As a result of global warming, billions of people face shortages of food and water and increased risk of flooding, according to the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Brussels. People living in poverty will be affected the most by climate change, the report indicated.
“It’s the poorest of the poor in the world, and this includes poor people even in prosperous societies, who are going to
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The gathering in Brussels included diplomats from 115 countries and 52 scientists the report described the future effects of global warming, from increased flooding, hunger, drought and diseases to the extinction of species. The scientific work reviewed by IPCC scientists included more than 29,000 pieces of data on observed changes in nature.
Key findings of the report include:
-75-250 million people across Africa could face water shortages by 2020.
-Crop yields could increase by 20 percent in East and Southeast Asia, but decrease by up to 30 percent in Central and South Asia.
-Agriculture fed by rainfall could drop by 50 percent in some African countries by 2020.
-20-30 percent of all plant and animal species are at increased risk of extinction if temperatures rise between 1.5-2.5C
-Glaciers and snow cover expected to decline, reducing water availability in countries supplied by melt water
The contents and wording of the report were debated at the gathering. Some countries wanted to lower the degree of “scientific confidence” about the likelihood of certain effects of global warming, from 90 to 80 percent. The United States intervened in the debate and the term “scientific confidence” was removed altogether. Of course, removing the term “scientific confidence” will do nothing to actually mitigate the effects of global warming; only a serious program of emissions reduction combined with planning to meet human needs in the face of irreversible environmental damage can do that.
A second “technical summary” of the report includes facts not reported in the original 23 page summary document. These include:
-“More than one sixth of the world population live in glacier- or snowmelt-fed river basins and will be affected by decrease of water volume.” And depending on future emissions controls, “262-983 million people are likely to move into the water stressed-category” by 2050.
-Global warming could increase the number of hungry in the world in 2080 by anywhere between 140 million and 1 billion, depending on how much greenhouse gas is emitted into the air over the next few decades.
-“Overall a 2 to 3 fold increase of population to be flooded is expected by 2080.”
-Malaria, diarrhea diseases, dengue fever, tick-borne diseases, heat-related deaths will increase with global warming.
-In eastern North America, depending on fossil fuel emissions, smog will increase and there would be a 4.5 percent increase in smog-related deaths.
Protests focus on global warming
A week after the release of the report, the United States experienced the first widespread coordinated day of protest focusing on global warming. Called, “Step it up 2007,” the protests called for an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions by the United States by 2050. Given that the U.S. government has refused to adopt even the limited reductions advocated by the Kyoto agreement, such reductions would represent a step in the right direction. Some 1,300 protests took place April 14 in cities across the United States.
The protest in Seattle, attended by more than 1,000 demonstrators, focused on pressuring “decision makers (elected officials) to make better decisions about emissions controls, as well as on personal actions that participants could take to reduce emissions as individuals, such as carpooling or using energy efficient light-bulbs.
Since the majority of global warming gases are emitted by the energy industry in the United States, a movement that focuses on changing the personal habits of individual consumers does not seem likely to result in large-scale reduction of emissions. Widespread systemic changes are needed such as strict emissions controls for industry and a massive increase in funding for public transportation.
At present, Cuba is the only nation on the planet that meets the criteria established by the World Wildlife Federation for “sustainable development.” That is, Cuba has a low “ecological footprint,” meaning it uses only its fair share of natural resources, while still providing a high level of human development to its people, as measured by life expectancy, infant mortality and literacy. Cuba’s success in providing for human needs while protecting the environment shows that it can be done, and that socialism is the way to do it.
