[Financial] Crisis 'Nothing' Compared to Climate Change: Prince Charles

[Kuei Fei]

The current global financial crisis is "nothing" compared to the impact of climate change, Prince Charles warned Thursday as he called for urgent environmental protection measures.

"We are, I fear, at a defining moment in the world's history," he told a meeting of Brazilian business leaders and officials in Rio de Janeiro halfway through a Latin America tour.

"The global recession is far worse than any seen for generations," he said, adding that growing demand for energy and food created the potential for "political uncertainty in every continent."

But more menacing, he said, was that "the threat of catastrophic climate change calls into question humanity's continued survival on the planet."

He stressed: "Any difficulties which the world faces today will be as nothing compared to the full effects which global warming will have on the world-wide economy."

The speech was billed as a key presentation in the prince's commitment to environmental conservation.

It came a day before Prince Charles and his wife Camilla were to head to Brazil's Amazon to see human impact on the world's biggest rainforest, sometimes called "the lungs of the Earth" for its role in soaking up greenhouse gases.

Prince Charles, 60, and Camilla, 61, were on a 10-day, three-nation tour taking in Chile, Brazil and Ecuador's Galapagos Islands -- the research inspiration for Charles Darwin's theory of evolution -- meant to draw attention to the challenges posed by climate change.

The prince praised Brazil for the measures it has implemented to protect the Amazon, and described them as part of a new approach that dovetailed into the search for solutions to the world's economic and financial crisis.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090312/wl_uk_afp/britishroyalsbrazilenvironment

I've admired Charles, but this has ot be the worst thing he ever said. People losing their homes do not care about the environment, they care and worry more about feeding their families. 

[porsche]

That is.He doesn't feel with people, cos he thinks money grows on trees and he will hug them and ...yes, global warming is dangerous, but they are another important things.Fix the country with separate IRA paramilitery, fix economy, debts, raise national pride, increasing problems with minorities, job loses.I learned until some people in the third world haven't basic needs and things and some income for survival, they will not bother in some ecology.They don't know what is it.It was West and USA who took plastic bottles to Africa and Amazon jungle.Brasil slums are built from this mess.

[skye]

The current global financial crisis is "nothing" compared to the impact of climate change, Prince Charles warned Thursday as he called for urgent environmental protection measures. .."

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I've admired Charles, but this has ot be the worst thing he ever said. People losing their homes do not care about the environment, they care and worry more about feeding their families. 

Charles is out of touch with the real world. And he probably talked to his plants, to get some input for his speech!        :teehee:

[princessoctavia]

He is a hypocrite how can he say he cares about the environment when he goes every where in cars,trains and planes. The economic crisis will never effect him he will always have endless pots of money I find his comments very belittling.

[Trudie]

Considering he chartered a private plane for this trip as he chartered a private yacht for his tour last year, I say his attitude is very condescending. First his hiring private transport is leaving a big carbon footprint and CH finds every excuse to justify why. Second unlike us peasants who do not have a huge Duchy income to sustain us and many homes he has no idea what it is like in this economy to just be able to work if you were lucky enough to keep it, to pay the bills versus being made redundant.

One thing I love about Charles everytime he opens his mouth he inserts his foot.

[Alexandra123]

Charles is out of touch with the real world. And he probably talked to his plants, to get some input for his speech!        :teehee:

It has been long proved (scientifically) that talking to your plants helps them grow quicker and stronger. I talk to my plants and most people I know who are interested in gardening talk to their plants.


The thing about Climate Change is that it will not happen in one day; it will happen, and happens, gradually and eventually will indeed have far worse implications then any financial crisis. Similarly, fight against climate change will not take a day or a year; even assuming we begin right now on highest levels (that is, if Governments will finally cooperate), it will take years, probably generations to merely stop the changes to the worse, for there is hardly any hope left now that we could be able to fully cancel what we have done in this century.
If a climate change happens, we will be speaking about millions of homeless and hungry refugees from all around the world, of a real fight to survive. The 'developed' countries now experience trivial difficulties today; surely because of all the social securities, few of us have to worry about living on approximately $1 a month or never getting the very basic medication?

Charles never said the current financial crisis is not important; he merely pointed our that if we don't take actions now, right now, we will have to go through far worse times.

[brittanylala]

I agree with Charles. I'm far more concerned about climate change than the economy. The recession will fix itself within a decade or so, but with climate change there's no fixing it, it's here for good.

[Alexandra123]

Precisely, brittanylala. Unless we do something right now, on all levels, our children and grandchildren are going to pay a heavy price. And no economic recession or depression can be compared to that catastrophe. That is not something that will happen a long time from now; we have lived though a period of unique stability for the past 12,000 years and most scientist agree that the period is about to end. We can still make the impact lest severe but so far we have been doing just the opposite.

Charles may not say the popular things and may not go through the hardships ordinary British (and not only) people have to go through but he is merely stating the truth.