Posted on May 14, 2022
The U.S. pledged billions to fight climate change. Then came the Ukraine war
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https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/05/14/ [login to see] /the-u-s-pledged-billions-to-fight-climate-change-then-came-the-ukraine-war
The United States owes billions of dollars in climate funding to developing countries. But the war in Ukraine is delaying payments and slowing down U.S. progress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and that has leaders in low-lying and less wealthy nations feeling frustrated and forgotten.
"Effectively, the U.S. owes the rest a climate debt that needs to be paid," says Mohamed Adow, the leader of PowerShift Africa, a coalition that advocates for climate policies across the continent. "Our continent is effectively on the front line, and we are paying for the harms [of] these climate pollutants."
In 2021, the U.S. promised to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions this decade, and send long-overdue money to help developing countries transition to cleaner energy and protect residents from rising seas, heat waves, food instability and other dangerous climate effects.
If the U.S. follows through, it's still possible to keep global temperatures from rising catastrophically and prevent tens of millions of unnecessary deaths, according to scientists and economists.
The United States owes billions of dollars in climate funding to developing countries. But the war in Ukraine is delaying payments and slowing down U.S. progress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and that has leaders in low-lying and less wealthy nations feeling frustrated and forgotten.
"Effectively, the U.S. owes the rest a climate debt that needs to be paid," says Mohamed Adow, the leader of PowerShift Africa, a coalition that advocates for climate policies across the continent. "Our continent is effectively on the front line, and we are paying for the harms [of] these climate pollutants."
In 2021, the U.S. promised to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions this decade, and send long-overdue money to help developing countries transition to cleaner energy and protect residents from rising seas, heat waves, food instability and other dangerous climate effects.
If the U.S. follows through, it's still possible to keep global temperatures from rising catastrophically and prevent tens of millions of unnecessary deaths, according to scientists and economists.
The U.S. pledged billions to fight climate change. Then came the Ukraine war
Posted from npr.org
Climate Change
Russia
Ukraine
Economics
Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
...""This continent is incredibly blessed with renewable energy," says Adow, referring to Africa's largely undeveloped wind, solar and geothermal resources. If more funding was available to kickstart clean technology projects across Africa, it would help address both the causes of climate change and its effects, according to a recent report by the United Nations.
"We will effectively be powering this continent and lifting people out of poverty without increasing emissions," he says. "We just need the investment."
...""This continent is incredibly blessed with renewable energy," says Adow, referring to Africa's largely undeveloped wind, solar and geothermal resources. If more funding was available to kickstart clean technology projects across Africa, it would help address both the causes of climate change and its effects, according to a recent report by the United Nations.
"We will effectively be powering this continent and lifting people out of poverty without increasing emissions," he says. "We just need the investment."
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