In the global environmental conference COP27, which is set to conclude today, much of the debate has been focused on whether or not wealthier countries should pay climate reparations to more vulnerable nations.
In a historic decision by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, the Australian government has been found to have violated the rights of its indigenous Torres Strait Islands populations by failing to protect them against climate change. This ruling could become a template for other indigenous groups around the world to secure their rights.
The proliferation of basement housing in Seoul, South Korea, has proven in recent years to make the city particularly vulnerable to flooding which results in loss of life and extensive property damage. The metropolitan government has pledged to act.
The South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu promoted a proposal for a fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty to COP27, the United Nations’ annual climate change conference.
Nigerian officials revealed this weekend that catastrophic flooding has killed more than 600 people and displaced at least 1.3 million as a heavier-than-usual rain season—likely made more intense by the climate crisis—has been pummeling the nation for weeks.
The near-disappearance of China’s vital Yangtze River, the mouth of which opens next to the major port of Shanghai, is creating a great deal of consternation, prompting government promises to address the environmental crisis.
Although the government is introducing plans to address the climate crisis, concrete measures are proving slow to appear as a consequence of corporate lobbying, according to some nongovernmental organizations.
During his wide-ranging plea for fundamental change delivered this week at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced public relations and advertising firms for enabling the fossil fuel pollution currently destroying the planet.
As celebrities become increasingly vocal about their social activism and the fight against climate change, it is disappointing–though not at all surprising–to see how some of the most applauded idols of the Western world appear reluctant to practice what they preach.
As the United Nations asked the world for US$160 million in response to catastrophic flooding in Pakistan, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also issued a broader warning about the human-caused climate emergency: “Let’s stop sleepwalking toward the destruction of our planet by climate change. Today, it’s Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country.”
