Thanks, Bill. Can't express my thanks any better than John David Rulon just did. I am pleased to be a paying subscriber to The Critical Years. Though a modest amount, I hope others will pay what they can. We owe you, big time, for all you have done and are doing.
Thank you Bill for all these years of advocacy regarding climate change and how to make humanity more sustainable. With so many climate disasters occurring more and more might get more governments, industries and people to wake up and make necessary changes,especailly moving away from fossil fuels as quickly as possible.
Thanks, Bill, for this excellent piece describing the suffering in Madagascar and juxtaposing the per capita emissions there and in the U.S. It is indeed, as you say "at the outer edges of unfair." We at the World Resources Institute (WRI) have a small program in Madagascar training people to make better use of Global Forest Watch data to protect the remaining forests. https://www.wri.org/africa/madagascar There are solutions, but they need to start with a recognition of the fundamental injustice of the U.S. and other rich countries imposing climate catastrophe on poor people most of us will never see.
The point is powerfully made - pertinent and, yes, heartbreaking. So, as truly moral beings, what should we do next? a) resettle the people somewhere more liveable? b) invest in irrigation & drought-resistant agriculture + drainage and shelters for the wet seasons? c) a bit of both.
Has anyone calculated the costs of such interventions per - say - 100,000 people?
This situation presents a perfect opportunity for billionaires and governments worldwide to make Madagascar an example of how to respond to climate weird-ing, while saving the islands people and its biological diversity. The technology and the money is their. The only thing we are missing is the compassion and willpower to act. I suspect that if twenty billionaires said to the UN that they would "venture capitalize" a Save Madagascar/Save the Planet adventure, many governments would want to be involved and the media would go bonkers reporting all the excitement generated by such an essential and critical example of human intelligence used for the benefit of all life.
I'll take a stab at your exam question, without cramming beforehand specifically on Madagascar.
Your juxtaposition of comparisons between the USA and Madagascar and the exam question itself suggests you think immigration is a solution.
No doubt as the planet is dramatically transformed by climate change, some, if not a lot, of migration will happen. Here in Australia, I advocate strongly that we prepare to accept Pacific Island nations' peoples permanently. Nothing like it is happening and they are at the front line. Acting locally like this is a best first response in my opinion because I know more about Fji than I do about Madagascar.
However, I also advocate reducing Australia's massive immigration program of about 180,000 NOM pa to about 60,000 or even zero NOM. That will still allow us to increase the refugee quota (currently 14,000). Here it is GDP growth pushers (industry leaders and their political lackeys) who determine our migrant intake. It results in a net increase in global emissions, because every new arrival adopts our ridiculously carbon intensive lifestyle (not mine, personally). The other ways it damages Australia are too numerous to mention, so I'll direct you to a list here. Too rarely mentioned is that our foreign policy does far too little to support those in their homeland to resist oppression and enjoy reproduction freedom from pro-natal coercion. Inequality between nations needs to be addressed urgently - see the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt.
Thanks, Bill. Can't express my thanks any better than John David Rulon just did. I am pleased to be a paying subscriber to The Critical Years. Though a modest amount, I hope others will pay what they can. We owe you, big time, for all you have done and are doing.
Thank you Bill for all these years of advocacy regarding climate change and how to make humanity more sustainable. With so many climate disasters occurring more and more might get more governments, industries and people to wake up and make necessary changes,especailly moving away from fossil fuels as quickly as possible.
Thanks, Bill, for telling untold stories—the more we need these fact, the quicker they are erased.
this breaks my heart.
Thanks, Bill, for this excellent piece describing the suffering in Madagascar and juxtaposing the per capita emissions there and in the U.S. It is indeed, as you say "at the outer edges of unfair." We at the World Resources Institute (WRI) have a small program in Madagascar training people to make better use of Global Forest Watch data to protect the remaining forests. https://www.wri.org/africa/madagascar There are solutions, but they need to start with a recognition of the fundamental injustice of the U.S. and other rich countries imposing climate catastrophe on poor people most of us will never see.
The point is powerfully made - pertinent and, yes, heartbreaking. So, as truly moral beings, what should we do next? a) resettle the people somewhere more liveable? b) invest in irrigation & drought-resistant agriculture + drainage and shelters for the wet seasons? c) a bit of both.
Has anyone calculated the costs of such interventions per - say - 100,000 people?
This situation presents a perfect opportunity for billionaires and governments worldwide to make Madagascar an example of how to respond to climate weird-ing, while saving the islands people and its biological diversity. The technology and the money is their. The only thing we are missing is the compassion and willpower to act. I suspect that if twenty billionaires said to the UN that they would "venture capitalize" a Save Madagascar/Save the Planet adventure, many governments would want to be involved and the media would go bonkers reporting all the excitement generated by such an essential and critical example of human intelligence used for the benefit of all life.
Bill your work on climate change is legendary.
I'll take a stab at your exam question, without cramming beforehand specifically on Madagascar.
Your juxtaposition of comparisons between the USA and Madagascar and the exam question itself suggests you think immigration is a solution.
No doubt as the planet is dramatically transformed by climate change, some, if not a lot, of migration will happen. Here in Australia, I advocate strongly that we prepare to accept Pacific Island nations' peoples permanently. Nothing like it is happening and they are at the front line. Acting locally like this is a best first response in my opinion because I know more about Fji than I do about Madagascar.
However, I also advocate reducing Australia's massive immigration program of about 180,000 NOM pa to about 60,000 or even zero NOM. That will still allow us to increase the refugee quota (currently 14,000). Here it is GDP growth pushers (industry leaders and their political lackeys) who determine our migrant intake. It results in a net increase in global emissions, because every new arrival adopts our ridiculously carbon intensive lifestyle (not mine, personally). The other ways it damages Australia are too numerous to mention, so I'll direct you to a list here. Too rarely mentioned is that our foreign policy does far too little to support those in their homeland to resist oppression and enjoy reproduction freedom from pro-natal coercion. Inequality between nations needs to be addressed urgently - see the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt.
https://population.org.au/about-population/australias-population/
https://www.cadtm.org/
Is this any use although it may be a bit obvious:
https://climatecoalition.org/future-food-security-must-focus-on-supplies/
There is a lot more to this story than climate change. Have you been to Madagascar lately? https://news.mongabay.com/2017/11/to-feed-a-growing-population-farms-chew-away-at-madagascars-forests/
I am speechless. Thank you, Bill.
Meanwhile, here is another mathematical factor adding to this equation: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mimi-kalinda-6ba1314a_facts-africa-dontdistortournarrative-activity-6872383100702334976-35-B