Africans have come together to demand that wealthy countries take responsibility for messing up the planet. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said that Africa demands equal partner status at the global climate summit to be held in Copenhagen this December.
“Africa will not be there warming the chairs or making token statements,” Zenawi said. Africa has contributed the least to global warming but is potentially its worst victim. Burkina Faso’s environment minister, Salifou Sawadogo, said $65 billion dollars in reparations are needed to just deal with the effects of climate change. “We are all on the same planet so there is a duty of solidarity to help the most vulnerable countries, like we are, implement policies to adapt to climate change,” he added.
The reparations need to be paid by the G8 countries which comprise of the seven major industrialised nations and Russia. These countries make up about 14% of world population, but are responsible for more than 65% of the world’s economic output, and the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions.
The developing world could suffer 80% of the damage due to climate change reported the World Bank. The African Union reports that the entire African continent only accounts for about 3.8% of global economic output, while the US on its own is responsible for more than 26%. Reason enough for President Obama to carry his shiny new Nobel medal to Copenhagen — these facts might remind him that the prize equals justice.
Oxfam reports that more than 23 million people across East Africa are facing critical shortages of food and water following successive years of failed rains and worsening drought. Experts also report that sub-Saharan Africa is one of the parts of the world most affected by global warming.
Though Africans remain committed and optimistic, Saudi Arabia has wacky ideas of its own. The Saudis are trying to convince other oil-producing countries to demand compensation from wealthy countries that intend to reduce their oil consumption. Yes, you heard right. The Saudis want other countries to PAY THEM if they decide to stop killing the planet.
“It is like the tobacco industry asking for compensation for lost revenues as a part of a settlement to address the health risks of smoking,” said one expert. Oil prices peaked last year, swelling the Saudi’s oil revenue by 37% to $281 billion. That is more than four times the amount of reparations that Africa needs.
“If needs be, we are prepared to walk out of any negotiations that threaten to be another rape of our continent,” said Zenawi.
“Burkina Faso’s environment minister, Salifou Sawadogo, said $65 billion dollars in reparations are needed to just deal with the effects of climate change. “We are all on the same planet so there is a duty of solidarity to help the most vulnerable countries, like we are, implement policies to adapt to climate change,” he added.”
Africans will use anything to squeeze money out of the rest of the world without lifting a finger themselves.
Read: http://www.dambisamoyo.com/deadaid.html
If all else fails: ‘blame apartheid, blame colonialism”.
What can you do personally?
http://richmarksentinel.com/rs_articles.asp?catid=9&recid=715
Of course corruption is an issue – and its the corruption and the unfair trade practises that are actually promoted by the West to serve their own purposes.
“for every dollar [Africa] receives in aid they still lose two because of unfair trade.” said Max Lawson.
The fine print on foreign aid comes with many conditions that makes everything worse for the people and better off for the corporations and countries that funded the aid to begin with – the issue is not with aid. It is with the evil intentions that have always been behind it….
I agree…all foreign to Africa should be stopped!
“The fine print on foreign aid comes with many conditions that makes everything worse for the people and better off for the corporations and countries that funded the aid to begin with – the issue is not with aid. It is with the evil intentions that have always been behind it….”
The indusrialised countries have the means though it appears not the political will to turn anthopological (human caused) climate change around, they owe Africa and the developing world reparations and their own citizens a better future as well. Then we can all deal with natural climate change together.
Africa united – that means SA too, right? So although SA produces a significant part of Africa’s greenhouse gases all by itself we’re going to put one hand out for reparations and build more coal-fired power stations with the other. Great plan.
Good point Clarus
If highly populated and highly industrialised Germany can convert to 100% renewable energy by 2050 why can’t South Africa? We have more sunshine and coast line than Germany will ever have?
Germany to be using 100% renewable energy by 2050:
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/germanyRenewable2050.php
Germany is/was employing 30 000 coal miners and
30 000 nuclear workers, with their decision to go 100% renewable, the renewable energy sector is now employing between 120 000 and 270 000 people (estimates vary) and the number is growing daily.
Could’nt we do with some extra jobs in SA as well?
@Bilal Randeree
We have not had them yet, but the bloggers blaming overpopulation for all our ills are surley going to show up.
You are a numbers cruncher (Rebel Accountant). Maybe you can answer the question whether our global ecological problem is overpopulation or overconsumption in an article on Though Leader.
I suggested elswhere that overpopulation and overconsumption can both be overcome if we immediately steralise everyone who overuses the planets natrual resources, or contributes to more than their fair share of pollution.
That immediately excludes people living on less than one or two dollars a day, they don’t overconsume.
I beleive the overpopulation argument is merely a ruse to take our attention away from the real issues such as climate change.
The overpopulation argument appeals to certain people, i.e blame someone else. They easily understand that high birth rates are the problem, stop that, problem solved! – Huh?
The fight again Climate Change, should not just focus on the culprits only, this phenomena affects all of us.
The measures and methods to reduce the impacts should not just focus on splashing money, but to really come with measures which are practical and have high potential to be implemented.
Climate Change is a phenomenon which has started many many years ago, so in essence, we owe to ourselves to ensure that our future generation can enjoy the same environment we have privilege to have. Sustainable technologies, with focus on reducing their carbon footprint will be a way to go. For the developed countries to agree on a emissions reduction strategy is a way forward.
Gone a those days when we used to think Climate Change as fairy-tale, some of the impact of Climate Change are being felt now, unfortunately the hardest hit continent will be AFRICA.
The effects of Climate Change will be disastrous if we don’t take action now, major alternatives should be sought, so that we don’t deplete our non-renewable resources. Alternatives to reduce carbon emissions to the atmosphere are available, it’s just that many governments should start prioritizing issues of Climate Change like never before, good leadership and management in the initiatives should be ensured, so that all efforts invested in these drive bears fruits. The road to having a positive impact on Climate Change is a long one, commitment and funding, will do.
TEBOHO MODISE
It is so comforting to know that the Thoughtleader readership is populated with so many climatological scientists, each with a near-zero carbon footprint just like Al Gore.
My theory is that the hot air from this blog is what’s causing the earth to heat up.