendra Pachauri confirms this, he said “the poorest of the poor in the world, and this includes poor people in prosperous societies, are going to be hit worst. People who are poor are least able to adapt to climate change”.
Therefore, we must look at global warming as a humanitarian issue as much as an environmental crisis. Third world countries already suffer from extreme poverty, human rights abuses, hunger, AIDS and corrupt governments and they will also carry the burden of climate change. Their food, shelter and safety are at greater risk than those in more comfortable nations who are responsible for increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and they have the power to address the problem.
In Africa, between 25 and 250 million people are predicted to be exposed to an increase in water stress by 2020. Also, agricultural production is expected to be severely compromised by climate change. Tens of millions of people are likely to be made homeless and left without the means of growing food or making a living to support their family.
Already, In Kenya, violence has occurred in drought hit areas. Pastoralists in the north of the country have started killing each other over the right to water their cattle at a diminishing number of watering holes. In Bangladesh, the entire population is insecurely perched above sea level. If, as expected, rises in sea level would leave millions displaced and disposed.
Climate change is an accelerating risk to everybody’s long term welfare. The IPCC report estimates that about 3% of the global GDP by 2030 would be enough to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
In Ireland, we are one of the biggest polluters per head of population. So, it’s our responsibility to lobby our government to take its role seriously. We also need to encourage our government to lobby other industrial nations to cut down on their carbon emissions. As Pat Finnegan of Grian warns there is “no room left” for policy makers in Ireland or Internationally to “doubt, dodge or obfuscate any further on climate change”
The real challenge however, is to see whether our government can take the necessary positive steps and put the environment and humanity ahead of big business and profit.
brian.halpin@ucdconnect.ie
By Brian Halpin
5/11/2007
The poor suffer most in climate change even though they contribute least to the problem. On the launch of the fourth assessment report on policy options to mitigate climate change, the chairperson of the IPCC, Rajendra Pachauri confirms this, he said “the poorest of the poor in the world, and this includes poor people in prosperous societies, are going to be hit worst. People who are poor are least able to adapt to climate change”.
Therefore, we must look at global warming as a humanitarian issue as much as an environmental crisis. Third world countries already suffer from extreme poverty, human rights abuses, hunger, AIDS and corrupt governments and they will also carry the burden of climate change. Their food, shelter and safety are at greater risk than those in more comfortable nations who are responsible for increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and they have the power to address the problem.
In Africa, between 25 and 250 million people are predicted to be exposed to an increase in water stress by 2020. Also, agricultural production is expected to be severely compromised by climate change. Tens of millions of people are likely to be made homeless and left without the means of growing food or making a living to support their family.
Already, In Kenya, violence has occurred in drought hit areas. Pastoralists in the north of the country have started killing each other over the right to water their cattle at a diminishing number of watering holes. In Bangladesh, the entire population is insecurely perched above sea level. If, as expected, rises in sea level would leave millions displaced and disposed.
Climate change is an accelerating risk to everybody’s long term welfare. The IPCC report estimates that about 3% of the global GDP by 2030 would be enough to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
In Ireland, we are one of the biggest polluters per head of population. So, it’s our responsibility to lobby our government to take its role seriously. We also need to encourage our government to lobby other industrial nations to cut down on their carbon emissions. As Pat Finnegan of Grian warns there is “no room left” for policy makers in Ireland or Internationally to “doubt, dodge or obfuscate any further on climate change”
The real challenge however, is to see whether our government can take the necessary positive steps and put the environment and humanity ahead of big business and profit.
brian.halpin@ucdconnect.ie
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