The Cavalry Ain't Coming Anytime Soon

Droughts, floods, desertification, disease, famine, death - the Third World's climate change "same old, same old."

Regardless of our deadlock over global warming and who must do what and when, the industrialized world is in general agreement that the poorest countries are taking it in the neck from our carbon emissions. But we're coming to their rescue, right? Guess again. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, well, here, you read it yourself:

Industrialised countries have only paid about US$163 million towards helping the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) adapt to global warming - less than what Canadians spent on hair conditioner last year - says a new report by the UK-based development agency, Oxfam.

But less than $10 million of this has been dispensed so far, the UN Development Programme's Human Development Report 2007/2008 pointed out. "This is because the funds are controlled by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) [a 178-member international financing body that helps developing countries fund projects and programs that protect the global environment]," said Antonio Hill, Oxfam's climate change policy advisor. "[GEF] operates on the one dollar, one vote principle - like the World Bank - where the developed countries are in control."

The annual UNDP report, which focused on global warming, noted that by mid-2007 only about $26 million of the multilateral financing pledged for adaptation under the broad umbrella of UNFCCC initiatives had actually been delivered to the developing countries.

"The funds received by the LDCF (Least Developed Countries Fund) - $67 million - are less than what people in the USA spend on suntan lotion each month," the Oxfam report commented. Japanese shoppers spend ten times Japan's first pledge to the LDCF of $250,000 every day on air freshners.