Tiempo Climate Newswatch

A survey of 47 journalists in four developing countries, Honduras, Jamaica, Sri Lanka and Zambia, reveals that the media in these countries have a poor understanding of climate change and do not consider reporting the issue a high priority. The survey was conducted by the Panos Institute, based in London in the United Kingdom. According to Panos, the media, policymakers and scientists should encourage an "urgently needed" public discussion.

On Zambia, the report says that "the little reportage that appears barely scratches the surface, and lacks in-depth analysis of what climate change is, what its effects are, and the available strategies to cope with them." The journalists interviewed said they lacked access to clear, accurate information and that scientific jargon made reporting difficult, especially in the case of reporters who do not speak English.

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• AllAfrica

• Download report, Panos Institute

"Given the gravity of the situation and the importance of taking action, I hope that the global community will move a little more rapidly with some future agreements" on climate change, said Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), speaking during a recent visit to Oslo, the capital of Norway. He said that the inhabitants of low-lying countries and small islands are "living in a state of fear." "We must understand the reasons behind their fears. We're really talking about their very existence, the complete devastation of the land on which they're living."

While refusing to be drawn on the conclusions of the forthcoming IPCC assessment, he did comment on the latest research on the link between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, saying that "if one looks at just the scientific evidence that's been collected, it's certainly becoming far more compelling. There is no question about it." He also reckons that the costs of slowing global warming might be less than forecast in the IPCC's 2001 report.

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• Reuters
• BBC

• IPCC 2001 assessment

Reducing emissions of greenhouse gas methane by a fifth could prevent 370,000 deaths worldwide between 2010 and 2030, according to Jason West of Princeton University in the United States and his collaborators. The money saved by preventing these deaths would exceed the cost of the emissions reduction.

Methane reacts in the lower atmosphere to produce ozone, which has been linked to premature deaths in the industrialized nations as a result of cardio-respiratory disease and other health problems. Emissions are being reduced under the Kyoto Protocol through, for example, capture of the gas and its subsequent use in generating energy. The researchers conclude that "methane mitigation offers a unique opportunity to improve air quality globally and can be a cost-effective component of international ozone management, bringing multiple benefits for air quality, public health, agriculture, climate, and energy."

More information

• SciDev.Net

• Full paper, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences