“Climate change is the greatest threat to human rights in the 21st century” – Mary Robinson
According to Eco Watch the global cost of climate change damage is estimated to be between $1.7 trillion and $3.1 trillion per year by 2050. This includes the cost of damage to infrastructure, property, agriculture, and human health. This cost is expected to increase over time as the impacts of climate change become more severe. The poorest countries in the world are at greatest risk from the economic impacts of climate change.
Ironically, the poor countries of the South are the ones which are more committed to addressing the damage caused by climate change, not the North.
THE ‘CULPRITS’
No doubt that China tops the list among countries with the worst and biggest methane and carbon dioxide emission attributed to her heavy reliance on fossil fuel in producing steel and electricity. It is estimated that by 2040 China will double its emission. It is currently more than 27 percent of the total global CO2 emission. She is followed by the usual suspect, United States of America. Worse, the country has never entered any agreement to curb greenhouse gasses, yet has reduced faster than any other country reportedly during the time of Obama.
During Donald Trump’s time, climate change has been completely sidelined under his administration, angering global environmental activists. Yet to some, he came out funny and annoying, clearly “irresponsible” of his supposed accountability. The US accounts for almost 18 percent of the CO2 and methane emission.
Though it has committed as early as 2010 to reduce from 2005 level of 20-25 percent, India plans to double its coal production due to its growing economy and the ever increasing population. The country has been absorbing frequent power blackouts at a nationwide scale recently. Completing the top 5 are Russia and Japan. The latter 2 countries are best known for their oil production by burning coal and automobile and electricity production respectively.
ASTRONOMICAL COST
In the United States, the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) has released the final update to its 2022 billion-dollar disaster report confirming another intense year of costly disasters throughout much of the country. Climate change has caused America a staggering price of at least $165.0 billion that may increase by several billion caused mainly by winter storms and cold waves.
We suffer the same fate. In 2021, this fiscal year the Philippine government spent more than P181 billion pesos on climate change related events. We incur an annual loss of 1.2 percent of our GDP from typhoons alone. Our measures and actions must address this alarming concern. And, while the government claims that adaptation and mitigation actions are underway, annual devastations will worsen thus, strategies must be re-evaluated.
DISTURBING FACTS
Research showed that human-related climate change is linked to a net of $260.8 billion in damages from 185 studied events, or about 53 percent of total damages. Majority of these climate change-related damages were connected to hurricanes, while 16 percent of damages were linked to heat waves. Flooding and drought each made up 10 percent of net damages, and wildfires were linked to 2 percent of damages.
From 2000 to 2019 climate change related events cost almost $3 trillion with an average of $143 billion annually. Ilan Noy from the University of Wellington in New Zealand pinched, “these figures are significant already, but may still increase. And, we have no idea how many people died, job loss, education access and traumas that may further increase the cost.”
By all indications, agriculture suffers the worst brunt endangering food security and manifests a widening gap between the north and the south. This is affordability and accessibility – the privilege of the few and the vulnerability of the countless to feed themselves.
THE POOR PAY THE PRICE FOR THE RICH
The COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland was dubbed as the world’s last chance to avert disaster yet it was declared a failure by many global activists because the culprits are non-committal while the developing and poor countries made significant and bigger commitments. Countries in the north are their brothers’ keepers – the multinational companies. In 2019, the Philippines made a strong statement to the world when it sent 1,500 tons of illegally dumped waste back to Canada. But, yes, we pay the price of their unabated recklessness.
When the industrial revolution started in the 19th century it was then the advent of the colossal ecological catastrophe.*
