UK demands repayment of climate aid to poor nations

Guardian.co.uk ^ | 5/17/08 | John Vidal

[Dawnsblood]

The letter shows that the US has resisted the idea of loans, preferring to give developing countries grants. "We understand that grants would be the US preferred approach," the British ministers say. Both their departments are understood to have argued strongly that the money should be in direct grant form on principle, but were overruled by the Treasury.

Last night several countries joined environment and development groups to condemn the loans. "We need urgently to prepare for climate change, but we are not in a position to pay back loans," said a spokesman for the Bangladesh high commission in London.

"The climate situation has not been created by us. The money should come spontaneously from rich countries and not be a loan." Bangladesh expects up to 80 million people to be displaced by climate change within 50 years.

A senior Brazilian diplomat was "indignant" that poor countries should have to borrow the money to prepare their populations for climate change. "It is not nearly enough money to tackle the problem, but I am not surprised. Increasing the debt of countries is not a good idea."

[Dawnsblood]

The UK gives aid as loans but the US gives aid as grants. That sounds like an interesting idea.

[steelyourfaith]

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[paguch]

Make them grants, unless we don’t have warming. If we don’t have warming, charge 15% plus 1% for every degree of cooling. I would buy cooling points at 2% return for every 1 % cooling.

[denydenydeny]

Grants or loans, it’s all going to end up in Swiss bank accounts anyway.

[JoeSixPack1]

Give a man a fish, he eats for a day......

Give ‘em a few million dollar bills and they can have all the best bullet proof limousines available to drive around in and laugh at all the starving, controlled masses, with money left over for indoor plumbing at the palace.

[elkfersupper]

What, exactly is "climate aid" and why are we talking about giving or loaning money for whatever it is?

Sounds to me like control-freak egghead aid and the more it is funded, the more of it you get.

Why would any rational human being want to do that?

[RockinRight]

"The climate situation has not been created by us. The money should come spontaneously from rich countries and not be a loan." Bangladesh expects up to 80 million people to be displaced by climate change within 50 years.

Let me say this as tactfully as possible...

"F**k off."

OK, that wasn't tactful.

[kalee]

Increasing the debt of countries is not a good idea.”

Excuse me but the countries giving you this money will be incurring debt to do so. Where do you think we get it?

[old-and-old]

>> “Increasing the debt of countries is not a good idea.”

me: “Increasing the debt of USA is not a good idea.”

and I think we have than all combined so f off. Let’s pay up and than we’ll talk

[Razz Barry]

According to the government, the £800m will be spent over the next three years, focusing on projects that support development through environmental protection and which help poor countries to tackle climate change. Of the money, £50m has been earmarked for helping 10 countries in central Africa to tackle deforestation in the Congo basin.

I recall the first mention of "climate change" as being caused by the "slash and burn" deforestation of the rain forest. Now, it's "caused", not by those poor countries destroying their forest, but by countries that can pay funds that will, I'm sure, go into the pockets of those in control. This is just another BS excuse to pick our pockets.