Ethiopia's Near Total Crop Failure Blamed on Global Warming, Disinvestment

[Jefferson23]

African countries are facing an unprecedented drought due to climate change and inadequate investment in technology, says UN's Dr. Shukri Ahmed - March 24, 2016

Video only, 12 minutes approx.

[jwirr]

1. I know I am going to get some flack about what I am about

to say but I have thought this from the day we turned third world countries over to the corporations.

Poorer countries were better off when we were sending them money from the churches hunger funds than when we decided that they could work for nothing for the corporations. At least the churches would have continued to help even now.

And they for the most part helped in other ways from where the African nations were using low tech to raise food etc. The corporations ignored the fact that industrial nations did not start out being high tech. They evolved into what they are by first developing their own nations and then exporting their goods not the other way around.

Not to mention that corporations could care less about what has happened to the climate of the world.

[Jefferson23]

2. Well it's a very bad and tragic consequence to be born in these areas of the world. The

blatant exploitation of one kind or another has been prevalent and they may pay the
ultimate price..not only instability but no future period.

[jwirr]

3. I agree. Many have already become refugees last year and

fled to nearby countries. I should clarify that I was speaking about churches of yesterday - not the rw hate groups of today. They have no interest in anything but themselves.

I wonder if the UN still has their hunger programs or if it is all WTO and World Bank now?

[Jefferson23]

4. Yes, I understood the history of your comments...no worries. This gives a pretty good break down

of global food hunger/addressing distribution. Take a look at this 8 year old report and when put in the
context of our current climate change conditions ( Ethiopia for one ) its shocking how much worse it is
today.




Food Aid for the Hungry?

By Katarina Wahlberg
Global Policy Forum
January 2008

Pdf Version
Between 1996 and 2006, the number of chronically hungry people in poor countries increased by over 20 million.(1) Today, 850 million people – 13 percent of the world population – cannot afford their most basic food needs.(2) And every year more than 8 million people die as a result of hunger and malnutrition.(3) By undermining the health and productivity of individuals, hunger also obstructs social and economic development at large.

People affected by food emergencies only represent a fraction of those suffering from hunger. But, that amount is increasing as global climate change and armed conflict have doubled the number of food crises since the 1980s.(4) Every year, the UN's World Food Programme provides emergency relief to over fifty million people.(5)

https://www.globalpolicy.org/world-hunger/46251-food-aid-for-the-hungry.html

[jwirr]

5. Thank you. We still have the mechanism in place then to

fight this but now the problem is much greater because the climate has come into play. I know what climate does to plants etc. And that is not going to end. I do have one question: Is the soil still able to produce if the climate were controllable or are we looking at depleted soil as well?

Just trying to see how hopeless this is at this point.

My family helps a young man and his mother through Compassion who lives in that area or rather one of the countries that is adjacent to it. They will no doubt be next. He is 15 now and we will continue to help him through the program until he 19. He gets health care and education plus some clothes and food through this program (or at least that is what they say they give). He talks about his mother and grandmother so I assume he shares with them as much as he can.

Bernie is correct - we can only be of help if we unite to address these issues.

[Jefferson23]

6. Your question is one I wish I had answers for.

I don't know what controls we have currently that can prevent and or restore temperatures changes to soil
when you add in the additional impacts of losing certain types of insects that also have become compromised due to
prolonged droughts. Their natural role with the soil is essential, or was. So would the future need to consider other
means of farming without soil? Maybe, its referred to as vertical farming..but I have no idea if that is possible
in places like Ethiopia.

People like you doing what you can is beautiful, and as you say..we must unite in time so
we can at the least minimize the worst of the effects of climate change.

[dembotoz]

7. in many ways the climate change train has already left the station

all we can do for much of it now is try to get folks off the damn tracks

[Jefferson23]

8. Yea it is bleak..not sure anyone can honestly disagree with that. n/t

[KoKo]

9. K&R!