23rd February 2007
Oxford World Development Movement (WDM) held a 'Climate Change Kills' public meeting last night, with talks by Ricardo Navarro, a respected environmental activist from El Salvador and Martyn Powell, WDM's Campaigns Officer, with Jacqueline Walkden from Oxford Friends of the Earth chairing. The evening launched WDM's campaign on climate change, discussed its impact on the developing world, and considered what we can do about it.
Martyn Powell said, "Climate change is the single biggest threat to the world's poor, and could undo decades of development work. If we do not tackle it now a sixth of the world's population could lose their drinking water supplies, more will be seriously affected by flooding and drought, and life-threatening diseases will increase hugely."
Rich countries emit 80% of the world's emissions which cause climate change, while the world's fifty poorest countries altogether emit 0.5%. However, it is people in the poorest countries that are already suffering the effects: at least 160,000 people die every year due to the effects of climate change, over 3,000 a week, and 185 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone could die of disease directly attributable to climate change by the end of the century.
Ricardo Navarro said, "Impoverished countries are suffering now while the rich cause the problems. It is like a train going over a cliff: the poor are at the front already going over the edge, but the rich nations are at the back and must surely follow if climate change is not stopped. Radical action is needed to combat this catastrophe. The struggle must be at an individual, environmental, social and political level and we must all play a part however we can."
