Press Release of Nov. 5: Hurricane Mitch

Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 01:17:10 -0400 (AST)
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
From: mjjnh@mta.ca (Matthew Jamieson Jonah)
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Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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Hiya Sust-mar'ars,

Here's a dose of reality to add to our evening newscasts.

>>Posted by the SCC National Office:
>>                                           News Release
>>
>>412-1 rue Nicholas St., Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7B7  Tel: (613) 241-4611
>>Fax: (613) 241-2292   e-mail: sierra@web.net
>>
>>For Immediate release
>>Was Hurricane Mitch a Natural Disaster?
>>
>>(Ottawa, November 6, 1998) The Salvadoran Centre For Appropriate Technology
>>(CESTA) has declared Hurricane Mitch an unnatural disaster.  Dr. Ricardo
>>Navarro, the president of the Salvadoran Centre for Appropriate Technology,
>>said today that he believes hurricane Mitch is a result of human fossil
>>fuel emissions and deforestation.
>>
>>The winner of the International Goldman Award for the Environment said,
>>"Why should we be surprised. We have changed the global climate. We
>>predicted an increase in global climatic disasters, and now we are
>>confronted with the human and environmental consequences. Unfortunately, we
>>are paying a very high price for our actions...death and destruction."
>>
>>There have always been natural disasters.  Hurricanes, floods, drought and
>>heat waves.  However, in 1990 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
>>Change, an international body of eminent scientists, warned that human
>>fossil fuel emissions and deforestation would lead to global climate
>>change.  As a consequence of a rise in global temperature, they predicted
>>an increase in severe climatic events.
>>
>>Hurricane Mitch could be a symptom of these changing times.  The nine
>>hottest years on record have been in the last 15 years. The hottest year on
>>record could be 1998, the hottest global month on record was recorded this
>>past July and the hottest temperature on the planet was recorded this year
>>in India at an astounding 52 degrees Celsius.  But global climate change is
>>not about just heat, scientists predicted many years ago that the result
>>would be increased intensity and frequency of droughts, forest fire hazards
>>and storm activity.  Hurricane Mitch marks the fourth hurricane in the
>>region this year and follows on the heels of Hurricane Hugo only a few
>>weeks ago.
>>
>>"The climate catastrophes we are seeing around the globe are occurring
>>because the First world is driving cars, the world's forests are
>>disappearing and we are not addressing the root causes of this problem in
>>either the North or the South", Dr. Navarro.
>>
>>The Salvadoran Centre for Appropriate Technology seeks to find solutions to
>>our current environmental and social problems through appropriate
>>technology.
>>
>>Dr. Ricardo Navarro is an internationally recognized environmental activist
>>and a recipient of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Award and a winner
>>of the Global 500 Award.  He is the president of the Salvadoran Centre For
>>Appropriate Technology (CESTA) and the international representative for El
>>Salvador of Friends of the Earth.
>>
>> He is currently in Ottawa as a guest speaker of the Canadian International
>>Development Agency.  CESTA is one of the largest environmental
>>organizations in Latin America with programs in appropriate technology,
>>environmental law, ecological awareness and social rehabilitation.  CESTA
>>was recognized in Canada through the Canadian Council for International
>>Cooperation Peace building award for their ground breaking work with
>>environmental and social reconciliation.  Dr. Ricardo speaks fluent
>>English, Spanish, French and some German.
>>
>>Dr. Navarro released a statement this morning in Latin America and in
>>Argentina regarding Hurricane Mitch. He is currently working with the
>>assistance of the Sierra Club of Canada to draw the links between the
>>current disaster of Hurricane Mitch and global climate change.  His recent
>>statements coincide with the international discussions on climate change
>>(COPS 4) underway in Buenos Aires.
>>
>>He attended a federal consultation yesterday on Canada's humanitarian
>>response to the disaster in Central America.  Dr. Navarro is available for
>>interviews at the offices of the Sierra Club of Canada this afternoon and
>>is available this evening.  He is leaving to go back to his country
>>tomorrow in response to the disaster.
>>
>>- 30 -
>>
>>For more information: John Bennett, Sierra Club of Canada, (613) 241-4611

Wilderness needs no defense. Only more defenders." -- Edward Abbey


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