Climate Change is Upon Us

How many more disasters can we take? Just a few days ago, Typhoon Haiyan claimed the lives of thousands of people and damaged property running into millions of dollars. A World Bank report released yesterday attributes three-fourths of annual damages from global disasters to extreme weather conditions. For 2012, it estimates annual damages attributable to global disasters at $200 billion. Yet, some still believe that climate change is a hoax or perhaps the urgency being given to climate change mitigation is overemphasized.

At the same time, tensions and fears are mounting at the nineteenth Conference of Parties (COP 19) in Warsaw, Poland as the aim to forge a legally binding global climate treaty to cut carbon emissions appears challenging due to the differing interests of developed and developing countries. Hopefully, these talks will provide some direction for addressing climate change post 2020. If not, should African countries develop a framework for addressing climate change outside the United Nation Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) considering the evidence that the continent may be more vulnerable to climate change? See more...... http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/11/19/2968161/global-disaster-damage-200-billion/

Amnesty International on Shell and Agip Spills

Amnesty International in a report released today has criticized the multinational company Shell and Agip - a subsidiary of Eni for failing to control oil spills associated with their activities thereby polluting the environment and endangering the lives of millions of Nigerians. The report targeted mainly at Shell punched holes in its claim that numerous oil spills were due theft and sabotage arguing that the company lacked evidence to support its claim and should perhaps look at flaws in its operational performance. On Agip, the report raises the issue of the “scale of spills” which suggests that the company is unable to effectively manage its operations. Currently no response has been forthcoming from Shell however the Guardian in London reports that the London office has stated that these claims by Amnesty are unsubstantiated assertions and that its wants “greater transparency and independent oversight” in handling oil spills. Read more......http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR44/028/2013/en