tagged w/ Developing Countries
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New Delhi: Developing countries have pledged greater levels of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions than the rich nations despite the developed world being responsible for a large part of the historical emissions.
This conclusion by the Stockholm Environment Institute has stirred debate about how far India would now be willing to go with the US and Europe lagging behind on substantial actions to prevent climate change but asking for greater commitments from the developing world.
"There is broad agreement that developing country pledges amount to more mitigation than developed country pledges," a report by the institute said.
Countries provided these pledges under the Copenhagen Accord with developing countries such as India pledging to take actions to reduce emissions voluntarily despite not being required to do so under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The SEI report is based on four detailed studies from different reputed institutions including UNEP and McKinsey and Company.
The four independent studies used different parameters and assumptions to bring the different kinds of pledges into a comparable format and all four came to the same conclusion though the difference between promised goals of the rich and developing countries varied.
The authors of the SEI report concluded that unless the UN accounting system shut the loopholes, the rich countries would be able to meet their pledges "with very little actual mitigation, and possibly with none at all".
It also noted that the rich countries had not decoupled their consumption patterns from emissions but rather they had shifted many of those emissions to developing countries. In other words, the fossil-fuel driven consumption levels of the rich countries have not reduced over time and the actions taken by them to reduce emissions have been only those which brought net-benefit to their economies.
The report said the developed countries held three-quarters of the world's GDP and were responsible for 75% of the historical emissions. "It seems self-evident that the developed world should take responsibility for much more mitigation effort than the developing world, and that this effort must have both a domestic and an international dimension," it said.
"The developed world must raise their level of ambition to the levels demanded by science and equity. And, of course, they must fulfill those ambitions through actual mitigation, not through accounting loopholes," it added.
The report noted that even after the rich countries agreed to do so, it would still require actions by the developing world to prevent dangerous climate change.New Delhi: Developing countries have pledged greater levels of reduction of greenhouse... more
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When I started this blog several years ago these were the main areas of concern surrounding lack of access and potability of water in the world. And as with the climate crisis there have been many people out here talking about this and trying to educate people in doing what is necessary to provide this human right to all and warning of the consequences of not doing so. Unfortunately, though we have come some part of the way thanks to education, activism and the work of NGOs like Charity Water and others whose links I will also post here there is a long way to go.
As we are now seeing across the globe privitization is still trying to make more of a headway (even though we have seen initiatives in Germany, Italy and in the US in stopping this insidious move to control our global water supply) and moving to "commoditize" water in a market system sure to deprive the most poor of this basic human right even though it was declared so at the UN.
War is also playing a part. As a result of the tumultuous battles taking place in Libya the Great Manmade River Project started by Gaddafi (and this is not to be a political post so I will refrain from discussing opinions of him) which regardless of politics was and is an engineering marvel (I will post video on that here too) has been bombed and essentially shut down thereby cutting off water to more than half of Tripoli and other regions. Water is then still being used as a weapon of war which I find insidious regardless of who does it.
We are seeing as well increasing pollution levels in rivers, continued toxification of our oceans, acidification of our oceans, plastic garbage patches in our ocean's gyres that stretch for miles and on top of all of this, effects of a changing climate brought on by human activity that now threaten water supplies for billions of people worldwide and the systems that sustain our marinelife.
What are we to make of all of this? Are we finally reaching the point where more people will discover just how crucial water is to all of the systems that sustain us? If not, by the time critical mass is reached will it be beyond saving? For the next couple of weeks I will be writing and reporting on ways that we are affecting water and also ways we can save it. In the world we live in now water access has never been more of an urgent crisis.
That is why supporting organizations like Chartity Water are essential in working to provide equality, access and potability of water to the billions who now go without and that also includes adequate sanitation. It is unfathomable to believe that in the 21st century with all of the technological advances we have achieved that we still cannot provide basic sanitation and potable water for the people who live on this planet, even now as we explore other worlds. I say, let's take better care of the one we have now.
Please watch this video and look at the links to other organizations I will post here and reflect on what you can do to address this crisis locally and globally. Water is the one tie that binds us all. We cannot afford to lose it.
More at the link.When I started this blog several years ago these were the main areas of concern... more
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Traidcraft (http://www.traidcraft.co.uk), a UK charity whose mission is to fight poverty through trade, practising and promoting approaches to trade that help poor people in developing countries transform their lives.
They have created the video that explains how many of the world's poorest countries are rich in valuable raw materials which could help fuel their development but that many of the world's richest countries want to get their hands on them without the profits returning to the people. Traidcraft's new campaign shines a spotlight on the global trade in raw materials -- and why we need you to stop the European Union's aggressive new resource grab. Visit http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/rawmaterials to join the campaign and take action by contacting your MEP.Traidcraft (http://www.traidcraft.co.uk), a UK charity whose mission is to fight... more
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One-third of the food produced for human consumption winds up lost or wasted globally, about 1.3 billion tons a year, according to a study by the Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology (SIK). The UN supported the study titled “Global Food Loses and Food Waste.” Although the amount of food lost or wasted annually is almost equal in industrialized countries (222 million tons) and developing countries (230 million tons), over 40 percent of waste in industrialized countries occurs at retail and consumer levels. In developing countries, food loss occurs during post-harvest and processing stages of the food supply chain (FSC), but very little is wasted.
The total per capita production of edible parts of food for human consumption in Europe and North America is about 900 kg/year, while it is only 460/kg a year in Sub-Saharan Africa and South/Southeast Asia. In industrialized countries food “is thrown away even if it is still suitable for human consumption.” In other words, visually unappealing produce is thrown away even though it may taste as good as the better looking produce. That fact explains why the food wasted per capita in Europe and North America is 95 to 115 kilograms a year, and only six to 11 kilograms a year in Sub-Saharan Africa and South/Southeast Asia.
“Food commodities are traded at an international market, and waste in one part of the world affects prices in other parts of the world,” said Robert van Otterdijk, FAO Officer for the SAVE FOOD congress being held May 16 through 17. “When food is thrown away in rich countries this affects the availability of food in poor countries.”
Why less visually appealing produce is thrown away
The reason why produce that is less visually appealing is thrown away is because supermarkets have “high appearance quality standards” for fresh products which leads to food waste.
Post Continues: http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/05/industrialized-countries-waste-produce/One-third of the food produced for human consumption winds up lost or wasted globally,... more
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For any developing country, there are a lot of other pressing problems than fighting a disease which affects less than thousand people worldwide. But Bill Gates realizes how close they are to their aim of eradication of polio.For any developing country, there are a lot of other pressing problems than fighting a... more
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by Sarah Laskow, Media Consortium Blogger
The United Nations-led Climate Conference at Cancun was not a diplomatic disaster, but for climate activists and grassroots groups, it wasn’t a success either. Representatives sent from around the globe to hammer out an agreement on climate change were unresponsive to grassroots concerns about how to lower carbon emissions quickly, and how to ensure fairness in the process.
“Some grassroots groups are losing their faith in the U.N.’s capacity to produce meaningful results,” Madeline Ostrader reported for Yes! Magazine. “After the United Nations expelled Native American leader Tom Goldtooth from the meeting last week, the Indigenous Environmental Network called the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change ‘the WTO of the sky.’”
While gloomy reports before the conference worried that international negotiations could veer entirely off course, the representatives at the conference did come up with an agreement that fleshed out last year’s Copenhagen Accord. It became clearer, though, that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process will not ultimately guard the interests of less powerful players.
Climbing over a low bar
Although diplomats congratulated themselves for their accomplishments, not everyone was so pleased, Stephen Leahy reported at Inter Press Service.
“It’s pathetic the world community struggles so much just to climb over such a low bar,” commented [Kumi] Naidoo, [executive director of Greenpeace.] “Our only real hope is to mobilise a broad-based climate movement involving all sectors of the public and civil society before Durban.”
Indeed, this year’s conference saw a greater mobilization of outside forces than Copenhagen did. But by the end of the conference, activists were frustrated with the UN-led process, Democracy Now! reported, and began protesting in the area near the conference, under the close watch of UN guards:
When the demonstrators continued their vigil past the time allotted to them, U.N. guards moved in and dragged them towards a waiting bus. The protesters linked arms, and the scene quickly became chaotic. As they wrestled activists onto buses, U.N. guards also seized press credentials from the necks of journalists, and detained a photographer while seizing his camera.
Running REDD
There was one issue in particular, Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation or REDD, a financial tool that allows countries to offset their emissions, that caused concern among climate activists. As Michelle Chen explained at ColorLines, “From a climate justice standpoint, the deal lost credibility once it was tainted with REDD, a supposed anti-deforestation initiative that indigenous communities have long decried as an assault on native people’s sovereignty and way of life.”
The program would seek to set aside forests, through financial incentives that would make it more profitable to preserve forests than to harvest them. The problem, in essence, is that the program would take away resources in developing countries, particularly in indigenous communities, in order to mitigate negative actions in developed countries.
At IPS, Stephen Leahy reported, “REDD remains very controversial. It is widely touted as a way to mobilise $10 to $30 billion annually to protect forests by selling carbon credits to industries in lieu of reductions in emissions. … Many indigenous and civil society groups reject REDD outright if it allows developed countries to avoid real emission reductions by offsetting their emissions. “
Developed vs. Developing
Balancing the interests of developing and developed countries has always been the thorny tangle at the center of climate negotiations, and the Cancun Agreement, critics say, favors developed countries.
As Tom Athanasiou writes at Earth Island Journal, “There’s an even deeper concern, that, in the words of the South Centre’s Martin Khor, ‘Cancun may be remembered in future as the place where the UNFCCC’s climate regime was changed significantly, with developed countries being treated more and more leniently, reaching a level like that of developing countries, while the developing countries are asked to increase their obligations to be more and more like developed countries.’”
REDD is an example of that sort of bargain: Developing countries have to sacrifice, too. But developed countries have, in this conference and at its predecessors, refused to make any real sacrifices. This round, it became clear that, in addition to the United States, other key countries, like Japan, would not be willing to commit to binding legal targets for carbon emissions.
Who benefits?
What’s worse, developed countries benefit, indirectly, from the financial mechanism proposed to regulate carbon, Madeline Ostrader writes.
“Many of the proposals for financing and regulating climate are designed to earn profits for the same banks that brought the global economy to its knees,” she explains. “Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase have been vying for a stake in the global carbon offset trade—a proposed economic model for cutting emissions around the world.”
The movement of non-governmental groups and activists fighting to hold rich countries accountable has gained momentum in the past year. If international leaders are ever to move away from these imbalanced agreements, that movement will have to grow and convince a vocal majority of people around the world to support its calls to action. Only then will leaders feel pressure to write stronger, fairer agreements.
This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about the environment by members of The Media Consortium. It is free to reprint. Visit the Mulch for a complete list of articles on environmental issues, or follow us on Twitter. And for the best progressive reporting on critical economy, health care and immigration issues, check out The Audit, The Pulse, and The Diaspora. This is a project of The Media Consortium, a network of leading independent media outlets.by Sarah Laskow, Media Consortium Blogger
The United Nations-led Climate Conference... more
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Overseas election monitors and international observers receive training in spotting voter fraud and corruption to safeguard democracy. Tools and techniques include colour charts, tweezers, chains and padlocks as well as assertiveness training.Overseas election monitors and international observers receive training in spotting... more
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A climate pioneer declares the planet -- with its rising humidity and hot oceans -- dead.
According to Bill McKibben, the respected environmentalist and author of the pioneering "End of Nature," the planet Earth, as we know it, is already dead. Over a million square miles of the Arctic ice cap have melted, the oceans have risen and warmed, and the tropics have expanded 2 degrees north and south. Global warming has caused such pervasive and irreversible changes, he argues, that we now live on a new planet with a new set of environmental and climatic realities — and, as such, it deserves a new name: Goodbye, Earth. Hello, "Eaarth."
(click on the link for the full obituary)A climate pioneer declares the planet -- with its rising humidity and hot oceans --... more
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This is a guest post from Ananda Day, one of the Global Citizen Year fellows. She writes from Senegal.
Home’s a pretty big deal to me, its where I feel safe and comfortable, where all my roots are, where I go to relax, breathe, and just be. From what I can tell my new home here in Senegal, which I will be staying in for six months, is just a tad bit different. First, it’s all hustle and bustle. Eleven children (of which three pairs share the same name) divided between two sets of parents in the two parts of the house, a restaurant to run, relatives and friends always coming and going, and cooking and dishes are forever being done. Not quite the same ambiance as my Dad, cat, and I. Then there is the hierarchy that exists. Bali and Awa clean and cook for the house and restaurant, only the women do any chores, older people get more food and respect, and then there’s the fact that while they think of me as part of the family, I’m still separate from it. Growing up with two brothers and a sister, we all did our equal share of chores, whether it was vacuuming or the dishes. When eating, we were given equal shares of food which were not divided by age or sex. This difference in hierarchy has led me to feel as if I’m playing politics at home, for everything I do has a different significance and every American expectation of equality is out of place. Along that line, independence is a very different thing here. No matter what I do, be it going to the bathroom or work, I am always asked what I’m doing, for permission must be granted to do almost anything (not going to the bathroom, thank you very much). Back in America I have a freedom to go almost anywhere, and a Dad who just wants to know if I’m okay, not what I plan to do after showering. All at once I am the most independent that I have ever been, far, far away from everything that I know, and yet the most dependent as I have rules and expectations from a family and culture that are foreign to me. True, I probably couldn’t imagine a more different home. Nevertheless, I still eat breakfast with my ‘dad’ here, enjoy helping to cook, do my own laundry (it just takes a bit more work here), and have the sanctuary of reading (as I am lucky enough to have my own room). Being here for almost two months, I know that I’m not at home yet. It is possible though, so I’m looking forward to having over four months to find out.
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This is a guest post from Gaya Morris, one of the Global Citizen Year fellows. She writes from Sebikotane, Senegal.
When I first entered the backstreets of Sebikotane, a large town just east of Dakar in Senegal, Africa, I saw only a peaceful, culturally vibrant, almost idyllic community - people and houses packed together in a spidery web of sandy streets and family ties. I was struck most by this tight social web; by the way people drifted in and out of each others houses, doing each other's laundry, eating out of each other's bowls, watching each other's televisions; by the way nearly every person I was introduced to in the street turned out to be related to my host family in some way, and so by consequence was introduced as my new uncle or cousin, my second father or mother. The town seemed to be basically one big family and everyone welcomed me in with open arms, lots of laughter, and bowl after bowl of steaming, oily ceebujeen.
And so during the first few weeks I saw only prosperity. People around me always ate well, dressed well, and were always celebrating - baptisms, weddings, holidays. Everyone seemed relaxed and content - no one stressed on in a hurry. Life was centered around the home and the family. Any lack of material amenities I took for simplicity. Who really needs food processors and dish washers and sinks and whole sets of cutlery? Vacuum and showers? These people live in complete dignity with just a few buckets, a spigot and a toilet bowl - and for cooking, some bowls and pots, spoons, knives, a single gas stove and a wooden mortar and pestle. Garden fences made of sticks and rags I saw as signs of resourcefulness, not poverty. The women who are obliged to spend their days selling vegetables and fish in the streets seemed cheerful and proud, calling out respectful greetings to friends as they passed - not at all poor or desperate. The copious piles of trash bordering the paths along the outskirts of the town kept the pigs fat and happy.
These were my first impressions as a newcomer in this maze of sandy streets and people. Now, nearly two months later, I can say without a doubt that a lack of resources, a lack of money, is a reality for the majority of Sebikotane residents. I'm not just talking about the kids who watch me unpack my backpack of interesting possessions and gadgets with envy; the people who dream of moving to America and France to live the luxurious lives they see 'tubabs' (white people) live on TV; people who might not be able to purchase things on a whim, but who live comfortably. These are the people that I, in my GCY homestay, spend most of my time amongst. I'm talking about the greater mass of families who lack the material means to live comfortable, healthy lives, and the education or opportunities with which to improve these lives. Poverty is here, but, as we GCY fellows all agreed discussing our first impressions during our first monthly meeting in Dakar, it is less striking in Senegal than it could be because of the way people take care of each other - the deep traditions of generosity and charity. I actually think it is almost impossible for a child to go hungry in Sebikotane because he will always be welcomed around the bowl in whichever house he might wander into.
But despite the incredible capacity of the Senegalese to make the most of what they have, the lacks are there, and Sebikotane as a whole faces many challenges as it developes and expands - for with the influx of people from Dakar and the abundance of small children, there is not doubt that this town is growing. First and foremost among these challenges, I would say, would be a lack of work and job opportunities and a general lack of education. Most adult males are in and out of work, and those that do have steady jobs are under strain to support their many brothers and cousins who depend on them. Public schools are so overcrowded that its not hard for young students, especially girls to slip through the crack and drop out before their reach middle school; others simply aren't admitted at all due to a lack of physical classroom space.
And its not like problems aren't being addressed. What with NGO's vaccinating infants and raising awareness on diabetes and AIDS, with the government efforts to boost the economy and fund social projects, with women's associations fundraising to plant gardens in schools and tutor the illiterate, the development of Senegal is certainly not being overlooked. Listen to the radio every morning, or turn on the news at night and all you see are government officials, professors, experts and NGO workers presenting their solutions to local and national problems, in slews of fancy, technical French vocabulary. Zoom out and you have expansive, grave problems, each with their prescribed solution, the global issues that we've all heard about: expanding population, desertification threatening an agriculturally based economy, too much dependence on imports and not enough investment or infrastructure, a lack of schools and universities. But zoom in and you see the grains of sand that slip through the cracks: the one child that decides to skip a day of school, the next scrap of plastic tossed onto the pile, the father who spends another day sipping tea under a baobab tree. Spend a month or two living with them, experiencing the intricacies of their daily lives, and you'll see that most of the time people are neither poor nor wealthy, neither hopeful nor desperate, but simply living from one moment to the next - you'll see that the problems and solutions aren't as easily measured or defined. Not in a bad way, just in a real way.
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This is a guest post from Alec Yeh, one of the Global Citizen Year fellows. He writes from rural Senegal.
Q: What are your first impressions?
Things here are incredibly different, even from Dakar [the capital]. Being in the village is just a lot more downtime. Things seem to move at a slower pace, and it isn't a bad thing at all. People here genuinely seem so happy. But the weird thing is, they yearn to immigrate to a western country, where they can hope for a better life. It's interesting that outwardly, they can be so happy, yet also want a better life. Everybody in the village is so incredibly nice. Nothing like Dakar. Dakar has that city feel to it, and you don't get to know as many people, such as your neighbors. Here in the village, people know everybody, and upon my arrival, I already feel incorporated into the community. I stick out like a sore thumb, but nonetheless, they've been nothing but accommodating.
Q: How does your new home compare to where you live in the US?
Well, obviously it's different. You don't have the amenities that you had in the US. But it's not necessarily worse. Somethings may be, but some things are better. For example, bugs fall from my ceiling. That's something that doesn't happen. I have a toilet at home, and a hole here. I have a shower at home, and a bucket here. But nonetheless, here, there's camaraderie. Here, there's this solidarity, this idea of "we're in it all together." That's something I've never, and probably will ever, experience in the US.
Q: What are some of the local issues facing the community you're in?
That's easy. Unemployment. Everybody here wants a job. Yet there are so many young, able bodied men here, that simply can't get a job. People just lounge here. They sit around and make tea and talk. And it's not their fault at all. They're so incredibly bored, and they yearn to do something. But with no jobs, they actually don't have anything to do. I don't think I will ever forget what my host brother said. I asked him "how many times a day to you make and drink attaya [tea]?" He answered, "sometimes three, sometimes ten. Who knows? You know, we come together to make attaya to talk and forget about our problems. We don't have jobs here. There are no jobs. You know, I have my college degree, most of us do."
Q: How are those issues indicative of bigger global challenges or trends?
I think it's indicative in two ways. One, the fact that with globalization, with media, and with kids like me, people in third world countries sees how the other half lives. This gives them to desire, the want, the yearn to try and improve their position. Though they might never do that, it's still there. That idea of wanting better is stronger than ever, which is why there's so much immigration. The second way is that it challenges governments to be creative, and to create jobs and opportunities where you think there could be none. That's what's needed.
Q: How does what happens in this community affect the folks back home in the US? And the other way around - How do lives and decisions in the US affect the community you're in now?
Well the first one for me, is just the fact that they're making such an impact on foreigners. I'm going home, a changed person. And I can't express my gratitude to them. It's something thats invaluable. It's irreplaceable. And I'm hopefully going to go back and do something about it. I think my answer to the second half is in answer number 4. They see how the other half lives. It gives them a new picture of what's out there, and what could be achieved. It may be a bad thing, or it may be great. I don't know. Only time can tell.
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- Marijuana legal in California in 2010?This is a guest post from Alec Yeh, one of the Global Citizen Year fellows. He writes... more
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What did you do between high school and college? Work at the mall for the summer? Try to read all of your college books ahead of time? Play your videogames in the air conditioning? Or instead did you go to a developing country and lend your hands and your mind in an unparalleled experience in service and leadership? Yeah I didn’t do that either. But eleven Class of 2009 grads have, embarking on the pilot of Global Citizen Year.
Global Citizen Year is a fellowship program that invites high school seniors to take a “bridge year” before starting college and to serve overseas. From their site: “By providing intensive training and support, we ensure that our Fellows develop an ethic of service, the ability to communicate across languages and cultures, and a deep commitment to becoming agents for social change.” I think this is a really powerful idea. So few Americans travel, and even fewer ever develop a second language, and a program like this can provide a really incredible perspective.
Global Citizen Year (GCY) is just starting up this year and its first round of fellows have recently embarked for Guatemala and Senegal. I had the good fortune to speak with them before they left about documenting their experiences abroad. I invited them to share some of their experiences with us here to the Current News Blog and we’ve got some of their responses back already. I’ll be highlighting them this week: starting with Alec Yeh, Ian Zimmerman and Laura Keaton.
Laura Keaton / Guatemala:
My first impression of Guatemala was that the place I was living in was not “rural” as I had expected because everything in the little town in which I live is concrete and cinder block. There’s an internet café, and buses thundering past all the time. Also one thing that struck me the very first night was that they’re much more tolerant of noise here-- there was music blaring until at least 2 am that Saturday. But now I don’t even notice it, so I guess it’s just what they’re used to.
Alex Yeh / Senegal: Q: What are some of the local issues facing the community your in?
That's easy. Unemployment. Everybody here wants a job. Yet there are so many young, able bodied men here, that simply can't get a job. People just lounge here. They sit around and make tea and talk. And it's not their fault at all. They're so incredibly bored, and they yearn to do something.
Ian Zimmerman / Nebaj:
Guatemala Looking outside of Nebaj into the surrounding communities, one of the biggest problems is malnutrition. Beans, rice, and tortillas are great and all – but they frankly don’t make up a balanced diet. In an attempt to raise awareness to this issue, one of our projects is to begin a vegetable garden with kids at a community center called El Centro Explorativo in La Pista. We hope this project will lead families to start their own vegetable gardens as a means for which to improve the local diet.
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Between the world's increasing population and its growing food consumption as poverty declines, experts predict we will need 70-100% more food by 2050.
How we might be able to produce that food is the subject of a report published in the journal Science called “Food Security: The Challenge of Feeding 9 Billion People.”
The paper, written by Britain's chief scientific adviser, John Beddington, and nine other experts, does not offer specific recommendations, though the authors are working on those. They note that climate change and its impact on agriculture, soil and water resources will further complicate the task of feeding a world population estimated to hit 9 billion by 2050. ...
http://solveclimate.com/blog/20100211/feeding-9-billion-peopleBetween the world's increasing population and its growing food consumption as... more
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Getting a legally binding international deal on climate change may be more likely to happen under the skies of a gritty, dynamic urban center in an emerging market country than a pristine old world capital. ...Getting a legally binding international deal on climate change may be more likely to... more
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What did you do between high school and college? Work at the mall for the summer? Try to read all of your college books ahead of time? Play your videogames in the air conditioning? Or instead did you go to a developing country and lend your hands and your mind in an unparalleled experience in service and leadership? Yeah I didn’t do that either. But eleven Class of 2009 grads have, embarking on the pilot of Global Citizen Year.
Global Citizen Year is a fellowship program that invites high school seniors to take a “bridge year” before starting college and to serve overseas. From their site: “By providing intensive training and support, we ensure that our Fellows develop an ethic of service, the ability to communicate across languages and cultures, and a deep commitment to becoming agents for social change.” I think this is a really powerful idea. So few Americans travel, and even fewer ever develop a second language, and a program like this can provide a really incredible perspective.
Global Citizen Year (GCY) is just starting up this year and its first round of fellows have recently embarked for Guatemala and Senegal. I had the good fortune to speak with them before they left about documenting their experiences abroad. I invited them to share some of their experiences with us here to the Current News Blog and we’ve got some of their responses back already. I’ll be highlighting them this week: starting with Alec Yeh, Ian Zimmerman and Laura Keaton.
Laura Keaton / Guatemala:
My first impression of Guatemala was that the place I was living in was not “rural” as I had expected because everything in the little town in which I live is concrete and cinder block. There’s an internet café, and buses thundering past all the time. Also one thing that struck me the very first night was that they’re much more tolerant of noise here-- there was music blaring until at least 2 am that Saturday. But now I don’t even notice it, so I guess it’s just what they’re used to.
Alex Yeh / Senegal: Q: What are some of the local issues facing the community your in?
That's easy. Unemployment. Everybody here wants a job. Yet there are so many young, able bodied men here, that simply can't get a job. People just lounge here. They sit around and make tea and talk. And it's not their fault at all. They're so incredibly bored, and they yearn to do something.
Ian Zimmerman / Nebaj:
Guatemala Looking outside of Nebaj into the surrounding communities, one of the biggest problems is malnutrition. Beans, rice, and tortillas are great and all – but they frankly don’t make up a balanced diet. In an attempt to raise awareness to this issue, one of our projects is to begin a vegetable garden with kids at a community center called El Centro Explorativo in La Pista. We hope this project will lead families to start their own vegetable gardens as a means for which to improve the local diet.
NEWS BLOG: http://blogs.current.com/news/2009/12/14/global-citizen-year/
GLOBAL CITIZEN YEAR: http://globalcitizenyear.org
http://globalcitizenyear.org/blog/What did you do between high school and college? Work at the mall for the summer? Try... more
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Deploying low-carbon technology in all nations is considered vital to slowing global warming, but little progress has been made so far at the Copenhagen climate talks on "technology transfer" deals that could bring high-tech to the poor.
A lack of climate funding commitments by the rich countries is holding up discussions.
"It's hard to know what's possible in terms of tech transfer — and what can actually be done — until you know how much [money] you have," Victor Menotti, executive director of the International Forum on Globalization, told Solve Climate in an interview.
There are no long-term dollar figures on the table yet for paying for a wider global warming pact. The $350 million, five-year energy efficiency effort U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced this morning is barely a drop in the bucket when experts estimate that tens of billions of dollars in financing and technology will be needed every year.
The result of this lack of money, said Menotti, is that "almost nothing important" has been agreed on technology transfer.
http://solveclimate.com/blog/20091214/tech-transfer-stymied-lack-climate-funding-richDeploying low-carbon technology in all nations is considered vital to slowing global... more
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Bangladesh, Myanmar, Honduras, Vietnam, Nicaragua. These are just a few of the countries already suffering deadly effects from climate change.
The five lead the list of the countries most affected by climate change since 1990, according the latest risk index from Germanwatch, an NGO focused "on the politics and economics of the North with their worldwide consequences."
For Myanmar and Honduras, single storms — Cyclone Nargis and Hurricane Mitch — bumped them up the list. But for countries like Bangladesh, extreme events have become a constant danger. Just last May, millions were displaced when Cyclone Aila hit the low-lying country.
Globally since 1990, more than 600,000 people have died as a direct result of extreme weather events, the sort that are expected to become increasingly common as the planet warms, Germanwatch concludes in its Global Climate Risk Index 2010. The findings, released on the sidelines of the UN’s climate conference in Copenhagen, relate directly to one of the most contentious issues of the talks — climate-related financial assistance from industrial countries to developing countries.
http://solveclimate.com/blog/20091209/developing-countries-weather-global-warming-cold-shouldersBangladesh, Myanmar, Honduras, Vietnam, Nicaragua. These are just a few of the... more
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The problem of the Copenhagen summit on global warming is that rich countries and poor countries want different things, mutually incompatible, and both groups want something that is incompatible with the future of Earth. Rich countries want to continue to pollute a bit longer and then stop very gradually, and do not want to pay the price of the pollution they have produced so far. Developing countries want to start to pollute and not having to pay for it.
http://www.inaltreparole.net/en/nature/copenhagenvertice091209.htmlThe problem of the Copenhagen summit on global warming is that rich countries and poor... more
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More than half a million women die from pregnancy and child birth related complications each year.
Nearly all the fatalities happen in developing countries, and experts say the vast majority of deaths are preventable.
Many of these women lack access to health services or simply can not afford it.
The World Health Organisation says that about a third of women in developing countries do not receive care from skilled health professionals, which makes them susceptible to severe bleeding and infections - the main causes of death.More than half a million women die from pregnancy and child birth related... more
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Drinking water is an abundant resource on the planet, but not equally. In temperate countries, water almost never lacks, while in those hotter happens quite often. And with global warming, the situation could deteriorate quickly in the coming years. The WWF has published a study showing that even those countries that have abundant water, in this case Germany, depend greatly on the availability of water in other countries.Drinking water is an abundant resource on the planet, but not equally. In temperate... more
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