What We’re Reading 9/8/09
NY Times—Lush Land Dries Up, Withering Kenya’s Hopes
A devastating drought is sweeping across Kenya, killing livestock, crops and children, the New York Times reports. The drought is stirring up tensions in the slums where the water taps have run dry, and spawning ethnic conflict as communities fight over the last remaining pieces of fertile grazing land. The twin hearts of Kenya’s economy, agriculture and tourism, are especially imperiled.
Reuters—EU proposes UN war chest for climate funds
The United Nations should set up a war chest to help process the billions of dollars poor countries will be paid to slash their greenhouse gas emissions, the European Union has proposed. The facility would sit separately from an existing “Adaptation Fund”, which aims to soften the impact of climate change on crops and water sources.
Financial Times—Expert warns on cost of failure in Copenhagen
Attempts to extract long-term carbon emissions targets from large developing countries to tackle climate change could backfire and produce “ugly” and “terrifying” consequences in terms of carbon tariffs and a rise in protectionism, Michael Spence, the chairman of the World Bank-backed Commission on Growth and Development, says. Lobbying is under way to persuade growing emerging economies such as India to embrace a low-carbon future and caps on greenhouse gas emissions in advance of United Nations talks on climate change in Copenhagen in December.
Washington Post—Group of 20 Seeks Curbs On Bonuses, But Not Caps
Top finance officials from rich and developing countries pledged Saturday to maintain stimulus measures such as low interest rates and additional government spending to bolster the global economy, warning that the fledgling recovery that provided the backdrop to their meeting here is by no means assured.
Reuters—Senegal wins $540 million U.S. aid over 5 years
Senegal has won aid grants worth $540 million from the United States’ Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the West African country’s President Abdoulaye Wade said on Monday.
NY Times—South Africa’s Poor Renew a Tradition of Protest
Civil unrest among South Africa’s poor has recently gotten worldwide attention, and is often portrayed as unhappiness with South Africa’s new president, Jacob Zuma. The NY Times reports that actually these protests have gone on with regularity for a long time. Oddly enough, the protests can be seen as a measure of progress as well as frustration—democracy and increased access to basic services for many has risen expectations and driven the ire of those without access to basic services.
Reuters—Cholera/diarrhea outbreak hits 18,000 in Ethiopia
Cholera and other diarrheal diseases have infected 18,000 people in Ethiopia over the last three weeks in many parts of the country, including the capital Addis Ababa. Cholera is caught from contaminated water and food and it causes extreme diarrhea and vomiting. It can spread quickly and kill an adult in one day without help, but it is easily treated when caught in its early stages.
-Steve Wilson
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