The Nation (Nairobi)
7 April 2008
The most conspicuous anti-global warming celebrity today announced an expensive media blitz last Monday. Former US Vice President Albert Arnold "Al" Gore hopes to stir US populace into anti-global warming war. It's a narrow focus.
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Mr AlGore you are ‘Robbing Peter paying Paul’
More people are expected to die of famine in Africa than imprinting a larger CO2 footprint. 'Al Gore Environmental policies' are aimed at ‘Robbing Peter paying Paul.’ Green based priorities are creating severe food shortages. Hunger in African will kill faster and will have larger impact on the flimsy structure of the growing under class of the world.
In a display of over enthusiasm to grow crops for biofuels to control toxic emissions a lot of agricultural land has been diverted away from food and led to severe price hikes. Robert Zoellick, World Bank's president, says that food prices have risen by 83% in the past three years. The price of wheat had risen by 120% in the past year, more than doubling the cost of a loaf of bread. Rice prices were up by 75% in just two months.
The Guardian reports that in Bangladesh a 2kg bag of rice now consumes almost half of the daily income of a poor family. With little margin for survival, rising prices too often means fewer meals, Poor people in Yemen were now spending more than a quarter of their income on bread. The Bank's analysis chimes with research from the International Monetary Fund which shows that Africa will be the hardest hit continent from rising food prices. More than 20 African countries will see their trade balance worsen by more than 1% of GDP through having to pay more for food. Robert Zoellick, the Bank's president, called on rich countries to commit an extra $500m (£250m) immediately to the World Food Programme, and sign up to what he called a "New Deal for global food policy".
The economic impact of all this cannot be overemphasized higher inflation as a result of higher food costs will lead to economic slowdowns as interest rates may have to escalated instead of being cut ( to encourage recovery) to contain food inflation, a scenario of stagflation is possible if this foolish diversion of resources in developing expensive biofuels from crops is not altered. The hardest hit from such global economic situation will be the countries on the lowest rung of poverty ladder. Will someone put some senses to this whole dialog.