A new report released on the 26th September 2012, called ‘A Guide to the Cold Calculus of a Hot Planet’, claims 100 Million people will die before 2030, due to the results of Climate Change.  This is because of the inactions of Governments and businesses to act on climate change.  This has led to a more polluted planet, causing the Global temperature to rise.  Unfortunately Governments and business are locked into a fossil-fuel and consumer economy.  They have not heeded the calls to invest in real renewable technologies and a move away from ‘business-as-usual’ model.

The report is optimistic, that there is still an opportunity to scale-back pollution and halt Global warming.  I feel, it will not happen, till there is a complete collapse in water and food supplies, when it is too late.  They put forward the argument that economically (not the first time, it has been argued), it would be the sensible thing to do.  It would reduce poverty, hunger and ill-health and opposed to the outcome of pursuing a carbon economy.  This is a report all politicians and business people should read and act on it.

At a meeting of Southern Voices a talk given by Washington Alcott ( a Jamaican), entitled ‘Climate Change – A conservation from the South’.  Made the point that climate change and the environment agenda;

“It was predominately the white-middle class who dominated the debate and decided the outcomes”.

I agree with him, in fact I would go further, it is the so-called ( predominately white) educated middle-class who are part of the problem.  The do not want to change their life-styles, so do not want real change.  Even, those espousing to be environmentally aware, still drive the most, shunning public transport and continue to fly abroad multiple times a year for  holidays.  They consume more than those on reduced incomes, but pay less because of the unequal charging mechanisms.  Because of their spending power, they could make a huge difference but they will not.  There are ‘OK Jack, sod you’.