Problems of small island States

The temperature rise is controlled at 2 degrees, and the small island countries do not agree.

From Copenhagen to Cancun, Mexico, and then to Durban, South Africa, at previous climate conferences, small island countries emphasized that "global warming must be controlled at 1.5 degrees Celsius", instead of 2 degrees Celsius recognized by other countries. At the Copenhagen meeting, Tuvalu, a South Pacific island country, proposed that if the meeting could not reach a tougher new agreement, the General Assembly should suspend all negotiations. The main goal is to control the temperature rise at 65438 0.5 degrees Celsius by 2050, which is even tougher than the Kyoto Protocol's goal of 2 degrees Celsius.

However, the final Copenhagen agreement did not consider the voices of small island countries, and its main goal was to set the medium-term goal of global response to climate change to control the temperature rise within 2 degrees Celsius since industrialization; In 20 16, it will be considered to re-examine whether it is necessary to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. 20 16 I'm afraid it's too late for small island countries to talk about rising temperatures.

Climate problems have a long history, but small countries are always the biggest victims.

Global warming and sea level rise are not the initiators of various climate changes. The World Development Report 20 10: Development and Climate Change issued by the World Bank points out that16 high-income countries emit two-thirds of greenhouse gases, but developing countries have to bear 75% ~ 80% of the losses caused by climate change.

The United Nations High Representative for the Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States pointed out that climate change has brought various disastrous consequences to small island countries: the frequency and severity of droughts and floods have increased; Damage to infrastructure; Land loss and land salinization endanger agriculture and food security; Including the loss of coastal wealth such as corals, mangroves, algae and offshore fish; Bacterial-borne diseases and water-borne diseases increased; Tourism is affected, etc.

Other countries are talking about temperature and money. They are talking about life and death.

In addition, for small island countries, a 2-degree temperature rise in the future means "the country is ruined." At the Cancun meeting, Lima, vice chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States, said: "We don't want to be forgotten, and we don't want to be victims of the 2 1 century." Therefore, 43 countries from the Caribbean coast, Africa and the Pacific formed the above-mentioned alliance of small island States, which is called "AOSIS" in English. At first glance, it will be regarded as an international distress signal "SOS".

According to scientists, Tuvalu may be the first country to sink to the bottom of the sea. According to statistics, in the last decade of the 20th century, sea level rise has caused Tuvalu to lose 1% of its territory. 200 1, 1 1, the government announced that the efforts to deal with sea level rise failed and Tuvaluans would give up their homes. A few days later, the Earth Policy Institute in Washington, USA, expressed the same despair about Tuvalu's future in a report, and suggested that Tuvaluans find another land. It can be said that the quarrel between other countries is to save hundreds of millions of dollars; Small island countries are campaigning for their own "lives".

Non-governmental organizations ridiculed and teased the advertisements published in the tabloids for friends in developed countries during the Cancun meeting: "Favorites: food, movies, comics, robots and industry; Hate: commitment, cooperation, implementation, science, emission reduction targets. " .

In Bangladesh, 20 million people are affected by sea level rise and monsoon floods.

How to deal with the crisis, small countries are always short of money and feel unable to afford climate change.

Climate change often brings unexpected harm to small island countries. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan swept through Grenada. 90% of the country's infrastructure and houses were destroyed, and the economic loss was as high as 800 million US dollars, equivalent to twice its GDP. But this island country has always been considered to be outside the hurricane belt. Coping with climate change requires huge amounts of money, which small island countries obviously cannot afford. According to the data provided by the World Bank, due to the financial crisis, the annual climate financing in developing countries is currently $654.38 billion, and the current funds for adaptation and emission reduction are less than 5% of the funds needed in 2030.

In addition, the development and utilization of various new energy technologies also need huge financial support. By 20 13, the EU plans to invest10.5 billion euros in the green economy; The U.S. Department of Energy recently invested $36,543.8 billion in the research and development of carbon capture and storage technology. Small island countries are unable to develop, let alone pay high patent transfer fees.

International negotiations often become outsiders and have no right to speak.

International climate negotiations have been dominated by three forces: the European Union, the umbrella group led by the United States and the "Group of 77+China". The European Union still wants to play a leading role, and the United States is trying to establish its leading position on the issue of climate change. The role of emerging economies, mainly the basic four countries (China, India, Brazil and South Africa) has gradually become prominent in the negotiations, which has alarmed developed countries such as the European Union.

However, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) has 39 member countries (4 dependencies and 2 small islands as observers), with a total geographical area of about 770,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 40 million. The international influence of island countries is far less than that of big emitters, and they have the least say in climate negotiations. In the end, their vulnerability was ignored and their voices were covered up. All efforts can only be "on the wedding dress for other girls"

It's too difficult to emigrate to other countries.

If the island is really submerged by seawater, immigration seems to be the only choice for small island countries to "save lives". For most poor countries, the problem of immigration is even more difficult. Tuvalu, the island country mentioned above, has begun to transfer "climate refugees". However, large-scale migration is always a very complicated matter, involving sensitive issues such as living standards and population pressure in both countries. Therefore, Leutu's close neighbor, Australia, which is sparsely populated and economically developed, is unwilling to accept it.

For political refugees, countries should grant asylum according to the relevant circumstances, which has long been stipulated in the global refugee treaty of 195 1. However, there is no international legal provision for climate refugees generated in the process of climate change. Residents of Marshall Islands, a former trust territory of the United States, can freely enter and leave the United States to work or study, but their permanent residency depends on the specific circumstances. For the people, that island is the real hometown. Immigrating to more developed countries will inevitably face a new dilemma of cultural collision.

The island country of Tuvalu covers an area of no more than 2 square kilometers. The largest wave hitting the island is 3.2 meters, while the highest altitude in Tuvalu is only 4.5 meters. Rising temperatures and sea levels threaten Tuvalu, leaving the country facing the dilemma of abandonment.

Climate warming has triggered an existential crisis, and Kiribati, a South Pacific island country, wants to relocate the whole country.

They are also rushing for their fate, but with little success. Think again that new energy technologies have been put into practice, but they are not enough to save themselves.

Although they can't afford the energy technology of other countries, it doesn't mean that small island countries have given up their efforts. Binger, a scientific consultant for climate negotiations of the Alliance of Small Island States, believes that oil is not the only key to economic development. Countries have begun to study the new energy development model of low-cost universities, and OTEC (Ocean Temperature Difference Energy Conversion) is one of them. The principle of this technology is very simple. The cold seawater in the deep sea is pumped to the warm sea surface, forming a heat engine and generating energy. This principle is very similar to that of a refrigerator. However, it is obvious that this kind of "science and technology in poor countries" is always far from the advanced level in the world, and can only meet a small part of the energy needs of island countries, while there are not many ways for small island countries to contain key problems such as flooding of their land.

International assistance is not strong, and small island countries are struggling.

Even accusative admits that technology can only play an auxiliary role in solving a series of problems of island countries, and the key lies in the assistance of other countries to these countries. In the interview, Binge mentioned that the small island countries want to apply to the government of China for the establishment of a seed fund, with an initial capital of about US$ 50 million to US$ 654.38 billion (China has not yet made a commitment, so this is just our plan). With this money, small island countries can introduce some technologies from China. This fund can pay salaries to small and medium-sized enterprises that provide hardware in China.

All along, the international help-seeking activities of small island countries have not been carried out smoothly. According to the figures provided by the United Nations, the foreign aid of small island countries reached about 2.6% of their gross national income in 1990, but in 2002, this figure dropped to 1%. Therefore, at many climate conferences, many requests made by small island countries are related to financial and technical assistance. It can be said that small island countries have been unable to control their own destiny, and life and death can only be decided by the faces of other countries.

They can only play political games in their own way.

Although the voices of small island countries are few, they have never given up their efforts to fight for their own destiny. At the Copenhagen meeting, Tuvalu's proposal was opposed by India, South Africa and other countries, and Tuvalu requested a temporary recess to postpone the negotiations. When the meeting resumed that afternoon, the representative of Tuvalu saw that his proposal might fail, so he walked out of the meeting to protest. It is nothing new for this island country to openly fire at a big country. Therefore, every time a resolution is put to the vote, AOSIS often opposes the General Assembly resolution and "opposes the whole world" with the attitude of "if we don't agree with our proposal, we will oppose it to the end".

Without negotiations, small island countries are prepared to take extreme measures, Desima? Williams, chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States, said: "If all financial and diplomatic means fail, I think some countries will start to seek legal means." However, in the possible legal channels, including bringing a lawsuit to the international court of justice and authoritative organizations to demand compensation. But the legal process is long and expensive. How many small countries can afford it? Therefore, it may be the best choice to arrange the time that can be "squandered" on the island.

2

Global warming is mainly caused by the long-term historical emissions of developed countries and the current high per capita emissions in the local area. Developed countries have an unshirkable responsibility for this, and they should bear more historical and practical responsibilities for global warming.

He said that statistics show that developed countries accounted for 95% of the total carbon dioxide released by human beings through burning fossil fuels in the two centuries from around 1750 to 1950. In the half century from 1950 to 2000, when some developing countries began to realize industrialization, the emissions of developed countries still accounted for 77% of the total emissions.

The expert said that from the perspective of human history, developed countries released a lot of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, in the process of industrialization and modernization. Data show that even today, developed countries, which account for 22% of the world's population, still consume more than 70% of the world's energy and emit more than 50% of greenhouse gases. The per capita greenhouse gas emissions of most developed countries are still far higher than the world average and the average of developing countries. 1950 to 2002, China's carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion only accounted for 9.33% of the world's cumulative emissions in the same period. Before 1950, China's emission share was even smaller. According to the statistics of the International Energy Agency, in 2004, the per capita carbon dioxide emission of China was 3.65 tons, which was only 87% of the world average and 33% of the OECD countries. From 1950 to 2002, China's per capita carbon dioxide emissions only ranked 92nd. Therefore, developed countries have an unshirkable primary responsibility for climate change.

Xu Ying said that at present, the mainstream views of the international community on climate warming have gradually become consistent, and some basic understandings have been formed, including that global warming is an indisputable fact; Climate warming has caused serious consequences to the natural ecological environment and the environment for human survival and development; The causes of climate change are not only natural factors, but also closely related to human activities, especially the scale of carbon dioxide emissions in the process of using fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Climate warming knows no national boundaries, which is a common challenge facing mankind and needs the joint response of the international community. Developed countries have the responsibility and obligation to shoulder greater responsibilities.

According to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities put forward by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, developed countries should bear the main obligations. Experts believe that this includes not only the further emission reduction of developed countries, but also the financial and technical support provided by developed countries for developing countries to cope with climate change. In this way, developing countries can develop their economies, eliminate poverty, protect forest vegetation and ecological environment, and take the road of sustainable development. At the same time, developing countries should also take measures according to their own specific conditions to continuously improve energy efficiency, develop clean energy and renewable energy, and make positive contributions to promoting environmental protection and sustainable development.