-Caveat Lector- ---------- Forwarded message ---- The Guardian Weekly 23-9-1999, page 12 Rich 'owe' billions to the poor by Mark Atkinson Far from being in debt to rich countries, the world's poorest nations are owed hundreds of billions of dollars by them for the disproportionate amount of environmental damage they inflict on the planet, says a report* published this week by one of Britain's leading charities. Christian Aid says that the developed world's bill on its carbon dioxide account is three times as large as its financial debt from the developing world - $612bn compared with $200bn. The report says that rich countries' demands for debt repayments are morally illegitimate and undermine the ability of poor countries to achieve internationally agreed poverty reduction targets. Andrew Simms, a policy adviser at Christian Aid, said: "We constantly think of the world's poorest countries as being in debt to us . . . But these debts are dwarfed by the huge and rising carbon debt owed by the rich countries to the global community." A quicker and more generous debt relief package was agreed in principle at the annual meeting of the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations in Germany this year, but details are still being worked out. This week Britain stepped up pressure on the European Commission to contribute €1bn ($1.04bn). To calculate carbon debt, Mr Simms has taken the world population in 1990 and divided it by the carbon dioxide emissions that scientists at that year's inter-governmental panel on climate change said would be permitted to hit the target of a minimum 60% reduction in production of global warming gases. Mr Simms reckons that gives everyone an allocation of 0.4 tonnes a year, with each tonne priced at $3,000 according to the contribution it is estimated to make to global GDP. On that basis, he says heavily indebted poor countries are in credit on their climate account because of their under-use or efficient use of fossil fuels, while the developed world is deeply in the red. * * * >> -- DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
