Message to Developing Nations: You're Screwed

Check out this article from Sunday's NY Times, "Poor Nations to Bear Brunt as World Warms".

The article focuses on how rich countries are working out ways to adapt to their changing environments, and how poor countries, which can barely address their current problems, are at a great disadvantage and as a result, will suffer disproportionately. The article also draws attention to special environmental and climate change funds intended to help lower income countries deal with climate change. However, the conclusion reached in the article is: it simply won't be enough and developing nations will be left on their own.

I agree with this sentiment. Climate change is just another in a long list of problems plaguing the world where the poor will be disproportionately affected.

The only way to make any foreign aid money go farther is to incorporate climate change adaptation measures into current efforts of reducing poverty, increasing access to clean water, improving agricultural practices, and reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS and malaria (etc.) Of course it is easier said than done but not only will the poor suffer greatly as a result of climate change, so too will the global economy, and that will affect everyone.