Post by Tran Viet Anh on Jan 9, 2004 10:19:44 GMT 7
Climate change over the next 50 years is expected to drive a quarter of land animals and plants into extinction, according to the first comprehensive study into the effect of higher temperatures on the natural world, reports The Guardian (UK)
The sheer scale of the disaster facing the planet shocked those involved in the research. They estimate that more than 1 million species will be lost by 2050. The results are described as "terrifying" by Chris Thomas, professor of conservation biology at Leeds University, who is lead author of the research from four continents published today in the magazine Nature. Much of that loss-more than one in 10 of all plants and animals-is already irreversible because of the extra global warming gases already discharged into the atmosphere. But the scientists say that action to curb greenhouse gases now could save many more from the same fate. The research in Europe, Australia, Central and South America, and South Africa, showed that species living in mountainous areas had a greater chance of survival because they could simply move uphill to get cooler. Those in flatter areas such as Brazil, Mexico and Australia, were more vulnerable, faced with the impossible task of moving thousands of miles to find suitable conditions.
The Globe and Mail (Canada) notes that the survey studied global warming links to 1,103 species of plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and insects in South Africa, Brazil, Europe, Australia, Mexico and Costa Rica and extrapolated findings as far as 2050. It did not examine the oceans. The researchers concede there are many uncertainties in both climate forecasts and the computer models they used to forecast future extinctions. But they said their dire conclusions may well come to pass if industrial nations do not curtail emissions of greenhouse gases.
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A World Of Difference For Laois-Reared World Banker =====================================================================
Irishwoman Judy O'Connor, as World Bank country director for Tanzania and Uganda, handles over $1 billion of commitments to each country at any one time, reports The Irish Independent.
The countries have a combined population of 57 million and most of these people will not live beyond the age of 50, and can expect to earn about €250 a year. However, O'Connor claims that things could improve rapidly for African countries if they were given better access to world markets as well as just aid. And Irish businesses have a role to play in this challenge, she contends, as well as the Government and aid agencies. Creating an environment supportive of a vibrant private sector is a key priority of the World Bank, she claims.
O'Connor says that there is a role for Irish businesses working with African enterprises such as in the Government's recently announced private sector forum. "You can provide aid to countries to help them but unless they can have some access to world markets for their goods, it is really going to be very difficult to have self-sustaining development. Providing private sector trade links and the exchange of knowledge, and getting access to the market are the seeds of success," she contends. "African businesses can perform and there are areas where Irish businesses could really break the bottlenecks that people face."
"The African companies have good products but they don't know how to get the ISO stamp of approval, how to package their goods etc." "Irish companies that have gone through that process can, I think, be enormously helpful. It is not that long since we were breaking down those barriers to get into Europe ourselves." O'Connor contends that despite criticism of the Ugandan government by some Irish aid agencies, direct government funding is expected to continue. "In order for Ugandan and Tanzanian authorities to get what we call budget support that goes into the general pot of money available to the government, we have to be confident that they have a financial management and a procurement system that meets a certain minimum standard." "We can certainly debate whether the standard is high enough-and I would certainly agree that it should be higher-but over time it has been getting better."
O'Connor admits that the World Bank made mistakes in the past in Africa. "Just giving increased capacity without increased access to markets is not enough…Africa as a percentage of total world trade is so small that opening up access to Europe would be enormously beneficial and allow aid to be much more effective." O'Connor claims that the World Bank is fighting to push a trade access agenda, but she also admits that with over 180 members, not everybody is going to agree about the pace and scale of this. However, she argues that: "If one can't provide some future for people (in the developing world) they are going to become part of the developed world's future anyway as refugees, as illegal immigrants, and also potentially terrorists, as we saw." "Freeing up trade is enlightened self-interest for the developed world," she claims.