Catastrophic rains this fall put two-thirds of Benin underwater, as “the worst floods in living memory” killed at least 60 people, left 150,000 people homeless, and caused an outbreak of cholera. “Areas previously thought not to be vulnerable to flooding have been devastated and villages wiped out.”
No, that story didn’t get much attention in this country — which isn’t a big shock given that the media largely ignored deluges in countries that are considered far more important to American security (see Juan Cole: The media’s failure to cover “the great Pakistani deluge” is “itself a security threat” to America). Many deniers in this country simple dismiss the threat. At the start of the Cancun climate talks, four Republican senators, led Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OIL), wrote a letter arguing the scientific findings about “eventual impacts of climate change in developing countries were found to be exaggerated or simply not true.”
Unsurprisingly, many in Benin feel quite differently, as Brad Johnson reports in an exclusive interview with Mawus© Hountondji, the executive director of Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environnement in Benin:
This year, for example, we are crushed by the impact of climate change. The people who are crushed are those who are very poor, do not have the money to adapt. The politicians who say climate change is not important, I think it is killing people. There are many many people dying because of climate change effects. If I have a message, it is that they must try to do their best. Because this is a problem of future generations.
In French we talk about generation de deux mille cinquante [Generation 2050]. In fifty years “” President Obama, President Sarkozy, if you take their age plus fifty, I’m not sure that in fifty years they will be around. But the children will be there. And what kind of world do we want to give them? So that is my message. They must try today through Friday to give us a good document, a better negotiation, and we will be free and ready to help them to do their job.
Johnson notes:
“Even before the floods, an estimated 1 million people in Benin suffered food shortages and more than one-third of children under five were chronically malnourished,” according to a U.N. report.Hountondji leads the efforts in Benin of Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environnement (Young Volunteers for the Environment), an international youth organization working in 17 countries in Africa from Togo to Cote d’Ivoire to fight environmental degradation and poverty.
It is beyond immoral for the richest country in the world, the one responsible for more of the cumulative greenhouse gas emissions than any other country, to ignore the multiple catastrophes our inaction will doom the poorest countries to.
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An update on the cost of the current event in Australia -
South Australia was also struck by the wild weather yesterday, as winds and heavy downpours dropped 120mm ( 4.72 in) of rain across the state, ………
With more than $3 billion now estimated to be scratched off the value of the wheat, barley and canola harvest, National Farmers Federation president Jock Laurie said the morale of farmers across the country continued to plummet.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/disaster-declared-as-river-swallows-town-of-queanbeyan/story-e6frg6nf-1225968585909
Don’t the actions of Jim Inhofe and others in the House and Senate constitute some form of ethics violation relating to national security(Their efforts to knowingly mislead their constituents and others with significant risk of bringing)?
Why are there no limits to allowed conflict of interest in the House and Senate? Controling officers of giant corporations can virtually guarantee the livelyhoods of retiring Congressmen and Senators through consulting relationships etc. As a lisenced professional I must disclose conflicts of interest to my customers.
“Beyond immoral” is a good way to put it.
This kind of disaster will create major military/security problems in the not too distant future, mostly from Central America. For the Republicans, that means a beefed up military for defense against the world’s rage. The defense budget is untouchable to the Right, even the antigovernment teapartiers.
We’ve learned in the Middle East- as we did on Southeast Asia- that we lack the resources to snuff out any insurgency that we don’t like. We ain’t seen nothing yet.
The Panama Canal was closed for the third time in its history on Wednesday due to flooding rain.
The low unleashed 4.39 inches of rain on Tocumen, Panama, in 24 hours, ending at 7 p.m. EST Wednesday. An additional 1.52 inches of rain fell in the preceding 24 hours.
http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/42744/flooding_forces_panama_canal_t.asp
After the wettest year on record, December has seen the isthmus suffering under heavy downpours for days on end.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/panama/2061-continuing-rain-causes-deaths-evacuations-and-closing-of-canalr.html