NBC Nightly News continues their series, “A Perfect Storm”, which focuses on climate change and poverty. Last night’s segment looked at climate change’s impact on mosquito-borne diseases. You can watch the clip below, and read Ian Williams’ blog post here.
Robyn Dixon of the LA Times has a series of great reports from Madagascar. I was particularly struck by one report entitled “Madagascar’s children face hunger, abuse, and neglect”. You can read the full piece here. And check out Robyn’s other reports from Madagascar here and here.
Excerpts below:
The children in the Andohatapenaka child-friendly center are the urban poor: hungry, abused, neglected, fearful. About half are suffering malnutrition, staff say.
Hunger is probably the most serious struggle for most, because of the collapse of Madagascar’s economy after a coup and political crisis in March. The military toppled President Marc Ravalomanana and replaced him with his rival, Andry Rajoelina, then the mayor of Antananarivo. Since then, the tourist industry has shut down and many factories have closed, triggering massive unemployment.
In the wake of the coup, the United States and the European Union cut aid to Madagascar, which relies on Western assistance to cover almost half its budget. Efforts to resolve the crisis have dragged on for months; a deal on a national unity government was reached recently, but an earlier accord collapsed.
As climate negotiators hammer out an agreement in Copenhagen, what results are the Catholics hoping for?
As Executive Director of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change (a network of 13 national Catholic organizations, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops), I believe that a Catholic approach is different from that of other major stakeholders in this debate. Our contribution is not about the merits of cap and trade vs. a carbon tax. It is not simply about how many polar bears are saved. Our contribution shouldn’t question the reality of climate change or overstate its consequences.
An authentically Catholic response to climate change must be about both the care of creation and the protection of those most vulnerable to its impacts.
As the U.S. bishops said in their 2001 statement, Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good: “In facing climate change, what we already know requires a response; it cannot be easily dismissed.” And on the ground, we’re hearing from organizations like Catholic Relief Services that the impacts of climate change are real and tangible. This should add great urgency to those meeting in Copenhagen.
So what can you do to help? This spring, the Coalition launched a major new initiative: The Catholic Climate Covenant. It urges Catholics to take the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor. Check out our video below to learn more—and please share with others!
-Dan Misleh, Executive Director, Catholic Coalition on Climate Change
A couple days ago, we blogged about NBC Nightly News’ ongoing series on climate change’s impact on the developing world. Last night’s segment focused on the drought in Kenya. You can watch the clip below, and read Martin Fletcher’s in-depth report from northern Kenya here.
Check out these great videos of Bob Geldof discussing the vast effects of climate change in Ethiopia. Bob recently returned to Ethiopia to 25 years after events like Live Aid that helped inspire millions of people around the world to take action in the fight extreme poverty.
Remember to keep checking the ONE Blog where we’ll be posting frequent updates from the climate summit in Copenhagen.
As Copenhagen’s Climate Conference continues, faith groups continue to lift up their voice. Here’s the latest from Joel Edwards, International Director of The Micah Challenge (and ONE partner), reminding us how important these climate talks are to the world’s poor.
Every now and then a pivotal moment comes along when it becomes crucial faith leaders put aside their differences and unite for a challenge which is common to and bigger than all of us. In this case, it’s the future of our planet.
It gives us an opportunity to come together on an issue that affects everyone in the world, and particularly those who are poor, vulnerable and without resources. And we’re able to recognise the work done around the world, often in the name of faith, to redress the balance and support people in developing countries who are already living with the effects of climate change.
Dama Boru Godana couldn’t make it here to Copenhagen. But I sure wish the Ethiopian pastoralist could. Delegates negotiating a new global climate change treaty over the next two weeks would learn a lot from her, particularly as they decide how much assistance developed countries should invest in the world’s poorest communities to help them adapt to climate change.
I met 40-year-old Dama in the Borana zone of Southern Ethiopia in June.
“It is much warmer these days,” she told me. “Droughts are occurring more frequently, they are lasting longer and they are more severe compared to when I was young. Many of us have watched our cows die of starvation, and the dry season grazing areas are not so accessible anymore.”
A few years ago, Dama learned about a village saving & loans initiative taking place in a nearby village. She subsequently started one with 15 other women in her village. The results underscore what I’ve witnessed in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa: positively empowering women goes a long way in positively changing the lives of their families and communities.
These women pooled their financial resources, and using their traditional knowledge, they fattened two bulls and sold them for a $200 profit. With this money, they stocked up on cereals and sugars sold during the dry season when demand is higher. Then, with the help of CARE, they learned how to make hay, saving themselves from long treks to get food for their livestock during the lean season.
“Most pastoralist women depend on handouts from their husbands,” Dama said. “I formed this credit group so that we can work together, make some income and improve our lives.”
World leaders, did you hear her? You can alleviate this historic unfairness–the least responsible paying the greatest price–with a hand up, not a handout. Here in Copenhagen, you must agree on an increased and sustained investment, above and beyond what is currently labeled development assistance, something that can empower innovators such as Dama to appropriately adapt to climactic changes not of their making.
Looking at Dama that day, I saw adaptation past and present. Let’s hope, by the end of this fortnight, I can say I saw adaptation’s future, too.
-Cynthia Awuor, CARE’s climate change coordinator for East and Central Africa
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