We’re all in the Same Boat: The Dominican Republic Calling Denmark

arvid | September 25, 2009

Here at the Global Change education, each student has received a “blogging” mentor that is supposed to help out with influencing the public through the blogosphere. I have been so lucky to be assigned an industrious  “old time” blogger, Renata Avila from Guatemala, who has worked a long time with social change issues, especially through the Global Voices project. Renata happened to be going to the Dominican Republic, a week ago, and came up with the briliant idea of giving a report on how the climate issue affects people there – which I could then use when writing my blog here in Denmark.  If you didn’t already know, the Dominican Republic is located next to Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the World and Islands, like the one the Dominican Republic is lying on, are vulnerable to hurricanes, storms, and vector diseases. People living there should be concerned about the prospect of more extreme weather and natural catastrophes,  enhanced by the CO2 emissions from the developed world. Denmark, on the other hand, where I have my roots, is among the most developed nations in the world, and will most likely not be affected so much by more extreme weather due to this fact. This is despite the fact that we, in a large extent, owe our wealth to CO2 emitting industrialization we went through. We had a party and now countries like the Dominican Republic are picking up the check, paying with the lives of their population – hard currency indeed. World wide challenges needs world wide solutions, also in the micro scale;  the cooperation between Renata and I is a truly global initiative, outlining how the issue of climate justice relates to us all, and that although some may be sitting on the deck, sipping espressos while others, are working in the maschine room under the sweat of their brows – we’re all in the same boat.

In the Dominican Republic, Renata visited a group of students studying at the UASD, the first University in the Americas. Most of them are studying Geography, which gives them crucial knowledge about how to protect their environment and face the challenges such as erosion or lack of water – a scarce resource on the island. The knowledge that they are acquiring will be crucial for the Island in the future when facing the effects of global warming, since these natural hardships may very likely increase in frequency and force, making it of high priority that these students have access to as good facilities as possible. The general welfare is at stake.

Despite an ample supply of eager students wanting to learn, they are hampered by yet another scarce resource essential for modern education, namely computers. Modern learning and information gathering is closely linked to computers and the internet;  for example here in Denmark, most students, if not all, have their own personal laptop.  This is certainly not the case in DR. The team of students Renata interviewed, had only one computer for sharing, limiting their effectiveness and acces to the knowledge of the world community seriously. Not only are they without the necessary computers, but they are also lacking the necessary software, for example the leading system of geographical mapping, that costs up to 70 000 US  dollars. This is way beyond the budget for a public university in the Dominican Republic, or in the developing world generally. Luckily, human creativity knows no bounds and students have switched to free software – „share ware“ – which enables them to keep up with the rest of the world, but with one computer for so many students it is needless to say that learning in a fast moving world is a challenge. They emphasized to Renata that they were not he only ones studying under these conditions; students studying environmental engineering, nutrition and development are suffering from the same material limitations.

One of the student girls made it clear to Renata that what they want from the developed world is knowledge, equipment and shared practices. And she humorously remarked, that if the people of the Dominican Republic shares their beaches with people from the developed world, which they do, then developed countries should also share their knowledge. Since these young geographers are far away from the power centers of the world, we here at Global Change will bring their plea to the COP15 meeting in Copenhagen this December, demanding an emphasis on creating funds for developing nations. They need this to develop the proper infrastructure and education facilities needed to adapt to the hardships they are facing. Hardships that are in place to a large extent due to centuries of economic imperialism and the more extreme weather conditions worsened by CO2 emissions by developed nations. There is a  debt to be settled.

Under Development at the Core of Global Warming Impacts

arvid | September 23, 2009

This will the first blog post of a series on how the real issue of the danger of climate change impact is really poverty and under development. This point is in my opinion too rarely outlined when politicians in the industrialized world speak about reducing the effect of Global Warming. They too often focus on the question of emission, rather than adaption, urging not only the wealthy nations, but also the developing world to reduce their outlet of CO2 and other green house gasses (ghg’s). For example, in the New York Times the other day, one could read about the goals of the Danish environmental minister for the Cop15 meeting, which she will be the hostess of where she only addresses the emission problem (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/world/europe/20denmark.html?_r=1). This being said she does mention briefly cover the issue of Climate Justice, when she talks of the need for reduction in CO2 emissions, “China and other emerging nations must accept it even if it isn’t fair,” she said, adding, “I get it. If I were a developing country I would say, ‘Why should I do this?’ They are feeling the consequences of climate change first and foremost. And they didn’t create the situation.” I find it deeply disturbing that one of the 100 most influential people on earth (according to Forbes), and the hostess of the Cop15, wants to limit the CO2 emission in the developing world without stating a realistic alternative to further development. Some would argue, that she implicitly is saying: “we developed, but you cannot.”

Well, emission is one thing, ADAPTION is another. If the wealthy nations reduce their outlet it will not have an immediate impact on some of the nations facing climate challenges. Emission reduction has a long term effect on global warming, some nations urgently need capabilities here and now to protect their populations. Resources that the developed nations have in ample supply in the form of dams, flooding control, inland industry and other infrastructure and production arrangements, that protect them from the severest of consequences. So one way for poorer nations to adapt, and reduce the cost of human lives, is to acquire some of the same capabilities as developed nations. This should be the main concern for the up-coming climate meeting in Copenhagen.

First blog… first step to change

arvid | September 9, 2009

So, this december the heads of state will convene in Copnehagen and try to reach agreement on a common policy in dealing with the “Climate Crisis”. A crisis that is deemed to wreak havoc across the globe unless it is kept in check by reduction of human outlet of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Many developing countries will be heavily hit by the changed climate patterns, harder than many of the industrialized nations. Why? Not only are they located in areas of the world that are more sensitive to climate change – in regard to the humans living there  – but, they are also hopelessly underdeveloped in terms of Infrastructure and overall industrial capabilities to take proper care of their populations. Therefore I hope that the meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009, will address the crises by focusing on aid to development of these countries so they can meet challenges better in the future.