Climate change does not respect border; it does not respect who you are - rich and poor, small and big. Therefore, this is what we call 'global challenges,' which require global solidarity. ~ Ban Ki-moon
I wanted to write this for world environment day. Are we going overboard with green agenda?
Climate change is science not a myth. I too was and still am a supporter of certain green agenda. But, now I feel the movement has lost its mission. I have seen perplexing problem – the environmentally sensitive rich are demanding poor to forgo feeding themselves, solving their health and energy problems. You can’t make developing countries to make their decisions. The rich who’ve never had to worry about malaria, diarrhea, starvation and survival have no right to impose their ideologies on the poor.
In 2015, there were roughly 212 million malaria cases and an estimated 429 000 malaria deaths. (http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/malaria/en/) I respect what Rachel Carson has done to protect the environment. The US banned DDT in 1972, a decade after Rachel Carson's Silent Spring began the environmental movement. Then the ban was followed by other rich countries. Now, World Health Organization will not fund its use, and most agencies are pushing for a ban worldwide.
But, here’s the conundrum – although DDT killed birds, it could also save tens of millions of lives. Probably the worst thing that ever happened to malaria in poor nations was its eradication in rich ones otherwise we might still be using DDT.
Where should we draw the line? We must stop trying to protect our planet from every imaginable, exaggerated or imaginary risk. Are we going overboard with the climate agenda? Have we been brainwashed?
This is piece is influenced by Paul Driessen's book - Eco-Imperialism: Green Power Black Death.