Climate change is accurately described as a global issue but whilst the developed countries continue to blow hot air into the debate over what to do, how many of us realise that the impact of our actions are being felt elsewhere in our world?

Admittedly, adverse and extreme weather is affecting our country – the well reported flooding, the recent cold winter (and perhaps a scorched summer?!) – but the effects on poorer counties are far greater and much less widely reported on.

According to the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre the UK with 1% of the world’s population produces 2.3% of the world’s C02. Going on, the top 23 richest countries emit 60% of CO2 emissions despite only accounting for 14% of our population (source: Oxfam).  Ergo the rich countries of the world have the largest carbon foot print and are most responsible for climate change.  Poorer countries are hit first and worst.  Unpredictable weather patterns mean that these people are not able to grow enough food for themselves since primary demands are for overseas markets, therefore many go hungry. A significant development in immigration has been the increase in ‘climate change’ refugees i.e. those moving to the West to get away from decreasing food availability.

So what can be done about it?  Much is resting on the climate change conference in Copenhagen in December 2009, however there are a number of individual campaigns led by a variety of third sector organisations looking to combat the cause and impact reality.  One such campaign is being delivered by National Federation for Women’s Institutes (NFWI).  ‘If we can do it, then so can you’ is a striking, action laden programme aimed at women in the UK helping women in other countries adapt to climate change, increase the awareness of the impacts our actions have on others and to increase the recognition of women as agents for change.  The campaign was launched with a Question Time style debate, hosted by Lucy Siegle, with Joan Ruddock MP also taking part.  For more information, please visit: http://www.thewi.org.uk/standard.aspx?id=10951

By Caroline Macdonald

Tags: Climate change

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 6th, 2009 at 2:35 pm and is filed under News Archive. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.