| Volume 7, Number 4, October 2010 |
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社论‧ Editorial |
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On Weather Changes and Signs of the Time
AS this year is nearing its end, it is worth remembering some of its important events. The first that come to mind are happy ones. The 2010 Shanghai Universal Exhibition will easily keep its place in world history. Much shorter in time length but equally significant was the first World Cup held in South Africa and broadcast live in all nations. Both have been entertainment magnets for the tourism industry.
Sadly, the year began with a tragedy: on January 12th, late in the evening, a massive earthquake of magnitude 7 shook Haiti. Extensive destruction was caused in Port-au-Prince and its region. Due to the proximity of the epicentre (25 kilometres), more than 222,000 people lost their lives, 300,000 were injured, 1.3 million were displaced, nearly 100,000 houses flattened and about 100,000 damaged. Rescue and help, both physical and financial, have been slow to be organised and up to recently, many families are still crowded under shoddy tents in refugee camps in poor conditions.
Later in May, in China floods and landslides began to affect several provinces, bringing the death toll to 1,072. A deadly mudslide in Zhouqu county, Gansu, occurred on August 8th, around midnight. The mud-rock flow of about 5 km long, 300 metres wide and 5 metres deep, levelled the area severely disrupting power, telecommunication and water supply facilities. As of August 22nd, more than 1,045 deaths had been recorded; at least 330 persons are still missing. Elsewhere, more than 140 million people in 28 provinces, municipalities and regions had to endure other downpours. To avoid the risk of flooding and landslides, by early August, 10.42 million people had been evacuated.
In Pakistan floods began in July after heavy monsoon rains submerged the Sindh, Punjab as well as parts of Balochistan regions. An estimated 2,000 people have died so far with close to a million homes badly damaged or destroyed. Authorities estimate that over 20 million people are suffering; over 160,000 square kilometres are affected, exceeding the combined total of the affected people by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, although the death toll in Pakistan is much lower.
These huge natural disasters have been particularly destructive of human lives. In comparison, man-made disasters were less significant. In the Gulf of Mexico, on April 20th, the Deepwater Horizon’s explosion that killed 11 technicians and the oil spill it caused, in this respect have left their marks only on lasting ecological damage estimated in billions of US dollars. In Russia, in the 500 or so wildfires of the hottest summer in Russian history and the intense drought of the western provinces in late July, only one fire fighter lost his life. But in the Gulf or in Russia or in Gansu, administrative negligence for years might have hindered better prevention against recurring catastrophes.
Specialists say that climate change is not directly involved in these major and recent tragedies. Yet the attention will naturally focus on other issues. In Haiti first, in Pakistan later, the media have reported how slow the international community has been to gather financial resources and organise the urgently needed relief. It took nearly two months for the United Nations Secretary Ban Ki-moon to finally receive, on August 20th, some US$500 million—only half a billion dollars!—coming from many national governments, NGOs and corporations. Among the 40 multi-billionaires who made the “Giving Pledge” to philanthropy, initiated in June 2010 by two of them who are very well-known, anyone could have alone easily met the challenge! (see Wikipedia, “2010 Pakistan floods” and “The Giving Pledge”).
The fact is that free “generosity” is hindered by the fear of bad organisation and creeping corruption. All this can generate political inertia (see for instance the climate change debates) or social apathy (where working conditions are at stake). In the global economic crisis, both attitudes are counter-productive. As Matthew relates in his Gospel: “You know to foresee weather changes, but you ignore the signs of the time” [Matt., 16, 2-3]. By not heeding what is happening, there is no way to heed what has to come: a better world.
Yves Camus 赵仪文
Editor
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| Issue 7.4 |
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Sino-African Relationship Challenges
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