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Civil Society Report says climate policy should focus on removing barriers to adaptation

Regulation and Aid are no Solution to Climate Change

Lahore, Pakistan

December 07, 20007: A new Report produced by a coalition of 41 institutes from around the world and released in Pakistan by Alternate Solutions Institute concludes:

• Cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the coming two decades is not a cost-effective way to address climate change.

• Deaths from climate related natural disasters have fallen dramatically since the 1920s, as a result of economic growth and technological development. With continued economic growth, the death rate is likely to continue to fall regardless of climate change. (The number of reported natural disasters has increased continuously since 1900 for various reasons, including population growth and improvements in communication; climate change is most likely not one of them.)

• There is no evidence that climate change has caused an increase in disease. If the main causes of diseases such as diarrhea and malaria are properly addressed, climate change will not increase their incidence.

• Agricultural production has outpaced population growth in the past 50 years. With continued technological improvements, this trend will continue to 2100, even if the global mean temperature rises by 3°C.

• Water scarcity is a problem in many countries, but with better management and modern technologies, more water can made be available to all.

• Millions of people in poor countries currently die unnecessarily due to a lack of wealth and technology. These problems have generally been exacerbated – not alleviated – by foreign aid, which has supported unaccountable governments that have oppressed their citizens, denying them the ability to improve their lot.

• Global restrictions on greenhouse gases would undermine the capacity of people in poor countries to address the problems they face today as well as in the future by retarding economic growth and general economic development.

• Instead of pushing emissions restrictions and failed ‘aid’ policies, governments should focus on reducing barriers to economic growth and adaptation – e.g. removing trade barriers and decentralising management of water and land.

The Civil Society Report on Climate Change comprises:

1. Summary and Policy Recommendations

By the Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change

2. "Human Ecology and Human Behavior: Climate change and health in perspective"

By Paul Reiter

3. "Death and Death Rates due to Extreme Weather Events: Global & U.S. Trends, 1900-2006"

By Indur M. Goklany

4. "Weathering Global Warming in Agriculture and Forestry: It can be done with free markets"

By Douglas Southgate and Brent Sohngen

5. "The Political Economy of Global Warming, Rent Seeking and Freedom"

By Wolfgang Kasper

To download the Report, please visit http://asinstitute.org

The Civil Society Report on Climate Change has been published by the Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change http://www.csccc.info

About the Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change

The Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change seeks to educate the public about the science and economics of climate change in an impartial manner. It was established as a response to the many biased and alarmist claims about human-induced climate change, which are being used to justify calls for intervention and regulation. The Coalition comprises over forty independent civil society organisations who share a commitment to improving public understanding about a range of public policy issues. All are non-profit organizations that are independent of political parties and government. A list of members is available at http://www.csccc.info/members.php  

For more information, contact info@asinstitute.org

Khalil Ahmad

Executive Director

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