Tiempo Climate Newswatch

There are fears that the world's poor will be overlooked as the global financial crisis develops. "Who will compensate the innocent countries who are going to suffer from this debacle?" asked John Michuki, Kenya's acting finance minister, last week. "An estimated 1.8 trillion [US] dollars has been found in a matter of weeks to bail out investment bankers. It is outrageous that the world's poorest people, suffering daily from soaring food and fuel prices, are still waiting for their rescue package," commented Shefali Sharma of ActionAid.

In Ethiopia, over six million people now require food assistance. "General food insecurity, prevalence of acute malnutrition, severe pasture and critical water shortages in the livestock sector and drought-induced diseases have exacerbated the emergency situation," reported Mitiku Kassa, minister of agriculture and rural development. The government and international humanitarian partners have appealed for US$265.6 million for food supplies. "The competition to secure these scarce resources has progressively become rather fierce," Mitiku said. "We, as part of the global community, are feeling the impact of the global food constraints."

The California Air Resources Board has released the final version of its new climate change law (AB32). The law combines direct regulations and market incentives with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. "Our comprehensive approach steers California away from its dependence on fossil fuels and accelerates the state's necessary transition toward a clean-energy future," said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the Board.

The regulations will lead to reduced greenhouse-gas emissions from vehicles and a lower fuel carbon content. There will be stricter efficiency standards for buildings and appliances. A third of power generated by utilities must be from renewable sources by 2020. The plan also covers a new emissions trading system, restrictions on urban sprawl and new training programmes to move workers toward "green-collar" jobs. The plan has its critics. According to Margo Thorning of the American Council for Capital Formation, the law "will result in a lot of economic pain for Californians." "The cap and trade system will cause 'leakage' of industry to states and countries with no mandatory emission caps resulting in job losses and higher energy prices. This is a high price-tag to pay for no net reduction in greenhouse gases," she continued.

The American Museum of Natural History in New York has launched a new exhibition on climate change. Curator Edmond Mathez proposed the show as he was frustrated that the public was not responding to the alarm voiced by scientists. "The news media was presenting climate change as a controversial issue, which is complete nonsense, it's not," he said.

"Presenting the latest information about what climate change is, what causes it, and alternative energy options, the exhibition makes clear both that there is no single solution for addressing this imperative issue and that a combination of individual and society actions are necessary to, and can successfully, mitigate it," said Ellen V Futter, the museum's president. There are interactive displays where visitors can commit to changes in their behaviour by, for example, recycling, improving energy efficiency or altering transportation use. The show will travel to Spain, Denmark, Mexico and Abu Dhabi after closing in New York in August 2009.