And Now a Worried Word from The World Bank

I figured I'd let someone else harp on these topics. This from The World Bank press review:

Climate Change Threatens South Asia Food, Water: ADB.

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"Melting Himalayan glaciers and other climate change impacts pose a direct threat to the water and food security of more than 1.6 billion people in South Asia, according to initial findings of an Asian Development Bank (ADB) study.... If current trends persist until 2050, yields of maize, wheat and rice can fall by up to 17 percent, according to the study, [titled Addressing Climate Change in the Asia and Pacific Region: Building Climate Resilience in the Agriculture Sector,] which will be unveiled at a UN convention on climate change in Bangkok in late September...."

[Reuters/Factiva]Xinhua adds that "...analyzing current trends and scenarios based on projected temperature increases, the study warns that four countries in South Asia - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal - are particularly vulnerable to falling crop yields caused by glacier retreat, floods, droughts, erratic rainfall and other climate change impacts...."

[Xinhua/Factiva]Business Recorder writes that "...the study outlines a range of agricultural adaptation measures that could significantly reduce the region's vulnerability to climate change impacts. These include investments in irrigation expansion and water resource management, farm-to-market roads, and agriculture research and dissemination...." [Business Recorder (Pakistan)/Factiva]

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India Carbon Emissions To Triple By 2030: Studies.

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"India's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are expected to nearly triple in the next two decades, but will still remain below the current global average, a government-backed report said. The data released late on Wednesday showed the current per capita rate at around 1.2 tons per year, compared to the global average of 4.22 tons. Five different studies released by independent institutions concluded that India's per capita emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent would reach 2.1 tons in 2020 and 3.5 tons in 2030...." [Agence France Presse/Factiva]

BBC News adds that "...but the document, compiled by experts for the government, also says India's per-capita emissions will be much lower than major industrialized countries. The report will form the basis of India's negotiating position at a UN climate change conference in December.... At present India accounts for about 5 percent of global carbon emissions. China, the US and Russia are placed higher...."

[BBC News]FT reports that "...India has defied international pressure to curb emissions by stressing that its greenhouse gas output would when measured per capita stay below that of developed countries. 'The results are unambiguous. Even with very aggressive GDP growth . . . India's per capita emissions will be well below developed country averages,' said Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.... The studies also showed India would achieve greater fuel efficiency than Japan and Germany...." [Financial Times]

India's problem isn't per capita emissions, it's a matter of way too many capita! India, like China, shirks all accountability for the consequences of its overpopulation. When these two countries represent a third of the planet's population, they can damned well back off the per capita emissions whine.