Failed rains in Ethiopia?

Question

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7444753.stm

1. What relation could this have with global warming?

2. As one of the worst greenhouse gas emitters, do Americans have a responsibility to send economic aid?

Answer 1

1. The whole planet's environment is linked. It all has a balance that must be strictly taken care of.

I've read comments from other here and I just can't understand how they can call us a backward nation, and then tell us we are equally responsible for the pollution. Isn't the meaning for backwardness that there are no mechanisations and technologies to emit the pollutants?

Next, no one is blaming the US for the rains here. But we are blaming the US for the GLOBAL impact.

Another thing the rising cost of food is being felt all over the world. That is another reason idirectly affecting the people that need aid here. The prices have been rising constantly. Who's to blame? Who's using corn for bio-fuel? Ethiopians?

2. As one of the worst green gas emitters the US has no obligation to aid others. But as humans, what do you think? It took years, and I'm glad someone mentioned it here, to recognize that Starbucks heartlessly ripped-off the poor farmers here and wouldn't even recognize them, or their coffee. While I'm not sure how much a latte or a cuppa costs in downtown New York, I'm sure it's ATLEAST 50 times what the farmer gets for the WHOLE KILO of coffee. Can you honestly tell me that the farmer is NOT OWED anything?

Think about it.

One Love !!!

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Answer 2

the bulk of Starbucks coffee come from there

expect them to raise their prices.

It is in Americas own interest to come to their aid

but will they

they will probably look for another coffee producing place ,to hijack

Answer 3

Americans already send more economic aid to other countries than the COMBINED aid of the next 10 countries!

Ethiopia is a desert low rainfall region of the world and will BE a desert for eons to come. The country has had reoccurring drought for as long as I have been alive! With millions of people dieing from starvation. SEE THIS:

http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-engli...

This does not include our UN dues --- where we pay a large percentage of operating costs-- nor humanitarian food aid during global emergencies.

Answer 4

Starving in Ethiopia???  Get out of here!!

Must be global warming because they're never known to have a shortage of food....<rolls eyes>

I'd be more than willing to set up a factory there and have the locals manufacture goods in exchange for money...money they could then buy food with.

Answer 5

1. It's impossible to tell.  We can't assign any one weather event (including an entire bad season) to global warming.  We're fighting our own extreme weather in the U.S.:

Engineers watch Wisconsin's dams after collapse

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080610/ap_o...

2.  No, the current warming is caused by the cumulative effect of the past 300+ years of coal burning (still the largest emitter at 40% of the total in the U.S.), with some relatively minor recent contributions from oil.  The negative influence of CO2 remains strong for hundreds of years.  In other words, most of the problem was caused by people who are dead and long gone.  Dig up my ancestors and ask them to pay for aid if you want.

Even looking at today's causes, the Third World has CO2 emissions roughly equal to developed nations.  The 400+ dirty coal-fired power plants being built there will cause the greatest increases in CO2 worldwide, wiping out the reduction efforts in developed nations.  Developing nations are driving us closer to extinction while the rest of us conserve, redesign our lives and rebuild our infrastructure.  This has been clear from the start, but developing nations have chosen not to decrease emissions, effectively choosing their destiny in exhange for funds sent to their governments.

Further complicating the issue, black carbon soot is 60% as much of a negative influence as CO2, and much of it comes from 3 billion cooking fires in developing nations.  The 3 billion people added to the planet since 1960 (mostly in developing nations) have added greatly to the impact.  Deforestation occurs mainly in developing nations, accelerating the climate change due to greenhouse gases.

If we look at the big picture, we're all responsible, there are no easy scapegoats.

American absorbs 1 million immigrants per year (including Ethiopians) out of the 80 million added to the planet each year, and every American absorbs the cost of building them new roads, schools, and expanding our capacity to supply power, water, sewage treatment and landfills.  What is anyone doing to help the other 79 million, or to promote family planning so another 80 million hungry mouths might not add to our environmental impact on the planet next year?  We now know that population growth is equivalent to global genocide.  Things are going to get a lot worse on this planet while we fail to face that issue.

Answer 6

America has a greater responsibility to balance the the environment and Eco system anywhere in the world.no doubt.

Answer 7

I don't suppose the Great African Rift would play a part in that do you? Human plight is never a pleasant thing, and they are receiving help, along with education. Just an add on, Africa is also, known as the Fire Hub of The Globe.

Answer 8

Regional weather trends shouldn't be confused with global climate changes (unless some statistically significant anomaly is demonstrated).  Ethiopia has a history of drought conditions that occur regularly.

A recent peer reviewed scientific paper on their rainfall says:

"Ethiopia’s June–September rainy season is governed primarily by ENSO"

As far as Americans having a responsibility, I prefer to call it a moral choice to help those in need (which I've done for Ethiopia on more than 1 occasion throughout my life). Referring to it as a responsibility gives the tone of "we caused it", and that simply can't be demonstrated in this case.

Answer 9

Ethiopia has a drought.  What a shock.  In all of history there were never droughts until that evil America showed up.  American prosperity has nothing to do with the Ethiopian drought.  Any suggestion that it does is vile.   We owe them absolutely nothing.  If anything, they owe us.  That being said, I am sure we will help them anyway.

Note: looks like me an Evans had the same take on this one

Answer 10

The average middle class American is more then willing to help anyone in need, not because of global warming or that we are evil greenhouse gas emitters.  Its because they are decent people, the problem with Ethiopia runs much deeper then climate.

Answer 11

Why does America have the world on its shoulders?  Why doesn't the rest of the world help out more?  I find that ridiculous that the rest of the world hates us, yet expect us to help out so much.

"You suck! We hate you!  Help?"

Especially when it's countries like China that put out 10 times more pollution than we do.