Sunday, October 4, 2009

The Cost of Change

According to BBC, the World Bank conducted a global study to find out how much it would cost, roughly, for each country to adapt to the global climate changes. The average estimate is between $75-$100 billion dollars. This isn't a set price either, the price is estimated on the rate of global change, which could speed up or hopefully slow down. The average temperatures are estimated to rise 3.6F in the next forty years! Developing countries are all for making developed countries, like the US, China, and European powers, pay the price for burning fossil fuels and then help them out with the costs as well. It's not just adapting by using more Eco-friendly cars but by making everything 'green'; like manufacturing, mining, energy, and tourism. None of these things are included in the estimate given, so actual costs could be double that. The World Bank plans release further details on the matter before the UN December climate summit, in Copenhagen, and then fallow up with the full report due out in March. Looking at the price one must ask, "Is it really worth that much?" and the answer is of course yes. The numbers are ugly and I don't blame any country for not wanting to pay that much money but humanity needs to 'give back' or at least try to.

By Andi Whipkey

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