– A round-up of the day’s top climate change stories
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Mexico: Climate change could reverse the development gains witnessed in major emerging economies if it is not tackled adequately, according to a new report by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Failure to prepare for and reduce environmental impacts could push 3 billion extra people into poverty by 2050, according to the report. (AFP)
Environmental disasters could undo years of progress in tackling poverty (Source: UN/Kibae Park)
USA: A group of Senators from both parties have presented a bill that would take the Keystone XL decision out of President Obama’s hands. Previous attempts to force the White House’s hand on the oil sands pipeline project have failed. A final decision is not expected before August but the project’s proponents want no further delay. (Reuters)
USA: President Obama should embrace EU efforts to tackle aviation emissions and do whatever he can to ensure a global agreement is reached, according to a group of 32 economists including eight Nobel prizewinners. In an open letter to the President they said: “We urge you to immediately advance a US proposal for a global market based measure for aviation. In the long run it will be in aviation’s interest, as well as that of all society.” (WWF)
India: A former IMF economist has said the US should export shale gas to India. “India is heavily dependent on coal. So from a climate change point of view as well, getting cleaner gas from the United States I think will help enormously,” said Arvind Subramanian, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “I think the United States should use that as leverage.” (Business Standard)
Canada: Polar bears could turn brown again as changing climatic patterns encourage breeding between them and their ancestors, the brown bear. Beth Shapiro, one of the authors of the study said the risk was that polar bears would “adapt themselves out of existence”.
“Because they still retain the ability to hybridize with brown bears, they’re still pretty environmentally adaptable, which is kind of a shame for polar bears,” said Shapiro. (The Star)