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Canaries in the South Pacific Pakistan and America Caught in a Bad november 16-30, 2012 tells the facts and names the names vol. 19, no. 20 Vanishing Point of increased or stable carbon emissions, of rising average global temperatures and of rising sea levels is now clear: nothing Canaries in the South Pacific short of a global compact to reduce and cut-back on carbon can possibly help By Vijay Prashad turn back the tide. en years ago, the islands of under. The Gilbertese lost two islands But the situation seems hopeless. The Abanuea and Tebua Tarawa in that year. Others have since followed. Durban deal of 2011 saved the Kyoto the state of Kiribati vanished The fate of the small island is to protocols, but certainly not Kiribati: Tunder the waters. The island of Tepuka disappear. Abanuea, the island with once more there will be deliberations Savilivili lost its coconut trees due to beaches that were fated for forever, was on how to act, and once more there salination. Kiribati, located in the center the canary. will be chatter about a Global Climate of the Pacific Ocean, takes its name for Kiribati’s president Anote Tong has Fund for mitigation and technology a certain pronunciation of the last name become an important spokesperson for development. All this is at the expense of of Captain Thomas Gilbert. On the islands and island cultures that totter the attempt to make sure that the global way to China after having dropped off on the edge of extinction. “Already temperature increase will remain below a boatload of convicts at Botany Bay in we have whole villages being washed 2 degrees Celsius (most expect that the 1788, Gilbert chanced on these islands. away. There’s no running away from feeble Durban deal, which postpones They took his name. One of them had the reality that the sea levels are rising. action until 2020, will allow average an earlier name, Abanuea, which means There is no running away from that temperatures to rise to about 3.5 degrees the beach which is long-lasting. It lasted reality.” From Kyoto to Durban, from Celsius by 2020 – the death sentence for a long time, but could not withstand the one Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Kiribati). rising ocean in 1999. That’s when it went Change report to another, the certainty prashad continued on Page 2 Pakistan and America Caught in a still matters very much. As Governor Romney explained: the United States Bad Romance “just can’t walk away” from Pakistan because its more than 100 nuclear weapons may fall into the hands of By Charles Pierson jihadists. Never mind that Pakistan’s nukes are tightly controlled by the Is it time to divorce Pakistan? huge loads of resentment toward the Pakistan army, the most efficient, most – Bob Schieffer, moderating the third United States following the effort to disciplined institution in the country. Obama-Romney dislodge the Soviets from Afghanistan in Forget, too, that Pakistan is already Presidential Debate, October 22, 2012 the 1980s. As Pakistanis see it, the United paranoid that the United States will try States used Pakistan, then dumped to seize its nuclear arsenal. “Loose nukes” e can’t just walk away from Pakistan as soon as the war was over. In will be the go-to pretext for any future Pakistan,” Republican October 1990, Uncle Sam, that ingrate, US intervention in Pakistan. Presidential nominee Mitt reimposed sanctions it had placed on Shortly after 9/11, Pakistan again Romney told Bob Schieffer at the third Pakistan before the war in order to halt W entered an alliance with the United and final Romney-Obama debate. Pakistan’s drive for a nuclear bomb. States. Pakistan was less than enthusiastic President Barack Obama agreed. Neither The United States hadn’t cared about about the courtship. However, this was candidate gave any indication that he Pakistan’s nuclear program so long as the period in which President George cared what Pakistan thought in the Pakistan was of use in Afghanistan. (The W. Bush warned other countries: matter. Does Pakistan want a divorce American sanctions failed. Pakistan “You’re either with us or you’re with from the United States? exploded two nuclear devices on May 28, the terrorists.” This shotgun wedding Every Pakistani I know would answer: 1998.) solved a problem for Pakistan’s military “Yes.” As we learned during the third dictator General Pervez Musharraf who Pakistan never wanted the match to presidential debate, the United States has had seized power two years before. The begin with. To this day, Pakistanis carry decided that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal alliance with the US lent the Musharraf pierson continued Page 3 CoLumn 1 november 16-30, 2012 No wonder that Sarah Jayne Clifton developing country but rather a large and financial assistance to facilitate of Friends of the Earth International ocean developing economy.” “leap frogging” over a carbon modernity bemoaned the situation. “Ordinary Tuvalu’s Minister of Trade Lotoala towards a non-carbon civilization. people have once again been let down Metia said that his country is trying to No such program has been accepted by our governments. Led by the US, move from fossil fuels, on which the by the North. It would rather try to developed nations have reneged on their island is totally dependent, to renewable use its minuscule foreign aid program promises, weakened the rules on climate energy by 2020. There is something to break the coalitions of the Global action and strengthened those that allow obscene about these pledges, coming South. In 2010, the Danish Ambassador their corporations to profit from the from countries that barely contribute to Bolivia told the US chargé in La Paz, climate crisis.” to the climatic shifts. Out of the 186 “Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen President Tong lives with his countries that reported figures for spent an unpleasant 30 minutes with nightmares. “For some time I did not greenhouse gas emissions, Kiribati Morales, during which Morales thanked sleep because I didn’t have a solution to came in at 185. The three biggest him for [$30m a year in] bilateral a problem that there wasn’t a solution to. emitters are the USA, European Union aid, but refused to engage on climate What happens to us in the future? Do we and China. It is worth recollecting change issues. The Danes said they disappear as a culture?” that at the 2011 Durban meeting, the were ‘fed up’ with Bolivia and the ALBA In May this year, at the UN’s Economic major environmental NGOs wrote to countries, who continue to mount legal and Social Commission of Asia and the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and propaganda arguments against the Pacific (ESCAP), Pacific Island nations pointing out that the US was the “major Copenhagen Accord, but that they would came to talk about climate change and obstacle” to any progress in global continue to consult with their European their cruel fate. Kiribati’s Finance and talks. Even the European Union openly Union partners on ways to influence the Economic Development Minister Tom criticized the US for “overlooking the [Bolivian Government’s] position.” No Murdoch announced that his small facts” of climate disturbances. such luck. Morales remained obdurate. island state established the largest Behind the scenes, as the Wikileaks Unfortunately, the imperatives of rapid marine protected area in the Ocean – tranche demonstrates, the US colluded economic growth has dented Morales the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, with the Europeans to scuttle any attempt own commitment to people-centered, which is more than 400,000 sq. kms, by the UN and by the BASIC (Brazil, non-carbon development. Pablo Solón, or 11% of Kiribati’s Exclusive Economic South Africa, India, and China) countries Bolivia’s former ambassador to the Zone. “The Ocean is fundamental to to create an effective treaty. Despite the UN and the coordinator of the World our cultural identity,” Murdoch said, public declarations on behalf of climate People’s Conference on Climate Change “Our green economy is very ‘blue.’ It has legislation by President Obama, his and The Rights of Mother Earth, resigned been said that we are not a small island administration used every dirty trick, his positions and wrote an open letter to including withholding aid, to secure Morales in 2011 protesting the road being votes against effective climate legislation built through the Indigenous Territory at Copenhagen and Durban. Michael and National Park of Isibore Secure, Froman, US deputy national security “One cannot speak of defending Mother EDITOR-IN-CHIEF advisor, wanted to deny the BASIC Earth and at the same time promoting Jeffrey St. Clair states a victory not only for climate the construction of a road that will harm negotiations but also to break their Mother Earth, doesn’t respect indigenous MANAGING EDITOR political momentum. “It is remarkable rights and violates human rights in an Joshua Frank how closely co-ordinated the BASIC ‘unforgiveable’ way.” group has become in international fora,” SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Dr. Kosi Latu, a leader of the small Froman wrote from Brussels, “taking Nat St. Clair island states, complains about the turns to impede US/EU initiatives and direction of the climate debate, and joins BUSINESS playing the US and EU off against each President Tong in his despondency. “For Becky Grant other. BASIC countries have widely us in the Pacific, it’s more than [poverty Deva Wheeler differing interests, but have subordinated reduction and green technology]. I’m DESIGN these to their common short-term talking about the survival of our peoples goals. The US and EU need to learn Tiffany Wardle in the sense that due to climate change from this co-ordination and work much impacts, we stand to lose our land, our Alexander Cockburn more closely and effectively together histories and cultures, our nationalities.” 1941- 2012 ourselves, to better handle third country When the island vanishes, the material obstructionism and avoid future train basis of the culture of its people will P.O.
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