Mexico and Climate Change

by

Patrick Whelan

Recently, Mexico has been in the news for its problem with drug gangs and violence. The world views the drugs and violence as Mexico's most challenging problem. The President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, views Mexico's number one problem is climate change. The President said in London recently, "Climate change is the most important challenge that human being are facing in this century." The President and his political allies are determined to fight global climate change and work with other countries around the world to do it.

Over the years, Mexico has seen extreme weather changes due to climate change. In 2007, a flood put eighty percent of the state of Tabasco under water and caused five billion dollars in damages. Farming in the northern parts of Mexico has been plagued by drought resulting in insufficient crops. Due to the melting ice caps, the eastern seaboard are seeing rising sea levels and larger hurricanes on both coast due to warming sea waters. Mexico is the world's eleventh largest economy and produces one and a half percent of the worlds carbon emissions, which is a small amount. However, the President and the nation are determined to do its part in combating climate change.

Mexico is an oil producing nation, but its production is shrinking. Right now, Mexico gets seventeen percent of its energy source from hydroelectricity. The nation along with combating climate change has seen significant increase in investment in renewable energy that will increase its economy. A Spanish utility company has invested in building a giant wind farm in the southern state of Oaxaca which receives winds strong enough to topple trucks according to the article. A German company is also investing in a factory that will manufacture solar panels which will generate up to three and a half billion dollars over the next five years for Mexico. Although a project of the Mexican government has failed to plant a significant number of trees which resulted in the death of half of them, the President is determined to fight climate change like he is fighting the gang and drug problem.