Scott Ott writes:
“Bush: Africa’s Poverty Reduces Greenhouse Gases”
(2005-07-05) — President George Bush, on his way to the G8 Gleneagles summit in Scotland, told reporters gathered near his helicopter today that he sees a crucial connection between the two major issues on the G8 agenda — global warming and African poverty.
“Everybody feels sorry for the poor people of Africa, because they’re not industrialized yet,” said the president. “But looking at the bright side, they’re also not cranking out too much greenhouse gas either.”
Mr. Bush said any G8 agreement on the two issues should take into account the impact African development could have on the Kyoto protocols on global warming.
“The last thing in the world we need is 20 or 30 more developed nations producing prosperity, buying up SUVs and destroying our atmosphere,” he said.
The White House said the president has worked with international diplomats Bob Geldof and Bono to craft a proposal that would keep Africa in “clean, green sustainable poverty” for the foreseeable future through a series of charity rock concerts.
I have a feeling that Scott was inspired by the real words of another American ex-governor, Jerry Brown, back in 2002:
Johannesburg (CNSNews.com) – Former Democratic Governor of California Jerry Brown believes that poverty stricken residents of the developing world who want to emulate American prosperity should not be allowed to do so because “it’s not viable.”
In an exclusive interview, CNSNews.com asked Brown whether he thought the residents of the poorest nations of the world wanted to develop economically as the U.S. has done.
“Many do, but it’s not viable,” Brown replied. “I would say we can’t develop like us, nor them…the developed model cannot work without another five planets,” he added.
A British author critical of the Green movement, Professor Philip Stott, said Brown’s anti-development views, as relayed to him, can be likened to Marie Antoinette’s reported response when she was told the French peasants had no bread to eat: “Let them eat cake.”
“I am deeply worried when I hear a white, Western, male start to lecture the developing world on what they should, or should not, want,” Stott told CNSNews.com.
Brown, the current mayor of Oakland, Calif., appeared at the U.N.’s Summit on Sustainable Development (or Earth summit) on behalf of the environmental group Global Greens. Brown, who earned the nickname “Governor Moonbeam” for his somewhat unconventional style, appeared in numerous panel discussions while at the summit.
In the interview, Brown defended the Green group’s efforts to stop infrastructure projects deemed too ecologically destructive in countries like India and Brazil. The projects would have brought running water and electricity to the poor residents of the nations.
“One thing you have to realize is the economy is inside the environment, not the other way around,” an unapologetic Brown replied.
In other words, “The last thing in the world we need is 20 or 30 more developed nations producing prosperity, buying up SUVs and destroying our atmosphere”.
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