Global warming: What is at stake in Bali, Indonesia?
Dec 11, 2007
GRACE Nakalema, an eloquent woman, like many villagers in Kasaala, Masaka has a word for adaptation — Okugumira embeera, a phrase she learnt from her mother. Now Nakalema knows the meaning of the phrase Okugumira embeera. Six years ago, in one of Uganda’s worst droughts this decade, she harveste
By Gerald Tenywa
GRACE Nakalema, an eloquent woman, like many villagers in Kasaala, Masaka has a word for adaptation — Okugumira embeera, a phrase she learnt from her mother. Now Nakalema knows the meaning of the phrase Okugumira embeera. Six years ago, in one of Uganda’s worst droughts this decade, she harvested only four bags of maize from her tiny plot. She could neither feed nor send her children to school.
Nakalema added: “Most of the rivers that used to nourish our crops are drying up and it is difficult to get firewood for cooking.â€
Unknown to Nakalema and thousands of other Ugandans, is that their plight is on the agenda at the climate change meeting in Bali, Indonesia. It is a meeting some environmentalists have described as the, ‘world being on trial’. On one hand are rich countries, which are big emitters of global warming gases and on the other, poor countries that suffer the consequences of global warming.
Global warming is caused by gases that trap the heat radiated by the earth, which disrupts ecological systems and people’s livelihoods. For instance, the recent floods in northern Uganda diverted funds amounting to about 10% of the country’s GDP.
So when African countries met in the Kenyan capital Nairobi five weeks ago to prepare for the Bali conference, they resolved that industrialised countries that release the gases should pay poor countries to cope with the problems.
“This is an issue of social justice because the poor countries are struggling with the negative impact of climate change yet they have contributed least to the problem,†said water minister Maria Mutagamba.
However, the largest emitters of the gases have not cut down the emissions. “Countries like the US fear that reducing the emissions would slow down economic growth,’’ says Richard Kimbowa, an environmentalist.
Although the big emitters are reluctant to address climate change, the Bali meeting may not end with ‘lip service.’
UN’s secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has instilled urgency into climate change negotiations. He has been working, “to prepare ground for an international treaty with real enforceable limits on green house emissions. That means a more ambitious successor to the Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012.â€
The Kyoto protocol
The largest meeting on environment that coined the concept of sustainable use of the environment as, ‘the blue print’ for development convened in Rio de-Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. In this meeting, the Convention on climate change was born. Although at the same meeting contentious issues such as reducing emissions were left out.
Protracted negotiations over reduced emissions followed and in 1997 were concluded in Kyoto, Japan and thus made the ‘Kyoto Protocol’. The agreement bound top emitters to reduce only 5% of their 1990 levels.
Replacing Kyoto Protocol
There are two conditions of the post-2012 Kyoto deal. Rich countries have to make deep cuts in green house emissions and fund technology transfer providing developing countries with a low carbon transition.
This follows research reports from the International Panel on Climate Change that show that the world is warming.
The report also states that human activities are responsible for climate change and that less developed countries that have contributed least to the problem, will suffer most.
The top emitters include the US, Canada, Australia, UK and Russia. Others are China, India, Brazil and South Africa, which are less developed with high emissions levels.
A gloomy forecast
The UN human development report entitled: Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world, highlights the threat of global warming. Between 75 and 250 million people face increased water shortage by 2020 if green house gases are not controlled.
World temperatures have increased by 0.7°C since the industrial era. Beyond 2°C, the risk of irreversible ecological catastrophes will increase.
The report also says more than 600 million people will be left homeless due to breakdown in the agricultural systems caused by increased drought, rising temperature and erratic rainfall.
Although less developed countries will be hit hard by climate change, the wealthy countries like the US will also not be spared from nature’s wrath.
The report suggests that it is less costly to intervene now than in the future. Onesmus Mugyenyi, the acting head of the advocates Coalition for Development and Environment, says the US has started working on creating incentives for her industries to adopt cleaner technologies.
What is at stake for Uganda?
One initiative to reduce green house emissions is to plant trees. However, these trees absorb carbon dioxide, thus the recommendation that local communities cut down trees to plant ‘acceptable forests’ under the carbon trade.
Environmental Alert’s Christine Nantongo says the National Adaptation Programme of Action may address issues of climate change if it is funded. Short of this, the hopes of people like Nakalema to deal with the challenges of climate change, will be buried for good.
As rich countries have the ability to protect their citizens from the consequences, vulnerable populations in the developing countries should cope with their meagre resources. “Social justice demands that having manufactured the risk, the rich world compensates the victims. We need to lobby the civil society and friendly countries like the UK,’’ says Nantongo.
What is Global Warming?
The increase in the temperature of the earth’s surface and oceans in recent decades.
Causes
- Carbon dioxide and other air pollution trap the sun’s heat, causing the planet to warm up.
- Increase in solar radiance
Impact
-Adverse weather conditions such as drought, floods, erratic rainfall and fatal heat waves
- Water shortages
- Extinction of plant and animal species when their habitats such as coral reefs are destroyed
- Spread of diseases
Solutions
-Reduce pollution by vehicles and factories
- Use of renewable energy sources like the sun
- More efficient appliances to conserve energy.
- Plant more trees
Adapted from online sources
GRACE Nakalema, an eloquent woman, like many villagers in Kasaala, Masaka has a word for adaptation — Okugumira embeera, a phrase she learnt from her mother. Now Nakalema knows the meaning of the phrase Okugumira embeera. Six years ago, in one of Uganda’s worst droughts this decade, she harvested only four bags of maize from her tiny plot. She could neither feed nor send her children to school.
Nakalema added: “Most of the rivers that used to nourish our crops are drying up and it is difficult to get firewood for cooking.â€
Unknown to Nakalema and thousands of other Ugandans, is that their plight is on the agenda at the climate change meeting in Bali, Indonesia. It is a meeting some environmentalists have described as the, ‘world being on trial’. On one hand are rich countries, which are big emitters of global warming gases and on the other, poor countries that suffer the consequences of global warming.
Global warming is caused by gases that trap the heat radiated by the earth, which disrupts ecological systems and people’s livelihoods. For instance, the recent floods in northern Uganda diverted funds amounting to about 10% of the country’s GDP.
So when African countries met in the Kenyan capital Nairobi five weeks ago to prepare for the Bali conference, they resolved that industrialised countries that release the gases should pay poor countries to cope with the problems.
“This is an issue of social justice because the poor countries are struggling with the negative impact of climate change yet they have contributed least to the problem,†said water minister Maria Mutagamba.
However, the largest emitters of the gases have not cut down the emissions. “Countries like the US fear that reducing the emissions would slow down economic growth,’’ says Richard Kimbowa, an environmentalist.
Although the big emitters are reluctant to address climate change, the Bali meeting may not end with ‘lip service.’
UN’s secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has instilled urgency into climate change negotiations. He has been working, “to prepare ground for an international treaty with real enforceable limits on green house emissions. That means a more ambitious successor to the Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012.â€
The Kyoto protocol
The largest meeting on environment that coined the concept of sustainable use of the environment as, ‘the blue print’ for development convened in Rio de-Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. In this meeting, the Convention on climate change was born. Although at the same meeting contentious issues such as reducing emissions were left out.
Protracted negotiations over reduced emissions followed and in 1997 were concluded in Kyoto, Japan and thus made the ‘Kyoto Protocol’. The agreement bound top emitters to reduce only 5% of their 1990 levels.
Replacing Kyoto Protocol
There are two conditions of the post-2012 Kyoto deal. Rich countries have to make deep cuts in green house emissions and fund technology transfer providing developing countries with a low carbon transition.
This follows research reports from the International Panel on Climate Change that show that the world is warming.
The report also states that human activities are responsible for climate change and that less developed countries that have contributed least to the problem, will suffer most.
The top emitters include the US, Canada, Australia, UK and Russia. Others are China, India, Brazil and South Africa, which are less developed with high emissions levels.
A gloomy forecast
The UN human development report entitled: Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world, highlights the threat of global warming. Between 75 and 250 million people face increased water shortage by 2020 if green house gases are not controlled.
World temperatures have increased by 0.7°C since the industrial era. Beyond 2°C, the risk of irreversible ecological catastrophes will increase.
The report also says more than 600 million people will be left homeless due to breakdown in the agricultural systems caused by increased drought, rising temperature and erratic rainfall.
Although less developed countries will be hit hard by climate change, the wealthy countries like the US will also not be spared from nature’s wrath.
The report suggests that it is less costly to intervene now than in the future. Onesmus Mugyenyi, the acting head of the advocates Coalition for Development and Environment, says the US has started working on creating incentives for her industries to adopt cleaner technologies.
What is at stake for Uganda?
One initiative to reduce green house emissions is to plant trees. However, these trees absorb carbon dioxide, thus the recommendation that local communities cut down trees to plant ‘acceptable forests’ under the carbon trade.
Environmental Alert’s Christine Nantongo says the National Adaptation Programme of Action may address issues of climate change if it is funded. Short of this, the hopes of people like Nakalema to deal with the challenges of climate change, will be buried for good.
As rich countries have the ability to protect their citizens from the consequences, vulnerable populations in the developing countries should cope with their meagre resources. “Social justice demands that having manufactured the risk, the rich world compensates the victims. We need to lobby the civil society and friendly countries like the UK,’’ says Nantongo.
What is Global Warming?
The increase in the temperature of the earth’s surface and oceans in recent decades.
Causes
- Carbon dioxide and other air pollution trap the sun’s heat, causing the planet to warm up.
- Increase in solar radiance
Impact
-Adverse weather conditions such as drought, floods, erratic rainfall and fatal heat waves
- Water shortages
- Extinction of plant and animal species when their habitats such as coral reefs are destroyed
- Spread of diseases
Solutions
-Reduce pollution by vehicles and factories
- Use of renewable energy sources like the sun
- More efficient appliances to conserve energy.
- Plant more trees
Adapted from online sources