Poor Nations to Bear Brunt as World Warms

Global warming is a form of aggression imposed by rich countries on the poor, according to the president of Uganda. Africa accounts for less than 3 percent of the carbon emissions that trap greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to a steady increase in global temperatures, a rise in sea levels and a shift in precipitation from the equator toward the poles. Developing nations contributed more than two thirds of the emissions, reports Andrew Revkin in “The New York Times,” yet devote most funds on limiting risks within their own borders. Researchers expect the world’s poorest nations to suffer the most devastation from global warming. As the many effects of climate change become clear, nations debate the long-term value of controlling emissions versus adapting to a new ecosystem. For nations that do not want to sacrifice a way of life that depends on carbon-based fuel, adaptation emerges as the preferred plan. But researchers warn that policymakers can count on adaptation protecting only a select few. – YaleGlobal