World Bank must take ‘quantum leap’ to tackle climate crisis, UN expert says
GuardianApr 22
UN: Climate Crisis Threatens 41M in Caribbean, Latin America
Above: Aerial view of the flooded Travessia da Orla square in in Porto Alegre, Brazil on May 7, 2024. Image copyright: Jefferson Bernardes/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
According to a report released by the UN Population Fund, 41M people in the low-lying coastal areas of the Caribbean and Latin America are at risk of "life-threatening" weather events, such as storms and flooding, exacerbated by climate change.
Based on satellite images and population estimates, the report identified the most vulnerable communities — including more than 1.4K vital hospitals in low-lying coastal districts.
The Spin
Narrative A
Climate change impacts the vulnerable the most, including poor nations, women, and marginalized communities, as is evidenced by this latest report on Latin America. They are the least responsible for the climate crisis but pay a hefty price for climate-related disasters. Wealthy countries, particularly the US, which emits the lion's share of greenhouse gases, must scale up investments to help secure their infrastructure and adapt to a changing climate.
Narrative B
The UN is a world leader and strategist of climate alarmism and has made terrifying the public a performative art form with ineffective policy outcomes. Putting the fear of misery and death into people doesn't spur action. If the UN truly wants to garner support and deliver, it must dial down the extremist language and provide factual, relevant, and digestible goals and paths forward.