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2007 global issues: the earth, the environment, and poor people
This new page attempts to indicate the links between our earth and poor people. (Last updated January 11, 2008)
A basic orientation to some key environmental issues was given by the BBC in its series Planet under Pressure. It covers six issues
We will add a seventh issue
-
"overconsumption"
We place overconsumption in quotes to indicate that it is a topic to be discussed, not assumed. Are patterns of consumption, especially in the developing countries, sustainable. Is there waste or meaningless consumption? What is the impact on very poor people?
The world's poor people confront all these issues. They struggle for food. A very large number live in countries where water is scarce. Though their energy demand is low, scarcity and high energy prices restrict their energy use, even for basics such as food preparation. Poor fisherman depend on fish species which are rapidly being depleted; and poor people often live in close proximity to species under threat, and vie with them for resources such as land. Pollution is a major problem for poor people, for example those in slums and who those who depend on water from polluted rivers. It is predicted that climate change will threaten coastal areas with flooding, and reduce rainfall in already rain short areas. Finally, people in developed countries, with their high standards of living, command many more resources and goods than poor people in developing countries, thus, it can be argued, increasing scarcity for poor people.
This report is divided into sections including:
Climate change, global warming and the effect on poor people
The deal should lead to better protection for tropical forests. Photo:AFP
US sets terms for climate deal--rules out emissions cuts by developed countries alone BBC News December 15, 2007 (You will leave this site.) Climate deal sealed by US U-turn BBC News December 15, 2007 (You will leave this site.) EU, US still at odds over binding emissions targets Richard Black BBC News December 13, 2007 (You will leave this site. Nations gather for climate talks to replace Kyoto Protocol and decide on establishing binding emission targets BBC News December 2, 2007 )
Global warming increasingly threatens poor farmers in developing countries Rick Weiss Washington Post November 19, 2007 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)
UN challenges the US and other countries on global warming Richard Black BBC News November 17, 2007 (You will leave this site.) See the UN International Panel on Climate Change report summary (23 page PDF file). (The IPCC won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with Al Gore.)
World's power plant emissions detailed. US appears to be worst carbon dioxide polluter, with China near second. Juliet Eilperin Washington Post November 15, 2007 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)
UN desertification budget setback Danny Wood BBC News September 15, 2007
UN climate talks end in discord: industrialized, developing nations still at odds over how and when to cut emissions John Ward Anderson Washington Post September 1, 2007 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)
Climate change debate hinges on economics: lawmakers doubt voters would fund big carbon cuts Steven Mufson Washington Post July 15, 2007 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)
UN issues desertification warning--up to 50 million people could be displaced by drought in the next 10 years, principally in Africa and Asia BBC News June 28, 2007 (You will leave this site.)
Climate change the only real change coming out of this year’s G8 summit--not much done on debt, trade, hedge funds, or outreach to other major countries such as China or India Aldo Caliari June, 2007
China unveils climate change plan but says economic development must come first BBC News June 4, 2007 (You will leave this site.)
United States seeks G8 climate text changes, weakening draft proposal Richard Black BBC News May 14, 2007
Climate change, caused by the growth in greenhouse gas emissions, can be curbed at reasonable cost, experts at a major UN climate change conference in Bangkok have agreed. BBC News May 4, 2007 (You will leave this site.) See Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change homepage.
If the Ganges flow drops due to Himalayan glacier melting, millions could struggle to find drinking water. Photo: ©BBC
Climate change to hit poor hard. Four areas most affected are sub-Saharan Africa, Asia river delta regions, small islands and the Arctic BBC News April 6, 2007 (You will leave this site.) Climate change 'threat to Asia' Damian Grammaticas BBC News April 6, 2007
United States 'must regulate car pollution' BBC News April 3, 2007
Lake Chad, which once straddled the borders of Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon, has shrunk by an estimated 95% since the mid 1960s, due to the growth of agriculture and declining rainfall. Image: UNEP
Humans blamed for climate change Richard Black BBC News February 2, 2007 (You will leave this site.) To access the report and summary
Nigerian houses swallowed by sand as Sahara advances Senan Murray BBC News January 23, 2007 (You will leave this site.) Fishermen pack up their nets as Lake Chad shrinks Senan Murray BBC News January 15, 2007
New crops needed to avoid famines due to global warming Richard Black BBC News December 4, 2006 (You will leave this site.)
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Climate change threatens food security IRIN November 7, 2006 (You will leave this site.)
Global climate efforts woeful BBC News November 6, 2006 (You will leave this site.)
UN special rapporteur on the right to food calls biofuels 'crime against humanity' Grant Ferrett BBC News October 27, 2007 (You will leave this site.) How biofuels could starve the poor C. Ford Runge and Benjamin Senauer Foreign Affairs May/June 2007 Biofuel demand makes food expensive Nils Blythe BBC News March 23, 2007 (You will leave this site.) Castro criticizes the United States for increasing biofuel use of crop land BBC News April 4, 2007 (You will leave this site.)
Peru to bomb Amazon cocaine labs Dan Collyns BBC News April 3, 2007 (You will leave this site.) A significant part of the destruction of the Amazon is caused by cocaine labs. The demand for cocaine is created principally, but not exclusively, by the United States and other developing countries. The damage to the Amazon, and other regions, is caused first by the jungle land used to plant coca (the amount of land destroyed is substantially greater than the amount actually used for coca production. In addition coca production land is often temporary with new fields opened after several years); secondly by the chemicals used to process the cocoa leaves in to coca paste or into cocaine itself, which poisons fish and other river river creatures a long way down the river; and thirdly by the cocaine gang/paramilitary control/struggle for control of the region used for coca processing with other gangs or the government.
Many men angry at poverty and pollution have picked up guns in the Delta region of Nigeria. Photo: ©BBC
Elections highlight Delta woes Alex Last BBC News April 18, 2007 (You will leave this site.) Developed countries demand for Nigerian oil has not improved the situation of poor people in the Delta region of Nigeria.
United States 'must regulate car pollution' BBC News April 3, 2007 (You will leave this site.) Supreme Court hears global warming case brought against the Environmental Protection Agency by 12 states Robert Barnes Washington Post November 30, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)
Deep-sea trawlers from the far-east sit at anchor in a customs port in Karachi, Pakistan. Such trawlers, which can catch many more fish than the much smaller boats of local Pakistani fisherman, are stripping Pakistani waters of fish. Photo : ©Warrick Page/ActionAid
Overfishing by international trawlers pushes Pakistani fishing communities into poverty ActionAid March 22, 2007
Mother's battle against Senegal migration BBC News November 6, 2006
Yayi Bayam Diouf says that for the past two months, she has managed to prevent any boats leaving her home area in Senegal, loaded with migrants trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands. She started her campaign after her only son drowned trying to reach the Canary Islands. Mrs Diouf says poverty resulting from the declining fish stocks is the major reason why young people are prepared to risk drowning in the Atlantic Ocean to reach Europe. Many locals blame the scarcity of fish on overfishing by massive European trawlers - they say they cannot compete in their traditional wooden vessels.
Other environmental issues in developing countries
Lula tour pushes Brazil biofuels BBC News August 6, 2007 Losing forests to fuel cars: ethanol sugarcane threatens Brazil's wooded savanna Sabrina Valle Washington Post July 31, 2007
Conserving and rebuilding soils Lester R. Brown Earth Policy Institute July 10, 2007 (You will leave this site.)