Are polluting countries liable for effects of climate change?
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When major storms that cause severe devastation are linked to climate change, is it possible to blame the worst polluting countries for the damage?
At the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, continuing this week, talks got heated over the recent typhoon disaster in the Philippines.
From the time a scientific consensus emerged that human activity was changing the climate, it has been understood that the nations that contributed least to the problem would be hurt the most. Now, even as the possible consequences of climate change have surged — from the typhoons that have raked the Philippines and India this year to the droughts in Africa, to rising sea levels that threaten to submerge entire island nations — no consensus has emerged over how to rectify what many call "climate injustice."
Meteorologist Paul Huttner joins The Daily Circuit to discuss the issue. We also talk about volcanoes like those currently erupting in Indonesia and whether they are a wild card in short-term climate effects.
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