Global warming could cost region $100 billion
(CNS): Latin America and the Caribbean face annual damages in the order of $100 billion by 2050 from diminishing agricultural yields, disappearing glaciers, flooding, droughts and other events triggered by a warming planet, according to the findings of a new report to be released at the Rio+20 summit. On the positive side, the cost of investments in adaptation to address these impacts is much smaller, in the order of one tenth the physical damages, according to the study jointly produced by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
However, the study also notes that forceful reductions in global emissions of greenhouse gases are needed to avert some of the potentially catastrophic longer term consequences of climate change, a release from the Inter-American Development Bank says. The report estimates that countries would need to invest an additional $110 billion per year over the next four decades to decrease per capita carbon emissions to levels consistent with global climate stabilization goals.
“Many climate-related changes are irreversible and will continue to impact the region over the long term,” said Walter Vergara, the IDB’s Division Chief of Climate Change and Sustainability and the lead researcher of the study, whose preliminary findings were presented today in Washington at an event jointly hosted by the IDB and the Center for American Progress (CAP). “To prevent further damages, adaptation is necessary but not enough. Bolder actions are needed to bend the emissions curve in the coming decades.”
Latin America and the Caribbean contribute only 11 percent of the emissions that cause global warming. However, countries are especially vulnerable to its effects, given the region’s dependence on natural resources, an infrastructure network that is susceptible to climate events, and the presence of bio-climate hotspots such as the Amazon basin, the Caribbean coral biome, coastal wetlands and fragile mountain eco-systems.
Estimated yearly damages in Latin America and the Caribbean caused by the physical impacts associated with the a rise of 2C degrees over pre-industrial levels are of the order of $100 billion by 2050, or about 2 percent of GDP at current values, according to the report titled “The Climate and Development Challenge for Latin America and the Caribbean: Options for Climate Resilient Low Carbon Development.”
The study cites climate impacts in areas such as agriculture, exposure to tropical diseases and changing rainfall patterns, among others. For instance, the report cites recent work estimating the loss of net agricultural exports in the region valued at between $30 billion and $52 billion in 2050.
Mexico and Brazil have the largest land distribution just above sea level, making those countries vulnerable to rising sea levels. A rise of one meter in the sea level could affect 6.700 kilometers of roads and cause extensive flooding and coastal damage. A 50 percent loss of the coral cover in the Caribbean from coral bleaching would cost at least $7 billion to the economies in the region.
The study notes that the adaptation costs are a small fraction of the costs of physical impacts, conservatively estimated at 0.2 percent of GDP for the region, at current values. In addition, adaptation efforts would have significant development benefits, from enhanced water and food security to improved air quality and less vehicle congestion, further reducing their net costs.
“Investments in adaptation are cost effective and have substantial co-benefits” said Luis Miguel Galindo, Chief of the Climate Change Unit of ECLAC, a key contributor to the study. “Also, some of these adaptation measures are very easy to implement and have significant positive impacts.”
Though adaptation is important, substantial investments are also required in order to drastically cut the region’s projected carbon emissions to levels consistent with global climate stabilization goals.
Under a business-as-usual scenario, Latin America and the Caribbean would contribute 9.3 tons per capita of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, up from the current 4.7 tons per capita. The report identifies pathways to bend the emission curve to two tons per capita, by promoting zero net emissions from deforestation and other land-use practices by 2030, combined with efforts to eliminate the carbon footprint in the power matrix and transport infrastructure by 2050, at an annual cost of $110 billion.
“Yes, spending $110 billion a year for a region that faces major development challenges is not an easy proposition,” said Pablo Gutman, the Director of Environmental Economics at the WWF. “However, this would also bring about major benefits such as improved food and energy security; people would have healthier lives in cleaner environments.”
“In the long term,” added Vergara, “this is the surest way to ensure Latin America and the Caribbean continues to prosper along a sustainable path.”
Category: Science and Nature
I've said it before, i'll say it again. In a big multi faceted argument like this, the best course of action is to follow the money – who stands to gain the most – the scientists or the oil companies? Choice is yours.
intrying to keep the staus quo definitley the Oil companies, with them making over $1 TRILLION in profits in the last decade.
Now that is a lot of profit, Exxon alone makes close to $50 billion a year in profts a year.
So easy to see who is to gain the most.
Just relax everyone. Real or not, man made or not, the UDP will ‘find’ the 100 billion in the budget and save the region before the next election. Sheesh.
and stop feeding livestock on corn as these gases actually hurt the cycle. Especially Cows eat real grass those gases are great for the environment. But in the greed of it all to make more money of of food these corporations take shortcuts which actually kill us in the long run. The largest consumer of Food and gas in the world is who? The same country that likes feeding us scare tactics or state terror.
My suggestion 23:16, is to stop eating Beef if you can. It may contribute to Pancreatic and colon problems, High blood pressure and more. Or even if you eat it, dont know how you will like soaking it in lime juice and vinegar for an hour before seasoning..
Make sure before two days you have cleraned the remain out of your stomach with Aloe or prickly pear juice. Keeps the colon clean and strong.
"On the positive side, the cost of investments in adaptation to address these impacts is much smaller, in the order of one tenth the physical damages….. "
Allow me to interpret: It will cost a mere 10% of the fearmongered figure we are about to invent for you to feel warm and rosy about saving the Earth. Nothing will or can actually, be done to change anything, least of all natural climate cycles, however if you suck it up and buy into this nonsense, you can feel superior to everyone else, and we will greatly appreciate the duckets.
I worked for government for several years and thus speak fluent whackamole.
Bottom line is that humanity can't mitigate or "address the impacts" of diddly. We can't even mitigate the disasterous effects of Fukushima, which, indicentally, is still onging and will be for YEARS.
It's all about the ducats.
even if the warming is due to cycles we should still prepare for rising sea levels.
You still prepare for earthquakes and hurricanes and they are not man made.
The article is about preparing for these sea level rises, and you don't even want to prepare for them when you live on a small islnad feet above current sea level.
LOL
I am going to friend-up Ms. Julieso that when the flood starts I will get a front-row seat at the Command Center in Little Cayman…
15:29 did I miss something? I thought the topic was GLOBAL WARMING. How did Ms. Julie come into this conversation.
I have noted your name and will give you a call from the Command Center in Little Cayman when the flood starts..
So no need to worry. I will instruct you how-to-swim at that time.
Go back to sleep now Dearie… You wont miss a thing…
Miss Julie is responsible for a tremendous contribution to global warming as massive producer of hot air.
You people need to seperate the difference between if Climate change is caused by natural reasons or by humans, the fact is that Climate change exists with overwelming evidence.
Now sea levels are going to change if human cause is or not, and the article is about this happening, which it will, just the timeline experts are arguing about.
Your arguement is like stating "I don't beleive aliens control our weather so there is no such thing as weather, so stop being alarmist when you say it's raining"
the so-called consensus is failing under the weight of the contrary evidence
so you deny that climate change exists? so you beleive there have been no ice ages? please supply your evidence that nothing has ever changed
I don't believe that anyone is denying that climate changes.
That being said, do you believe that it is possible for mankind to stave off an ice age?
The planet has gone through many cycles and has obliterated many a civilisation along the way.
What is to be will be, my friend.
My best advice is to go home, hug your kids, make love to your partner and pray that tonight is not "that night", lol!
so whodatis, do you prepare for a hurricane, get food and water in, prep the house etc, or do you not bother and just hug the kids instead?
I guess you must do then wait for the Government to step in..entitled?
Wow!
Woooowww!!
For once in my life I am (almost) rendered speechless.
Anyway, I trust that you can identify the malice in your heart toward "Whodatis" or perhaps Caymanians in general .. because, that final line of yours was …. wow!
(Honestly, how did we go from a light-heartened debate on GW to such a ruthless and hateful personal / cultural attack?)
Anyway, it says a lot about some folks.
no just you Whodatis, Caymanians are the same as everyone in the world, you just occassionally get the bad egg. But your comment just shows you would rather do nothing in preapration adn expect the government to come to your aid and I have litlle time for you and them
Hardly hateful, just pointing out a character flaw you have, but the truth usually hurts
I just hopes hope this helps you and gives you a wakr up call that you do prepare and not become a victim or a burden on all those around you
I agree that there is climate change, but I believe they are part of a larger cycle brought on by natural causes. I believe the scare mongering and sensationalist approach to the topic of climate change does little good here or elsewhere for that matter, and certainly doesn't motivate me to get on board.
I even started a project last year where I clip a new science based article each month that describes how dire our environmental situation is and that many places are doomed if we don't do something yesterday. I clip them from various papers (print and online) and am keeping them in safe storage so I can share them 40-50 years from now with the media and public as proof of the inaccuracy of the predictions of doom and gloom. If I am wrong I will face the music accordingly.
I can live with my position as a non believer that climate change is human caused based on my choice to live a simple life and minimizing my impact on the planet without crusuading that we need to spend millions and billions to save the world.
What will be will be, and I am quite content in living in the moment and leave the fretting to those who need to fret and be doomsdayers and likely end up prescribed steady doses of anti-anxiety and anti-depressants.
I promise I won't be asking you for a spot on your ark 🙂
you mean like Kiribati that is currently negociating with Fiji for land to move inhabitants to as their islands disappear
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/kiribati/9127576/Entire-nation-of-Kiribati-to-be-relocated-over-rising-sea-level-threat.html
Frankly I couldnt give 2 sh**s if man causes climite change acceleration or not. If a train is heading out you do you care if the operator is human or not or try and get off the tracks
Here is a reasonable list of counter arguments to global warming being caused by humans:
http://go-galt.org/climategate.html
we are not talking about what causes climate change only we have to prepare for it, as ti will still agppen no matter the reason
It is very entertaining the way in which people allow utter hate to cloud their sense of morals and decency.
I assume that you can read therefore you have understood that I, along with many other posters and members of the human race, regard the entire theory as absolute hogwash.
Regardless, some of you folks just couldn't resist taking a stab at ol' Whodatis and the rest of Caymanians.
Your mothers would be so proud.
In essense what you are actually saying is that because I do not believe in this rubbish theory and sensibly ignore the warnings and "advice" to stave off its "doomsday" effects, I am categorized as having a sense of entitlement as I EXPECT mygovernment to "save" me from … NOTHING!
(Kindly refrain from projecting your paranoia into your expections of how I should conduct my life.)
Lol! Some of you people are stark raving mad … it is official – we are surrounded by bitter lunatics.
Solar cycles do not cause man made pollution, just as man-made pollution did not melt the polar ice caps on Mars. Perpetuating the discredited linkaqge between these things backs the global warming thesis from 10 years ago. More importantly it risks neglecting the very real man-made issues of pollution – for which the evidence is irrefutable. The local man-made pollutants that are bleaching our coral reef ecosystems and causing cancers are what we should focus on. We should be passing tough environmental protection laws, not because we will imminently drown from a fantastical aquatic cataclysm, and not because some agency needs money, but because it is the right thing to do for ourselves, our heirs, and our visitor product. Keep it real.
cannot believe some of comments here….global warming is a scientific fact accepted by the international community….
but then again it is the cayman way to sit around doing nothing and bury your head in the sand…..
Not really. The computer models all this is based on don't actually work. Their predictions are wrong over and over again and it's back to the drawing board to fudge them into the desired shape.
Between 1900 – 2007, global sea level rose at 1.7 mm per year (Bindoff et al., 2007). Between 1993 – 2012, sea level rise accelerated to 3.1 mm per year, a 75% increase over the 20th century rate.
so according to you sea levels are just going to stop rising, and your evidence please?
The evidence of rising sea levels over the past few centuries is everywhere from Doggerland to Dunwich, UK
But please ignore history
NOAA, NASA, and even the Met Office all agree that air temperatures have not risen in last 3 years and are in fact dropping in some places. Ice sheet melt has also stabilized and reversed with ice cap thickening in some polar regions. This is empirical evidence to the contrary and well recorded by those agencies with equipment and budgets to track these things.
over 3 years, wow long time, and people complain showing warming over thae last 300 is to short lol
and thinking of ice in the polar regions? maybe from winter, the northern passage is reopen, the ice sheet in Greenland is shrinking as are 85% of the owrld's glaciers.
You do know what is currently Canada was under an ice sheet 10,00 years ago, wierd how that melted without any warming happening
The stats on sealevels were actually produces by NOAA, you may want to relook at where you pulled your info from
Well accordin to NASA records here, they appear to be rising,but I beleive your word over their published results: LOL
http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs_v3/
LOL
Is that at low tide, or high tide?
That history does not tell you which way it goes in the next 100 years or even the next 20.
I love the argument that the discussion around the cause of (and therefore the solution to) global warming is moot because the science has been settled by virute of a concensus of opinion. The fact is the scientific method has nothing to do with concensus, it consists of systematic observation, measurement, experimentation, formulation and testing of hypotheses (and refining the hypotheses based on the results). There was scientific concensus that the world was flat, the earth was the center of the universe, no continental drift (as recently as 70 years ago) and that Newtonian laws were correct (disproved by the theory of relativity). Concensus views prove nothing.
The reason that cause is of course important is it dictates your view on the solution. Nobody doubts or disputes that climate changes over time (with much warmer and cooler periods having occured over the history of the earth), however unlike those that have determined by concensus that it is man made, I don't think we should drastically change our standard of living (or the progress of humanity) and go back to living a slower dimmer existence as a result. That said the hypocrisy of those that actually do believe this yet continue to drive SUVs, air condition their homes, run all mannger of computers and electronics (and even heat their indoor pool like Al Gore) demonstrates that to these individuals it is "do as i say and not do as i do" – not unlike the religious zealouts of the past.
Further, in terms of preparation, I believe I am well positioned to surivive the tsunami sea level rise of 1.7 (or even 3mm) per year (based on some worst case IPCC concensus estimate).
It is absolutely amazing how utter crap can be coordinated, wrapped, and presented as a factual issue to be considered.
If ever there was evidence of how sick and twisted the global powers that be truly are it lies within this rubbish referred to as (anthropogenic) global warming.
Honestly, just look at all the entities, abbreviations, projections and "data" above … I won't even bother countering the points today as I and a few others here on CNS have done so before and frankly, I don't have the time.
Besides, the situation is now one where to counter the false propaganda and scare-mongering as it relates to anthropogenic global warming is akin to challenging one's religion.
In fact, it is the new religion and it comes along with all the usual symptoms; it is not based on actual facts or science, it requires faith in order to believe, it tugs at one's emotions, and most of all – it requires your MONEY!!
*Interesting how this story always pops back up in the news in June of every year … what "season" begins in June folks?? That's correct – hurricane season.
**Of course, everyone is free to believe any crap that comes their way with an "official" stamp affixed, however, I strongly object when I have to pay for your ignorance and unjustified fears.
keep drinking the oil industry kool aid……………….zzzzzzzzz
of course 'whodatis' is right and the international scientific community is wrong……zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Glad to see that we understand one another.
There may be hope for you yet, Mr. Zzz.
🙂
At the end of the day it doesn't matter if climate change is anthropogenic or not, sea levels are still going to rise, and this is still going to massively impact Cayman and the region
denying everything and doing nothing to prepare for the sake of arguing if man caused or not is like standing in the path of a train and arguing if it has a human driver or a computerised one, it still is going to hit you unless you move!
If earthquakes or hurricanes have occured in the past in your area do you prepare for it in future and build your house appropriately or just do nothing as you beleive humans didn't cause them.
And your scientific credentials are… oh, right. It's a conspiracy amongst all the major scientific agencies in the world. Speaking of ignorance … pot, meet kettle.
the first plan is to wake people up to this fraud!
A rise of 1 metre in Cayman would be catastrophic. What plans are in place to mitigate this possible event?
We're all going to roll up our pants legs and go barefoot. Just like in the old photos.
Chuck Norris
Naturally, CHEC will build us an under-island 2 metre tall platform to prop us up.
🙂
(Fret not, global warming is a massive, global fraud. The only scary thing about it is the power and influence of the entities pushing the money-seeking agenda.)
Actually oil companies spent 10 times the amount of enviroment groups in US lobbiests every year.
The money is now in trying to disprove Climate change
I wonder how many thumbs down I will get for just stating a true but unpopular fact
LOL
My personal conclusion on the matter is not affected by whatever amount of money was spent by any particular lobby group.
I tend to not trust in "reports" and "instiutions" on their merits alone.
I pay attention to actual science, common sense, and make it a habit to research beyond a mainstream media headline.
Try it sometime if you don't already – you may be amazed at what you will discover.
looking at all our posts it's clear you need to follow your own advice, and not the UK independent news paper you always link to
LMAO
Worry ye not. Verily I say unto you, the great and all-powerful MacBush promiseth to perform yet another mighty work in that day:
"Behold!", saith MacBush, "In that day I shall raise my staff and I shall rebuke the rising waters in my most patronising and condescending manner and JuJu shall pray that my loins be girded in strength: the mighty flood waters shall obey and shall part on our left side and on our right side; dry land shall appear; thou shalt be safe. Greatly will my name be praised."
"And it shall come to pass that the marvelous story of my mighty deliverance of my people will be noised within all the islands and to the four corners of the earth. And the people of UDP shall continue to join their voices in their ever-present cry "Hallelujah! With clean hands and pure heart, Mac is ever our deliverer and our King! Ju Ju is ever our Queen! Long live Mac! Long live JuJu! Praise the UDP!"
And it shall come to pass that MacBush shall sell the dry land to Dart for thirty pieces of silver and Dart maketh yet more millions on the deal, yet the people sorely lament and want for bread and meat: the thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Very Funny!
Does anyone still believe this alarmist nonsense?
The great global warming con has been exposed for the sham it is.
and do you actually beleive the climate never changes? what were the ice ages then?
nearly 99% of scientists beleive that the earth is in a warming phase and has been since the last ice age.
Leaving out if humans are partly responsible it still means sea levels with CONTINUE to rise
That is not alarmist but truth, sorry to remove the sand from around your head.
I bet you still beleive that smoking isn't harmful as the same scientists the oil companies are funding now for their dodgy science were producing the smae dodgy science 40 years ago proving smoking was good for you.
You can't just take the past 10 years or 100 years and draw a line into the future and say it will keep going. That is a just a guess unless you have a reliable model that predicts what will happen. The models right now do not work well enough to say with any confidence that the rise in the last 10 years will continue even for the next 10 years.
of course you can folow historic trends, the sun has risen every morning, that may not mean it will rise tomorrow morning, but past historical data tells me it will, how much are you willing to bet?
Here we go.
more than 80% of oxygen comes from the ocean, Global warming is a fraud designed to steal your money via global taxes/Carbon Credits.
This is just an amazing prediction. What is tomorrow's weather going to be?
Its a a bunch of BS!
The earth has been through many periods of weather extremes. In the past, ice ages have covered parts of the earth with vast areas of snow and ice, with glaciers covering where people now live. This hype about global warming is greatly overdone. Chronologically, we are just emerging from our last "ice age" and the average temperatures will slowly increase until the next reversal of temperatures and the next ice age begins. How long will this take to happen? Thousands of years! It will happen no matter what you do. It will happen whether humans are here are not. Don't sweat it.
Exactly and in the past Cayman has been completely submerged under water for extended times on 4 occasions, so why worry about Climate change if you live in Cayman. LOL
and this article to about preparing for the temperature increase and increase in sea levels cycles or not. It is saying prepare for it, so we do need to sweat it, because it will impact us if we caused it or not
Please do not worry about global warming.
It is, and always has been, a political agenda for massive social control including taxing rich nations, attaching strings to the money, then giving it to poor nations. In other words it has nothing to do with the climate at all.
Everyday there is more evidence that our climate follows the solar radiance which comes our way from the sun. And since the year 2000, there has been an upset in the natural solar cycles.
Our current solar cycle (number 24 since we started counting them) will be only half or less than the previous. And it was 2 years late in starting. We have not experienced such an event in more than 100 years, and is characteristic of what happened during the mini ice age.
That ice age lasted for about 300 years and ended about 300 years ago.
All this shows that our worries about global warming are not founded on science.
??? Huh????
Plant lots of trees. This help to slow down global warming. Especially Oalm trees. Plant as much of them as your property can hold. Besides that they are good for flooded areas.
Agree with you GOOD ADVICE. As you know, during photosynthesis is used and oxygen is produced. So far so good. Palm and Coconut trees are useful to us on many levels, as well as the purposes you outlined.
The only thing I take issue with: Since when did water vapor and CO2 become 'greenhouse gasses"? That implies that the two compounds are something we need to curtail or reduce.
Regardless, I appreciate your advice; the more we grow, the better for the planet and the resources necessary for the species that overdemands of its resources, and the only species whose lifestyle is not sustainable — humans.
A very long, long time ago when the earth was not so populated there was alot of trees and people lived healthier. Sometimes people even slept outside between trees in huts and hammocks. Funny we never needed fertilizers and trees grew to enormus heights. I truly believe yes that it is time we grow those trees back. Each of us should try to have atleast 7 bearing fruit trees in our premises. Besides it is such a wonderful feeling and so rewarding to go outside and pick a dozen mangoes every day, breadfruit, avacado, plums, orange, grapefruits, coconut water, guavas, ackee, and the list is too numerous. Now in Cayman you will find new trees like Lychiee, Special large pink and white guavas, Cashew, peanuts, mulberry, blackberry, vine grapes kiwi and the list goes on again. Search for them, plant them and eat healthy.
Better gas up those 8 cylinder Ford trucks USA!
You mean the Cayman Cadillacs?