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| International-UN-NGOs |
| UNDP Calls for Currency Tax to Help Poor with Climate Change |
| 2011-11-03 |
| [An Nahar] The U.N. development agency called Wednesday for a currency transaction tax to help the world's poorest countries deal with the effects of climate change. "In updated analysis prepared for this report, the North-South Institute estimates that a tax of 0.005 percent would yield around $40 billion a year," said the UNDP's annual Human Development Report. "The revenue potential is thus huge," it added. "Even a unilateral currency transaction tax limited to the euro could mobilize $4.2 to $9.3 billion in additional financing," it said. "Clearly then, a currency transaction tax could, even under very conservative assumptions, dramatically scale up global public good expenditure," it added. La Belle France, which holds the presidency for the G20 this year, has been pushing for a tax on financial transactions to fund development projects. It is expected to make the same pitch when heads of state of the group of 20 nations gather in Cannes later this week. The UNDP noted that the most disadvantaged people continue to be subject to the biggest impact of environmental degradation. They are not only vulnerable to the impact of the environment, but also confronted with threats including air pollution, water pollution and sanitation problems. To measure these serious health, education and living standards deficiencies, the UNDP has taken environmental deprivation into account for the first time in this year's human development index. The agency has measured environmental deprivation in terms of access to drinking water, clean sanitation or cooking fuel. "The figures are very shocking," said Jeni Klugman, a lead author of the report. In developing countries, at least six out of ten people suffer from an element of environmental deprivation while four out of ten suffer from at least two. In addition, half of the malnutrition cases in the world arise from environmental factors, added the UNDP. Overall, this year's annual human development ranking showed progress made in the quality of life. However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... when adjusted against inequalities among the population, there was an overall drop of 23 percent in the quality of living this year. "The biggest drops were recorded in education, followed by revenues and health," said Klugman, underlining that all the regions of the world posted a fall in the adjusted indicator. Norway, Australia, the Netherlands led this year's overall index, while the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger and Burundi came in at the bottom. However, those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... when adjusted for inequalities, some countries fell off their top rankings. The United States, for instance, was the fourth best in the index, but only ranked 23rd when adjusted for inequalities. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #11 Before the EUniks start another scheme, they better let things settle down after the PIIGS epidemic is over. They may be one of the poor themselves. Pretty exciting spending other people's money, eh? |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2011-11-03 18:41 |
| #10 Get the U.S. OUT of the U.N. and let the rest of the world GO TO HELL. |
| Posted by: Barbara 2011-11-03 18:10 |
| #9 They are going to start pulling back a bloody stump I thought light saber cauterizes as it cuts. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-11-03 16:37 |
| #8 Forget about the currency tax. Human-created climate change has not been proven. Banning the U.N. would stamp out considerable corruption and a huge drain on the West. It seems the U.N. would like to bring all industrialized countries down to the level of the world's poorest countries. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-11-03 15:37 |
| #7 I am so tired of self important, bureaucratic shits holding out their hand over and over asking for more of my money. They are going to start pulling back a bloody stump. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2011-11-03 13:12 |
| #6 ONLY Capitalism (and a shift AWAY from taxing comparative advantage to taxing the things government creates) will save the economy. Tobin taxes comparative advantage. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2011-11-03 10:06 |
| #5 QE & QE2 caused worldwide commodity inflation. UN graft / redistribution schemes won't help. Firing Bernanke before he can implement QE3 might. |
| Posted by: Cincinnatus Chili 2011-11-03 08:03 |
| #4 "The That sez it all. |
| Posted by: Spot 2011-11-03 08:03 |
| #3 This tax would be a DISASTER. Any country that stays out of it will be MILES better off. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2011-11-03 07:10 |
| #2 Has to do wid Biofuels taking up all the land for that certain vital thingy Humans like known as CROPS = aka FOOD. Its an Oldie but always a Goodie. * ION CC CHINA DAILY FORUM > FUTURE HOLDS MORE EXTREME WEATHER, FLOODS [monsoons], HEAT WAVES [wildfires], DROUGHT | KEY UN CLIMATE REPORT TIES CLIMATE CHANGE TO EXTREME WEATHER. ARTIC = GWCC, Weather Perts changing their focii towards SUPER-HEAVY RAINSTORMS, as per storm size, frequency, + [abnormal?]droplet composition. SOME LANDS, REGIONS TO LOSE MOST OR ALL OF THEIR HUMAN HABITABILITY. OTOH .... * SAME > UN HIRES [new]GRAD STUDENTS TO AUTHOR KEY CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-11-03 02:08 |
| #1 Banning biofuels would be easily the most effective measure to aid the world's poor. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2011-11-03 01:06 |