Civilization in crisis
The effects of climate change on different regions of the world show that we are in an acute phase (while serious) and announced an inevitable crisis of human civilization, and particularly the so-called "Western civilization", which for generations has been imposed in a particular way of understanding the world and interact with their dynamics.
snowfall late last year and earlier this have overcome the resilience of countries like Russia, which in the past sided with the cold to beat the armies of Napoleon and of Hitler. In the United States, Europe and China, where severe winters are a normal expression of climate variability, systems collapse of land and air transport, with serious damage to economies and for the normal daily activities. In Japan the snow sinking a fishing fleet. In southern South American continent, heat wave, which is also a normal expression of climate variability in this time of year, "busting" the capacity of power generating companies to meet demand for air conditioning. Thousands of birds and other animals die mysteriously mass in different latitudes of the planet.
The 'ecological footprint' of development, as we understand and we hold today
News of many of the current processes repeat verbatim what happened in late 2009 and early 2010 in the same places in the world. In 2003 a heat wave caused directly or indirectly, the death of about 50 thousand people in Europe. Apparently, that future we expected as a result of climate change, and became a terrible present.
This crisis of civilization is not only paradigms (with all that that implies in the medium and long term), as were those that triggered the 'Copernican revolution' that displaced the Earth, and with it the human being from the center of the Earth into a peripheral position in the solar system, or 'Darwinian revolution' that moved him from the center of "The Creation" and forced us to recognize us as one species (or rather, as a stage) in the evolution of life on Earth.
The effects of this crisis of civilization may have more in common with that caused the fever (or other 'pests') in Europe in the Middle Ages and in the past and later. Probably Earth moving from center to the periphery of the solar system did not produce immediate effects metieran you people at home, as if they are doing now water and mud in thousands of homes and other buildings in Colombia , Venezuela, Australia and Brazil. Although, of course, Galileo could expose several arguments to refute.
We are facing a crisis of paradigms, which like the others mentioned, should lead to the human species to reconsider his arrogance, but also to a crisis with very short-term effects, requiring Governments and societies to act quickly to try at least to protect human lives and alleviate the immediate trauma. It is a crisis of paradigms and world views, while a very serious environmental and humanitarian crisis.
Colombia, of course, no exception to the local effects of the global crisis. At this time the country is the worst disasters that have affected history, from the point of view of the extent compromised. Colombia's inability to absorb the effects of a strong winter season are manifesting from La Guajira to and from Nariño Norte de Santander to the Chocó. (In the Llanos Orientales, paradoxically, warns about the danger of forest fires). Nothing is happening in the country right now is unprecedented (with disastrous floods in the Caribbean, breaking the Canal del Dique, landslides in urban and rural areas of the Andean region, etc..), But what is new is that everything happens at once and with an intensity so overwhelmed.
failed Systems
We are surprised, we are embarrassed and frustrated us who, in my case condition of a mere citizen, have contributed to the construction of the System National Disaster Prevention and Response (which began to build from the disaster of Armero in 1985 and acquired the legal life Act 46 of 1988 and Decree-Law 919 of 1989), and the construction of National Environmental System (created by Act 99 of 1993), two systems that have not been able to reduce the progression of the vulnerability of the country compared to the normal dynamics of nature, much less to the relatively rare. The mere fact that they are two different systems and not just one, and yields clues about the reasons for failure. The same is true of other systems, with good theoretical basis but with very low efficiency, were created in Colombia to address other areas and activities for development: they have not been able to reduce country's vulnerability to multiple natural and human dynamics, for the same vulnerability, they become threats.
Environmental management and risk management have tried, without success finally, give it an address less harmful to economic development.
The Government is now moving with the speed necessary to meet the emergency triggered by the La Nina phenomenon (although we must also recognize that this disaster, which for most of the country it became clear in late October and early November, and is clearly envisioned and has affected many communities at least since April last year). Steps have been taken to ensure resources are exceptionally high in the range of several trillion (million million) dollars. The Government, playing the whole of society has expressed a priority the need to ensure that these resources are not stolen , and it has taken several important steps that we hope to be effective. I, of course, I share the concern of government and society, but I worry also how and by what criteria and priorities are going to invest the resources saved from theft.
Czar What to think?
So far I have not seen any official document that establishes the social and territorial approach that will to carry out the reconstruction of the area affected by the disaster, but the article's central journal WEEK started to run from Saturday 8 January, seems to have some progress.
Photo: SEMANA.com
What he meant the one titled the article in which we presented to Dr. Jorge Londono, the banker appointed to lead the country's reconstruction? Because as far as I remember, at least the last Tsar did not do well ...
In this article we present the profile and the vision of bankers, industrialists and other entrepreneurs who will lead the reconstruction, and we say, for example, " that this is the time to think largest in the country's infrastructure, which has decades of backwardness. Therefore, at this stage to do tunnels, viaducts, divided highways, railways and airports better, that would allow a more competitive economy for trade and more attractive for foreign investment. "
¿No es este, precisamente, el modelo de desarrollo que al mismo tiempo genera más cambio climático y una mayor vulnerabilidad frente al mismo?
En otras palabras, colocar como centro de la reconstrucción el fortalecimiento del modelo de desarrollo que a nivel planetario está conduciendo a la catástrofe. Claro: afirma también el artículo que el gobierno es consciente de que es necesario “proteger las laderas de los ríos” y “que las viviendas de alto riesgo se trasladen para anticiparse a una catástrofe”. But then, in very great extent, both rivers and the communities have been abused, precisely because of the realization of this model of development that is exacerbated today to stave off disaster.
This confirms the view of Mr. Secretary General of the Presidency when he tells WEEK: "This is a unique opportunity to do the works that the country needs, but them well done, and to gain time, because maybe without this tragedy, many of the works would follow the slow progress so typical in Colombia. "
With very good reason, the economist Luis Jorge Garay proposed late last year to merge the different policy displaced by violence and the people affected by the winter, partly because in many cases are the same, both in the Caribbean, and Pacific and the Andean region. View: VIEWER
What we are witnessing today, that vulnerability that keeps the country absorb without injury the effects of La Niña and to prevent future successfully resist climate change is the result of a systematic shift not only in human communities and of traditional cultures, but also the ecosystem, wetlands, plant and animal species essential to the integrity of the land, rivers and streams. This shift and this disaster is the result of the way it has been designed and is implementing the development in the country physical kicking against the ecosystems and communities.
The Government has created a "Fund for Reconstruction and Climatic Adaptation" , for example in the Caribbean region will be given by Dr. Hernán Martínez, a prestigious executive and former minister Mines and Energy of the Uribe government. The map below, prepared by economist Guillermo Rudas based on information from Weber County, show the practical effects of the design and development of the territory that has this man to be in their hands the reconstruction and adaptation to climate change in this important and battered region of Colombia:
As can be seen, during the eight years of the previous government, the ministry of Dr. Martinez imposed on the country unilaterally and without consultation with communities in these territories, mining a target which affects more than half the country (in those maps missing the territories where it will begin to seek the famous coltan), including most of the Andean and coastal ecosystems that the State itself, through the Second National Communication on Climate Change (IDEAM, June 2010) is considered as strategic for country's adaptation to climate change challenges.
The map below (this the Ministry of Housing, Environment and Territorial Development) shows how overlapping mining rights previously granted on various National Parks Natural and other protected areas. Not to mention the effect of these titles on the communities that inhabit those areas or ecosystems that are strategic for their daily survival.
Source: MAVDT
And the following map of the same ministry, adds to the previous titles miners at this time are requested:
Source: MAVDT
where such securities are issued in more than half of Colombia will not be materially space free or to plant a bush.
Finally, look at the map below with which the National Agency of Hydrocarbons, Ministry of Mines, tendered in June last year, 48 million hectares of Colombian territory to be dedicated to exploration and oil exploitation:
Source: National Hydrocarbons Agency
As I have noted elsewhere , 48 million hectares (or more accurately 47'665 .054) equal to 10 times the size of Costa Rica and 1,231 times the built up area of \u200b\u200bthe city of Bogotá.
What criteria, then it will rebuild the Caribbean region and the rest of the country and what approaches and priorities are to "adapt" to climate change territory, their ecosystems, their institutions and communities?
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